Cujuslibet

Cujuslibet is a Latin phrase meaning "of whichever you please" or "whatever you like." It comes from cujus, the genitive of qui (who/which) and libet, “it pleases,” and is used to express allowance or choice.

In Latin usage, cujuslibet functioned as a generic qualifier indicating that an option is open or discretionary. It appears in legal, scholastic, and religious texts to signal that a particular matter may be decided or chosen at the reader’s or authority’s discretion.

In musical context, cujuslibet is a historical designation found in Renaissance and Baroque manuscripts and editions. A piece labeled cujuslibet often signals that the performer may substitute their own subject, melody, or variations, or that the variation set is open to improvisation. This usage is most common in keyboard and lute repertoire, where composers provided a framework and allowed the performer to exercise freedom within it. The term is sometimes contrasted with quodlibet, which typically denotes a medley that combines multiple tunes, whereas cujuslibet emphasizes subject choice or improvisational freedom.

Today, cujuslibet appears mainly in musicology, edition notes, and discussions of early music practice. It is a specialized term embedded in Latin instruction and historical performance conventions rather than a widely used modern concept.