Figural music

What it means

Figural music (German Figuralmusik) is polyphonic, rhythmically shaped music in contrast to monophonic chant without fixed rhythm. The term comes from the history of notation: cantus figuralis means singing in mensural notation, in which every note has a definite duration, as opposed to cantus planus, whose signs give no durations. From this results the musical distinction between plain liturgical chant and artfully crafted polyphony.

Musical use

In the church service of earlier centuries the distinction was of practical importance: certain chants were executed choraliter, others figuraliter, that is, polyphonically with singers and, where applicable, instruments. Which parts were treated in which way depended on the rank of the day and the available forces. Figural music thus comprises the entire stock of polyphonic church music — masses, motets, cantatas — and demanded trained singers, whereas chant could be performed by everyone. In many churches both practices existed side by side, sometimes in alternation within the same service.

Performance practice

If both manners of performance occur in a service, settle the sequence exactly and take care of uniform pitch and key at the seams. Shape the change as a contrast: closed, calm chant sound against articulated, rhythmically marked polyphony. When studying polyphonic settings over chant melodies, make the cantus firmus audible. Check the edition used for the underlying version of the chant, since variants exist.

Bear in mind that in many churches both manners of performance occurred in the same service: a change between monophonic singing and polyphonic setting articulates the course, and the seams need the same pitch and the same tempo. Rehearse them separately. With alternatim practice, settle which verses the choir sings polyphonically and which the congregation or schola sings in a single line. Watch the available forces: figural music demands practised singers, whereas chant can be performed by everyone.

Before the performance, settle which parts are performed polyphonically and which monophonically, and record the decision in writing so that the course is unambiguous for all involved.

Also check whether the edition supplies the monophonic parts, because they belong to the course and must be rehearsed.