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Seite 1
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)PRET PRIMA
THE
RITUS CANENDI VETUSTISSIMUS
ET NOVUS
OF
JOHANNES LEGRENSE
A CRITICAL EDITION WITH
TRANSLATION, INTRODUCTION AND
NOTES ON THE TEXT
by
RICHARD VAUGHAN HUGHES
IN TWO VOLUMES
SUBMITTED TO GLASGOW UNIVERSITY, THE FACULTY OF ARTS,
IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
MARCH 1996
VOLUME TWO
(©) RICHARD HUGHES 1996
Seite 2
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)CONTENTS
Luca
VOLUME TWO
THE TREATISE
115
117
118
120
123
Its Structure
The Manuscripts
Manuscript Characteristics and Relationships
Editorial Practice
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE APPARATUS CRITICUS
125
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE ENGLISH TEXT
126
THE TEXT AND TRANSLATION
129
| Praefatio Libelli Musicalis de Ritu Canendi Vetustissimo
130
et Novo.
Preface to the music treatise which aims to deal with the
131
old and new methods of singing.
Pars Prima
The First Part
—>
Liber Primus
The First Book
I.
Quis hominum primo cecinerit?
Who was the first man to sing?
IL.
136
137
Quid sit aut a quo dicatur musica, quodque sit
universalis linguis omnibus, ac de quatuor mathematicis
una.
The nature of music, and the derivation of the word.
140
The fact that it is the universal language amongst all
languages, and how it comes to be one of the four
Il.
mathematical disciplines.
Quid sit sonus, quid phthongus, quid tonus, quid
141
‘semitonium minus, cum his quae redundant ex illis.
144
The definitions of sonus, phthongus, tonus and
semitonium minus. In connection with these topics, the
things which emanate from them. -
Seite 3
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)De primo et antiquissimo tetrachordo: qualefuerit ac
unde venerit.
Concerning the first and oldest tetrachord: its nature
156
and its source.
157
Addidisse philosophos suprascriptis chordis et alias undecim
per intervalla temporum nec unquam illos excessisse
quindecim numerum.
160
The philosophers added eleven other pitches at different
times to the ones mentioned above: they did not add any
VI.
VIL.
beyond fifteen.
161
Harum quindecim vocabula chordarum ac interpretationes
earum.
The terms used for these fifteen pitches, with their meanings.
166
167
Has quindecim chordas hic more Graeco per solum genus
diatonicum divisas.
These fifteen pitches at this point are classified in the Greek
fashion only by the diatonic genus.
172
173
VI. Alia duo tetrachorda primis duobus simillima; cur sint ab
illis per unum tonum disiuncta.
178
Two other tetrachords, which had the same structure as
the first two: why they were separated from them by the
interval of a tone.
179
Cur quintum sit inventum tetrachordum et cum chorda
mese ligatum.
184
Why the fifth tetrachord was invented, and why it was
joined to the mese.
|
Ad sonitum malleorum Tubal-Cain; Jubal concepisse totam
185
in numeris musicam consistere.
190
Regarding the sound of the hammers of Tubal-Cain; Jubal
discovers that music consists entirely of numbers.
XI.
191
Quibus proportionibus numerorum Jubal adaptari voluit
consonantias vocum atque sonorum.
194
With which numerical ratios Jubal wished to relate the
XII.
consonances produced by sounds and pitches.
195
Numeros eiusdem esse naturae voces et sonos.
200
That pitches or sounds have the same natural proportions as
numbers,
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Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)2Capitulum primum:
3Quis hominum primo cecinerit?
4Miror viros nostri temporis, doctos atque peritos, maxime tamen
ecclesiasticos, adhibere posse fidem his qui tradunt modos musicos sub petris,
ut supra tractatum est, fuisse repertos aut in guttis aquarum et terrae cavernis,
nisi forte putent Jubal organa tantum aut citharas fabricasse, quod stulti
cogitatus est, nec illum prorsus aut quempiam alterum ante diluvium cecinisse.
