Regarding the origin and sources of this song, there are two kinds of arguments. One concerns the name. Why did Mudarra call it “Motete de la Cananea” unless he associated it with a play or theatrical work where he had heard it as incidental music? Hence the relationship with Escobar and Gil Vicente might have some relevance. On the other hand, Ward describes it as a “cantus firmus parody” of the Escobar work without much further elucidation. This does not convince me altogether. Without having seen the Escobar work, it appears that it could also be another composition based on the same cantus firmus. Is Escobar the author of the cantus firmus or is it from chant? The chant concordances need to be checked. This step is crucial in establishing the authorship and genesis of the work. Knighton’s article on Escobar in DMEH also gives some good leads, and certainly suggests that mudarra’s is related to Escobar’s version.
Pujol , pp 74-75: “El canto llano de este motete coincide (aparte algunas ligeras alteraciones) con el que sobre el mismo texto corresponde al tenor alto de un motete de Pedro de Escobar que figura con el nº 9 en el Codice Colombino publicado por Elústiza y Castrillo. El texto está fragmentariamente alterado, y el contrapunto es totalmente diferente. Igual al motete del códice antedicho es el del manuscrito 12, de la Universidad de Coimbra, que Sampayo Ribeiro relaciona con el Auto de Cananeia, de Gil Vicente. Se supone que Escobar sirvió en la Corte de Don Manuel de Aviz, rey de Portugal, casado con Doña Catalina, hija de nuestros Reyes Católicos.” [See Mario Sampayo Ribeiro, Os manuscritos musicais nm.s 6 e 12 da Biblioteca Geral de Universidade de Coimbra, pp 35 and 91]. [See also Rees, note 41, in Politicas y Prácticas]
According to the Cantus Planus database [consulted 18/12/2001] this chant is for Dom. 2 Quadragisimae, a Matins Responsory, source: F-Pn lat. 12044 [Cantus ID = 600362; ChantID = mau0608]. Of the three MSS listed, one source is E:Tc [Toledo Cathedral] 44.1, fol 57v. The other two sources are French.
Enrique y Abel: See ElusA, p. 33. Note 26, p. 50,: Para un estudio de la relación entre la tablatura y el motete véase Ribeiro 1938 [Mario Sampayo Ribeiro, “Sobre o fecho do ‘auto da Cananeia’” Brotéria 28 (1938) doesn’t cite page nos]
For further information, see Ward “The vihuela de mano”, p. 188-89. He claims Mudarra’s version to be a parody of Escobar’s motet, with the vocal line mainly drawn from the alto part of the motet, put together with some snatches from the cantus and tenor parts (when the altus rests in the vocal version). The accompaniment is original to Mudarra.
More polyphonic settings by Peñalosa, Morales, Guerrero,