In asimultaneous quodlibet, two or more pre-existing melodies are combined.[1] The simultaneous quodlibet may be considered a historical antecedent to the modern-daymusical mashup. Simultaneous quodlibets are found in elementary music classes, referred to as Partner Songs.[2]
The quodlibet originated in 15th-century Europe, during a time when the practice of combining folk tunes was popular.[3] ComposerWolfgang Schmeltzl first used the term in a specifically musical context in 1544.[4]
ThePor las sierras de Madrid byFrancisco de Peñalosa (c. 1470–1528) is anensalada -an early form of the quodlibet- contained in theCancionero Musical de Palacio, a manuscript of the early 16th century. ComposerLudwig Senfl (1486–1542/43) was able to juxtapose several pre-existing melodies in acantus firmus quodlibet; one such piece, "Ach Elslein, liebes Elselein [de]" / "Es taget", was noted for its symbolism rather than its humor.[4] In Spain, 1581 saw the publication of theensaladas ofMateo Flecha et al. Theensaladas were comical compositions that mixed literary texts in a way similar to the quodlibet.[5]
It was not until 1618, however, that anyone published a rigorous definition of the quodlibet:Michael Praetorius described it as "a mixture of diverse elementsquoted fromsacred andsecular compositions".[6][page needed] During theRenaissance, a composer's ability to juxtapose several pre-existing melodies, such as in the cantus firmus quodlibet, was considered the ultimate mastery ofcounterpoint.[4]
The quodlibet took on additional functions between the beginning and middle of the 19th century, when it became known as thepotpourri and themusical switch. In these forms, the quodlibet would often feature anywhere from six to fifty or more consecutive "quotations"; the distinct incongruity between words and music served as a potent source of parody and entertainment.[4] In the 20th century, the quodlibet remained a genre in which well-known tunes and/or texts were quoted, either simultaneously or in succession, generally for humorous effect.[7]
Bach'sWedding Quodlibet orQuodlibet, which is not a quodlibet by the above definition but a ten-minute procession of nonsense, jokes,puns, obscure cultural references,word games, and parody of other songs. At times, the music imitates achaconne and afugue while deliberately obscuring the counterpoint. It is unlike any of Bach's other works, though the sole surviving source is afair copy manuscript in Bach's own handwriting.
Symphony No. 4 ofCharles Ives, like most of Ives' music, includes frequent popular and band tunes which unfold independently from the rest of the music.
Scherzo fromCharles Ives' piano trio labeled "TSIAJ" (This scherzo is a joke), includes the American fraternity tunes "My Old Kentucky Home", "Sailor's Hornpipe", "The Campbells Are Coming", "Long, Long Ago", "Hold the Fort", and "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood", among others.[8]
Quodlibet on Welsh Nursery Rhymes by Welsh composerAlun Hoddinott.