SQuod si verum est ut post diluvium Graecus, Latinus aut barbarus dulces prior
modulari sonos inceperit, nemo necesse est ad illa usque tempora canendi
formam habuit, et si nullus ante diluvium huius rei notitiam perceperunt,
profecto sacra pagina, quae non mentitur, nobis verum non tradidit. 6Scripsit
enim Moyses de praefato Jubal qui, ni fallar, extitit ab Adam septimuse stirpe
Cain utpote generatus, quod paterfuit canentium in organis et citharis, cuius
frater, Tubal-Cain, artem eo tempore fabrorum invenit. 7Refert quoque
Josephus, grandis auctoritatis apud Hebraeos, Graecos et Latinos
historiographus, hunc Jubal adeo tenuisse caram sonorum quam exquisiverat
artem ut illam in duabus columnis, verens diluvium, sculperet.
AN~A
AlvH lv
hiis pro his A
sil supra lin A
praefacto A
ex pro e À
a Deo pro adeo A
Seite 5
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ÎTHE FIRST BOOK
2Chapter 1:
3Who was the first man to sing?
4] am surprised that men of the present day, who are themselves learned and
experienced people-in particular men of the Church-can put their trust in those
who claim that musical modes were discovered, as we have discussed above,
under stones, in drops of water, or in caverns under the earth, unless by chance
they think that Jubal merely built organs and lyres-this stems from foolish
thinking-and that he did not sing at all nor indeed did anyone else, before the
time of the Flood. 5But if this is true, that after the time of the Flood, the
Greeks, Latins and barbarians were the first to begin to sing sweet sounds, then
it must follow that no-one until then had formed the habit of singing; further, if
no-one before the Flood had any knowledge of this subject, then assuredly
Holy Scripture, which does not lie, has not given us a true account. 6For
Moses wrote about the above-mentioned Jubal who, unless I am mistaken, was
the seventh generation after Adam from the stem of Cain, that he was the father
of all who make music on organs and lyres.$
His brother, Tubal-Cain,
discovered during that time the art of metalwork.?
Moreover, Josephus, who
enjoyed great respect among the Jews, the Greeks and the Latins as a historian,
refers to the fact that this man Jubal held so dear the art of sounds that he had
discovered that, for fear of a flood, he had carved out details of it on two
columns.8
6Gn 4,21: Iubal ipse fuit pater canentium cithara et organo.
7Gn 4,22.
8Cf, Peter Comestor, Historia Scholastica (PL 198, p. 1079). Concerning association of this
story with Josephus, see Judith Cohen, Jubal in the Middle Ages, Dissertation, University of
Tel-Aviv, 1975.*
Seite 6
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)8Quarum unam postea gens renovata vidit, prophetarat etenim illis Adam quod
mundus cito periret aut per ignem aut per aquam, ob quod Jubal unam de
columnis illis fecit latericiam ne solveretur ab ignibus, alteram vero marmoream,
ne putrefieret in fluctibus. 9Alibi quoque legitur prius illum pro tedio pastorali
mitigando cecinisse, dein ad sonitum sui fratris malleorum causam rei nimis
subtiliter exquisisse. Quod si quis noscere cupit qualiter, legat prius egregii
doctoris Boetii musicam, et postea decimum, si placet, huius libelli nostri
capitulum, quamvis imitatus Graecorum Boetius fabulas et iactantiam, huius rei
philosopho Pythagorae totam ascribat gloriam. !!Mei namque propositi non est
theoricam huius artis velle post tam eximium virum, nisi forsan raro coactus
tractare, quin potius veram priscorum Ecclesiae Christi practicam, quae tota
nihilominus ab illo fonte procedit, si possim renovare.
9.
10.
