Stylistic and conceptual similarities in the psalm settings of Mikołaj Gomółka and Claude Goudimel
Author
Robak, Tomasz
Date
2011Abstract
Polish-language polyphonic music from the Renaissance has been largely ignored in
English-language music historical literature. However, this repertory is of the highest quality and
is comparable to the output of other Western European composers. Because this music deserves
closer study, I explore and compare a portion of the output of Mikołaj Gomółka, a significant
exponent of compositional trends in Renaissance Poland, and of Claude Goudimel, a more
renowned French composer from the same period. Both of these composers wrote musical
settings of vernacular translations of the Psalms of David. Through my study I find that
historically, Gomółka’s compositional undertaking reflects many of the same religious and
humanistic attitudes as Goudimel’s and that it is a further testament to the religious reform of the
era. Furthermore, by examining several Psalm settings by these composers I also prove that
Gomółka and Goudimel share many of the same masterful compositional techniques while
preserving a distinctively original style.
Description
1st prize winner of the Friends of Fondren Library Undergraduate Research Awards, 2011.