"Un luogo così sublime com’è la cappella pontificia". Pratiche musicali e cerimoniale romano nell’età moderna

The survival of a cappella polyphony in the Papal Chapel during the modern and contemporary age has generally been seen as a sign of the conservatism of this institution, or as a form of display of an archaic style, a symbol of antiquity and tradition. The essay aims to demonstrate how the preservation of the a cappella style was inherent in the Pontifical ceremonial; it had to appear ancient and immutable to those who attended the Papal liturgies. In the style of the Papal chapel, the concept of a "schola musicale romana" was elaborated, i.e. a scholastic guardian of a stylus antiquus, supported by tradition and not circumscribable from a geographical point of view, but of a universal character. However, the stile di cappella was not only a compositional approach, but also a performance style that made it possible to adapt the timing and dynamics of the chant to the needs of the Papal liturgy. The singers were also required to practice unwritten polyphonic practices, such as counterpoint on a cantus firmus or falsobordone. In the same way as the Papal ceremonial, the musical practice of the chapel therefore seemed immutable in its practices and in its repertoire.