11.
legat in marg A
prius supra lin H
si placet in marg H
raro in marg H
Seite 7
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)8A later people-renewed after the flood-witnessed one of these, and indeed
Adam had prophesied to them that the world would quickly come to an end
either by fire or by water.? It was because of this that Jubal had made one of
these columns out of bricks, to prevent its being consumed by the flames, and
the other out of marble, to avoid its crumbling away in the waters. 9Elsewhere,
we read that he had first begun to sing in order to allay the boredom of country
life, and then had researched the reason for this phenomenon, according to the
sound of his brother's hammers.10 10]f anyone wishes to familiarise himself
with the details of this, let him first read the De Musica of Boethius, that
distinguished scholar, and then, if he wishes, the tenth chapter of this treatise of
mine.!! Though Boethius, taking as his models the stories and the claims of
the Greeks, ascribes the whole of the credit for this idea to the philosopher
Pythagoras.!2 11It is not my intention to deal with the theoretical aspects of this
art in the steps of such a distinguished person, unless this I am compelled to do
so on rare occasions. Rather would I discuss the true practices of the early
Christian fathers; the practical side emanates from them after all, and I hope to
be able to breathe fresh life into them.
9 osephus Antig. lud. 1,70.
10Cf, Peter Comestor, Historia Scholastica (PL 198, p. 1079)
11See below Pars prima 1.10.4.
12De inst. mus. 1,10.
Seite 8
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ICapitulum secundum:
2Quid sit aut a quo dicatur musica, quodque sit
universalis linguis omnibus, ac de quatuor mathematicis una.
3Ars igitur musica Deo placens ac hominibus, omne quod canitur discernens et
diiudicans, ac de cunctis quae fiunt, non solum intendendo voculas atque
remittendo, sed etiam tempus metiendo, veram inquirens rationem. 4Nam et a
verbo Graeco, quod inquirere significat, musa descendere dicitur, et musicus,
apud Boetium, est cui de modis atque rhythmis deque generibus cantilenarum
adest secundum speculationem et rationem facultas. SOmnis enim ars sive
disciplina honorabiliorem habet naturaliter rationem quam artificium, quod
manu artificis atque opere exercetur. $Non parum igitur errant qui musicam
aliud esse putant in Gallis, aliud in Italia et in Graecia, seu aliud in singulis
nationibus, cum omnium utique sit communis linguarum ac universalis, non
aliter quam caeterae tres mathematicae sunt artes. 7Sicut enim arithmetica de
numeris, geometria de terrae mensuris, astrologia de stellis et de earum
motibus, ita quidem musica de sonis scientia est ac vocibus. 8Is ergo qui penes
nos par habetur numerus, apud quosdam fortassis populos dispar erit et
contrarius, aut quadrum hic per geometriam in quatuor triangulos resolutum, id
non erit apud gentes omnium nationum?
NAYRS
AlvH2r
de pro deque A
(ars) aut (sive disciplina) HA
cum sit omnium utique A
deomA
Seite 9
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter II:
The nature of music, and the derivation of the word. The fact
that it is the universal language amongst all languages, and how it comes to be
one of the four mathematical disciplines.
3Music then is an art which gives pleasure both to God and to man.13 It
exercises discernment and evaluation in all that is sung, and searches for true
reason in all things-not only in matters concerning the raising and lowering of
sounds, but also in those concerned with the measurement of time. 4Musa is
said to come from a Greek word meaning ‘inquire’
!4; ‘a musician’, according
to Boethius, ‘is a person who has a particular gift for melody and rhythm, and
indeed for different styles of composition, according to speculative and rational
guidelines.15 5Every art or discipline, by its very nature, possesses a system
commanding more respect than a craft, which is practised by the manual efforts
of the artisan.'16 Those who believe that there is one kind of music amongst
the Gauls, another in Italy or Greece, and others in other individual nations, are
therefore making a serious mistake; for music is in every way a common |
universal language above all other languages, and this it has in common with
the other three mathematical arts.17 7Just as arithmetic deals with number,
geometry with the measurement of the earth, and astrology with the stars and
their movements, so music is the science of sound and pitch.!8 8A number
which in our society is considered equal to another-would this number perhaps
be considered unequal and opposite in other social groups? Or the fact that a
rectangle, according to the rules of geometry here is made up of four
triangles!9—will this not be true among all nations of the earth?
