PARODY MASS

Parody Mass: translation

Apolyphonicsetting of the Roman Catholicmass ordinaryprayers that employs a preexisting polyphonic composition, usually amotet, less often a secular Frenchchansonor Italian madrigal, as a structural pattern and source of melodic motives inimitation. Although polyphonic models were quoted in mid-15thcentury masses, the slowcantus firmusremained the structural frame; the trueparodymass (also called "imitation mass") dates from the turn of the 16th century and remained an important technique in thestile anticomasses from then on.