Seventeenth-century Italian organ music for the Elevation in the Catholic Mass may be interpreted as an indirect musical consequence of the decree concerning the nature of the Mass issued at the twenty-second session of the Council of Trent (17 September 1562). The Council decreed the sacrificial nature of the Mass to be fully manifested at Elevation. Using slow tempo and an emphasis on chromaticism, dissonance, and suspensions, among other traits, organ pieces for Elevation create a sonic atmosphere that supports the central mystery of the Mass. This study takes into account the context of the conciliar statements; it considers liturgical books and theoretical and pedagogical treatises; it identifies organ pieces for Elevation found in manuscript and printed collections; and it analyzes genres (such as the “toccata per l’elevatione”), styles, musical models, and performance practices to demonstrate a clear connection between this music and the reenactment of Christ’s sacrifice.
https://sscm-jscm.org/jscm-issues/volume-30-no-1/terzi-organ-music-elevatione/