13Cf, Burtius Florum Libellus p. 59.
14Cf, Isidore Ety. 3.15.1; Marchetto Lucidarium 6,2-3; see N. Swerdlow, “Musica Dicitur A
Moys, Quod Est Aqua,” JAMS 20 (1967): 3-9.
15De inst. mus. 1,34 (225,11-15).
16De inst. mus. 1,23 (223,28-224,1).
17Cf below Pars secunda 3.10.4.
18This reference to the disciplines of the quadrivium is notable for its use of the word
astrologia rather than astronomia. Medieval definitions of the quadrivium ultimately relate to
De inst. arith. 1,1.
19Cf. De inst. arith. 2,6 (91,18): quadratus in quattuor triangulos divisus.
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Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)9Quod namque sol unus oriatur cunctis gentibus per diem, ac una luna per
noctem, non est qui ambigat.
10Sic de musica sentiendum, o cantores, quoniam, etsi ritus modulandi varii
sint varias in nationes atque varius ad docendum usus, non poterit tamen ullus
homo canens vocem sursum intendere seu inflectere deorsum quin tonum
proferat aut minus semitonium, ditonum aut semiditonum, tritonum aut
diatesseron, perfectum diapente seu imperfectum, tonum cum diapente vel
semitonium, ditonum cum diapente vel semiditonum, diapason perfectum aut
imperfectum, seu ex his quippiam cum illa compositum; circa quae procul dubio
tota versari debet contemplatio musicorum. 11Nam et ipse Jubal qui, sicut
audistis, pater fuit, hoc est, primus et princeps cantorum, quid valuit, dictante
natura, canere nisi quoddam ex illis de tono semitonioque compactum? 12Sicut
enim de littera, quae pars est compositae vocis minima, syllabae fiunt, ac de
syllabis dictiones, et de dictionibus constructiones in grammatica, sic et
phthongi quidem sive soni musici canore vocis originem habent, e quibus ortae
syllabae musicales, tonus ac semitonium minus, iunctae simul in varias huius
artis concrescunt vocum resonantias, quae tamen in ipsis resolvi queant omnia
phthongis.
10.
12.
sic bis HA
in varias nationes A
flectere A
pars compositae est A
vocum in marg H
Seite 11
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)9For no-one doubts the fact that it is one sun that rises over all nations, tribes
and languages by day, as does a single moon by night.
100 you singers! This is the view one should adopt about music-since, even if
styles of singing and teaching methods vary from country to country, no man
will be able, while he is singing, to raise the pitch of his voice or lower it
without making use of the following intervals: the tone, the minor semitone, the
ditone or semiditone, the tritone, the diatessaron, the perfect or imperfect
diapente, the diapente plus tone or semitone, the diapente plus ditone or
semiditone, the perfect or imperfect diapason, or any interval which is a
combination of these. Surely it is to these topics that all the thoughts of
musicians should be directed. !!For even Jubal himself, who, as you have
heard, was the father, that is, the first and chief among singers, what could he
sing at nature’s bidding except some combination of tone and semitone? !2Just
as syllables are made up of individual letters, which are the smallest units of a
compound sound, and words from syllables, and grammatical constructions
from words, so sounds or musical pitches have their origin in the inflections of
the voice. From these pitches develop ‘syllables’-the tone and the minor
semitone. These syllables in combination develop various ‘melodic shapes’
which we associate with the art of music.20 Nevertheless, all these structures
can be broken down into their individual pitches.
20Cf. Mus. ench. 1 (ed. Schmid p. 1, II. 1-5); see also Quintilian Inst. Orat. 1,4,6 and
Calcidius Comm. in Timaeum Platonis 1,44. A similar analogy occurs in Lucidarium 9.1.2.
where the ditones are called 'words'.*
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Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)1Capitulum tertium:
2Quid sit sonus, quid phthongus, quid tonus, quid
semitonium minus, cum his quae redundant ex illis.
