The Origin of the Lamento Bass
Lamento Bass in Partimento
The Lamento Bass, often mentioned in discussions about Partimenti and Baroque music, is a descending tetrachord that, when interpreted through Hexachordal Solmization, sings La Sol Fa Mi.
This pattern is a cornerstone of Baroque composition, yet we rarely question why it is called Lamento Bass.
What does La Sol Fa Mi have to do with lamentation?
Lamento Bass in The Partimento Method - Baroque Musicus Practicus Path
The Origin in Cantus Firmus
The answer to this question may lie in Cantus Firmus, by analyzing the composition of the tones (Toni) and their associated affects.
Everything I will share with you here can be explored in detail in the Cantus Firmus course I created, which spans 128 lessons.
In particular, you’ll find deeper insights in Chapter 4 (Perfect and Imperfect Tones) and Chapter 10 (Affects and Ethos).
Species of the Tones of Cantus Firmus
The first thing to consider is the composition of the Tonus.
Each Tonus is built from a species Diapente (a fifth) and a species Diatessaron (a fourth), which together form a Diapason (an octave).
In authentic tones, the octave is divided harmonically (5+4).
In plagal tones, the octave is divided arithmetically (4+5).
However, distinguishing authentic tones from plagal tones requires more than knowing their division.
The direction of the species also matters:
Authentic tones have ascending species.
Plagal tones have descending species.
Since the Lamento Bass sings La Sol Fa Mi, it is a descending species and thus evokes a plagal tone.
Moreover, La Sol Fa Mi is the second species of the Diatessaron (the fourth), which belongs to the Fourth Plagal Tone (Deuterus Plagalis or IV Tonus). Structurally, then, La Sol Fa Mi evokes the IV Tonus.
Structure of the IV Tonus - Cantus Firmus Course - A. Illuminato 1533
Affects
Il Tutto in Poco, M. L. Cizzardi
Identifying the Tonus is just the first step.
To understand why it’s linked to lamentation, we must explore its affective qualities, as documented in historical sources.
Affect of the IV Tonus - Il Tutto in Poco, M. C. Lizzardi, Parma 1711
The first source that comes to mind is Mauro Liborio Cizzardi’s 1711 work, Il Tutto in Poco, published in Parma—the same city renowned for its famous Prosciutto di Parma.
In this text, Cizzardi writes: “The Fourth Plagal Tone is supplicatory and should be sung to convey feelings of calm and lamentation. It mitigates anger and is also sung with B quadro.”
Calm and lamentation!
This description aligns perfectly with the evocative nature of the Lamento Bass. In the Cantus Firmus course, you’ll discover what other authors say about the affects of all the tones.
Prosciutto di Parma
Visual Evidence from Cluny Abbey
For another perspective, we turn to the ruins of Cluny Abbey now preserved in the museum attached to the abbey.
Among its surviving capitals is one representing the IV Tonus, and it offers a fascinating clue.
The inscription on the cartouche reads: “SUCCEDIT QUARTUS SIMULANS IN CARMINE PLANCTUS,” which translates to: “THEN COMES THE FOURTH, WHICH REPRESENTS LAMENTATION IN SONG.”
Another confirmation of the lamenting quality of the IV Tonus!
Capital of the IV Tonus - Abbey of Cluny
In Chapter 10 of the course, you will learn how the affects of the eight tones together form a metaphorical journey of ascension and perfection, culminating in the eighth tone, associated with the starry heavens.
This journey symbolizes the soul’s ascent, achievable only after death, as it transcends the seventh planet, Saturn the harshest of all (in the Ptolemaic system).
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Understanding the Cantus Firmus is essential for the 21st-century musician who seeks to grasp the music of the old masters in its most authentic form.
Knowledge of the Cantus Firmus empowers today’s Musicus Practicus to uncover the deeper meanings behind the notes, to interpret and perform with greater insight, and even to compose new music faithful to the techniques of the ancients.
These secrets have remained hidden for centuries, but now you can claim them and acquire this mystical knowledge!
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