“Belle fantasie e leggiadre invenzioni” in Lukačić’s motet Sicut cedrus

Abstract

It is still little known about the musical education of Ivan Lukačić and his collection Sacrae Cantiones (Venice, 1620). Therefore, this article deals with the historical, liturgical, and musical aspects of the solo motet Sicut cedrus with basso continuo accompaniment. It retains the liturgical musical form of the great responsory and merges with the motet style, but in one developmental continuity from the initial motive. The analysis and comparison with the related works of his contemporaries reveal the richness of Lukačić’s musical language. It adopted compositional techniques of both styles (prima and seconda prattica) and the elements of three musical genres, motet, madrigal, and concerto, which influenced church music in the first decades of the 17th century. We also recognize the influence of the motet tradition of Roman church music (Viadana, Cifra) and the compositional techniques adopted from his Franciscan confreres (Finetti, Viadana and Mortaro).