​Musical Links Investigation
Links between Classical Music And Modal Jazz Using Examples.
By Anupama Rijhwani
​
Dorian mode in the Credo movement of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
In the Credo movement of Missa Solemnis, when the music arrives at the phrase, "Et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto ex Maria virgine" (and became incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary), Beethoven utilizes a method which is characteristic of older religious music composers. In the 18th century, modes were closely identified with the idea of the supernatural, so he decides to use the Dorian here at a critical point in the text(3). Like composers before him, he employs this specific mode just as the text is speaking of the Holy Ghost, thus incorporating a tradition of older church music into his own.
It is the second section of the movement (mm. 124 – 193) introduces a D tonal centre to the Christian Statement. In score 1, we can see the tenor voice singing the words ‘Et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto ex Maria virgine’. We know that this is sung in the Dorian mode, because the key signature is in D minor, with the B flat, but the words ‘car’ in mm. 126 and ‘ri’ of ‘Maria’ in mm. 130 are a B natural. This shows the D Dorian mode in this line, because with the B natural the scale would be D-E-F-G-A-B-C, which is the D Dorian. Similarly, 'So What' characterises the D Dorian with its scale too.
Further supporting this is when we look at the organ and bass section of the orchestra:
Here we see a C# in mm. 124 (First bar of the score) in the basses (bass of organ, violoncello and basso). This is before the dorian mode is introduced (mm. 126 – third bar of score). In mm. 127, we see the C# transitioning into a C natural. This further supports the existence of the mode in this part of the movement. Finally in mm. 129 (sixth bar of score) we can see that the B flat of the D minor is made a B natural, much like the tenor in mm. 126 and mm. 130.
Not unlike 'Credo', the Dorian mode in 'So What' is also mainly charcterised by the accompaniment section, although (like the voices in 'Credo'), the trumpet does contribute to it too.
3. Credo: Beethoven's Faith as Reflected in the Missa Solemnis: https://ida.mtholyoke.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10166/853/THESIS99.pdf?sequence=1