The bull “Docta sanctorum patrum” in the context of the development of medieval liturgical polyphony
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/pms.2304Keywords:
music, liturgy, canon law, gregorian chant, organum, polyphony, motet, John XXII, Clement VIAbstract
Pope John XXII’s bull “Docta sanctorum patrum” (1324/25) is a text of particular importance for the history of church music. It is the first papal document to touch so thoroughly on the problem of tradition and novelty in sacred music, as well as what is appropriate in the liturgy. These are issues that are also relevant in our times. However, an attempt to interpret this difficult and ambiguous text poses numerous problems already at the translation stage. Some of them can be solved on the basis of a comparison of various texts from the period that deal with similar issues. However, the question arises about the real influence of the papal document on musical and liturgical practice. Contrary to the opinion of earlier scholars, it seems to have been negligible, and the evolution of liturgical music immediately following the promulgation of the bull “Docta sanctorum patrum” went in the direction directly opposite to that advocated by the pope. Despite this, John XXII’s document remained an important point of reference for later polemics concerning church music, starting from the 16th-century Counter-Reformation discussions.
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