A Lesson from Lassus: Form in the Duos of 1577

Abstract

This article demonstrates how contrapuntal techniques contribute to the formal structure of Lassus's twenty-four famous duos. Three types of contrapuntal events are identified in each piece: time interval of imitation, fuga (type of melodic variation), and “blocks” (contrapuntal combinations, usually varied by transposition or invertible counterpoint). Occurrences of these events are mapped onto time lines for all twenty-four pieces. The time lines suggest conclusions regarding Lassus's normative formal procedures. These procedures can in some cases be related to text and, in others, taken as suggestions for expressive performance.