A quodlibet (; Latin for "whatever you wish" from quod, "what" and libet, "pleases") is a musical composition that combines several different melodies—usually popular tunes—in counterpoint, and often in a light-hearted, humorous manner.

There are three main types of quodlibet:

  • A catalogue quodlibet consists of a free setting of catalogue poetry (usually humorous lists of loosely related items).
  • In a successive quodlibet, one voice has short musical quotations and textual quotations while the other voices provide homophonic accompaniment.
  • In a simultaneous quodlibet, two or more pre-existing melodies are combined. The simultaneous quodlibet may be considered a historical antecedent to the modern-day musical mashup. Simultaneous quodlibets are found in elementary music classes, referred to as Partner Songs.

History

Renaissance

The quodlibet originated in 15th-century Europe, during a time when the practice of combining folk tunes was popular. Composer Wolfgang Schmeltzl first used the term in a specifically musical context in 1544.

The Por las sierras de Madrid by Francisco de Peñalosa (c. 1470–1528) is an ensalada -an early form of the quodlibet- contained in the Cancionero Musical de Palacio, a manuscript of the early 16th century. Composer Ludwig Senfl (1486–1542/43) was able to juxtapose several pre-existing melodies in a cantus firmus quodlibet; one such piece, "" / "Es taget", was noted for its symbolism rather than its humor.

It was not until 1618, however, that anyone published a rigorous definition of the quodlibet: Michael Praetorius described it as "a mixture of diverse elements quoted from sacred and secular compositions". During the Renaissance, a composer's ability to juxtapose several pre-existing melodies, such as in the cantus firmus quodlibet, was considered the ultimate mastery of counterpoint.

Examples

Classical music

  • The masses of Jacob Obrecht, which sometimes combine popular tunes, plainsong and original music.
  • The last (thirtieth) variation of Bach's Goldberg Variations is a quodlibet.
  • Bach's Wedding Quodlibet or Quodlibet, which is not a quodlibet by the above definition but a ten-minute procession of nonsense, jokes, puns, obscure cultural references, word games, and parody of other songs. At times, the music imitates a chaconne and a fugue while deliberately obscuring the counterpoint. It is unlike any of Bach's other works, though the sole surviving source is a fair copy manuscript in Bach's own handwriting.
  • Gallimathias musicum, a 17-part quodlibet composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of ten.
  • Louis Moreau Gottschalk combined "Hail, Columbia" and "Yankee Doodle" at the end of his piano piece, The Union.
  • Symphony No. 4 of Charles Ives, like most of Ives' music, includes frequent popular and band tunes which unfold independently from the rest of the music.
  • Scherzo from Charles Ives' piano trio labeled "TSIAJ" (This scherzo is a joke), includes the American fraternity tunes "My Old Kentucky Home", "Sailor's Hornpipe", "The Campbells Are Coming", "Long, Long Ago", "Hold the Fort", and "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood", among others.
  • Quodlibet on Welsh Nursery Rhymes by Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott.
  • Pianist Glenn Gould improvised a quodlibet including "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Save the King". According to his account, Gould came up with this quodlibet while taking a bath.
  • The Grateful Dead's medley "That's It for the Other One", on their album Anthem of the Sun, includes the movement "Quadlibet for Tender Feet" (sic).
  • Scholar Alan W. Pollack has pointed out that The Beatles' "I've Got a Feeling" is a quodlibet of sorts.
  • "I Believe" – Stan Beard and Barry Tucker published a quodlibet arrangement of this popular sacred song with Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" in 1972.
  • Nina Simone's 1958 interpretation of "Little Girl Blue" is a quodlibet, combining the Rodgers and Hart melody and lyrics with the melody of the popular carol "Good King Wenceslas".

See also

  • Contrast (music)
  • Mashup (music)
  • Medley (music)
  • Musical parody
  • Potpourri (music)

References