Cisneros’ Officium. Hispanic or Neo-Mozarabic Origin?

Abstract

The four Mozarabic choirbooks copied in Toledo by order of Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros as part of the restoration of the Hispanic rite contain the melodies from the complete Mass and a small part of the Office. This article focuses on the first chant of the Mass Proper, the officium. Its antiphon partially follows Imbasciani’s system of formulaic composition, but its recitative verses have not been analysed until now. This study addresses the study of these verses for the first time, proving that most of them follow one very simple compositional structure. This opens up a discussion about their possible Medieval origin: on the one hand, their extreme simplicity might have allowed these choirbooks to survive over the centuries by oral tradition, but, on the other hand, their modal scheme is probably derived from Gregorian chant.