3Ecce liquet quoniam Jubal, quem natura primum canere docuit, sicut suum
idioma proprium absque vocalibus et consonantibus enuntiare nequibat, ita nec
ullatenus cantare, si non aliquas de suprascriptis melorum speciebus, aut, ut
magis proprie loquar, e toni semitoniique compositionibus proferret. 4Ob quod
absurdum non estimo, non aliter quam alphabeti nostri litteras in vocales partiri
solemus et consonantes ac iterum in mutas, semi-vocales ac liquidas, huiusmodi
quoque musicales syllabas et sonoras quonammodo dictiones hic primum suis
in partibus dividere, quo necnon vocabulo quaelibet per se vocitetur quove
modo diffiniatur declarare. SQuoniam, ut dixi, Jubal haec omnia prius humana
voce discrevit, ac forsitan in organo, liris et citharis, sola iuvante natura,
multum exercuit, ac ubi vero rerum causas inquirendo multa naturae secreta
reserasset, normam docendi coaevos invenit.
6Diffinitio soni generalis: sonus ergo, iuxta Boetium, est percussio aeris
indissoluta usque ad auditum. 7Sonus autem non ille generalis, sed quem
Graeci phthongon appellant, est, ut ait isdem Boetius, vocis casus emmeles, id
est, aptus melo, in unam intentionem. 8Intervallum vero, dicit adhuc, soni est
acuti gravisque distantia. 9Phthongi ergo soni sunt, sed proprie musici qui
scilicet legitimis ab invicem distant spatiis, et sunt ad cantandum aptissimi.
no
A2rH2v
hisom A
quem om A
4,
loquitur pro loquar A
proferrent H
exstimo pro estimo A
vero in marg H
phthongi pro phthongon A
Seite 13
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter II:
The definitions of sonus, phthongus, tonus, and semitonium
minus. In connection with these topics, the things which emanate from them.
3It is clear then that Jubal, the first whom nature taught to sing, could not speak
in his native language without using vowels and consonants. Similarly, he
could not sing without producing at least some of the melodic formulae
mentioned above, or, to speak more precisely, the structures made up of the
tone and semitone. 4As our custom is to divide the letters of our alphabet into
vowels and consonants, and to sub-divide them into mutes, semi-vowels and
liquids, similarly, I think it a good idea first to divide musical syllables and
‘sound utterances’ into their basic units, and then to explain what terminology is .
adopted for each one, and how it is defined.2! 5Further, as I have already
pointed out, Jubal had already made these distinctions in the field of the human
voice, and possibly had employed them greatly in playing the organ, the lyre
and the cithara, solely with the help of nature. When he had unlocked her many
secrets by researching into the meaning of things, he found a way of teaching
his discoveries to his contemporaries.
6The definition of general sound: sound, according to Boethius, consists of a
disturbance of the air which remains intact until it reaches the ear.22 71 do not
mean sound in general, but that which the Greeks call phthongos, which, as
Boethius again points out, is an emmeles, that is to say, musical, resolution of
the voice onto a particular pitch.23 8He also points out that an interval is the
distance between a high and a low pitch.24 9Therefore, phthongi are sounds
which are particularly musical ones; they are separated from each other by
established distances and are particularly suitable for singing.
21Cf, Quintilian Inst. orat. 1,4,6.and above note 20.
22 De inst. mus. 1,3 (189, 22-23).*
23De inst. mus. 1,8 (195, 2-3).*
24 De inst. mus. 1,8 (195, 6).*
25Cf. Mus. ench. 1 (3,7-8): Ptongi autem non quicumque dicuntur soni, sed qui legitimis ab
invicem spaciis melo sunt apti.
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Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)10fllud autem spatium, quod est inter phthongon et phthongon, appellatur
intervallum.
11De tono: tonus est duorum phthongorum legitimis spatiis ab invicem
distantium quam integra modulatio; diciturque tonus a tonando quod de
phthongo perfecte tonet in phthongon, nec habere valet ultra solum intervallum.
12Omnes siquidem huiusmodi canorae coniunctiones unum semper minus
habent intervallum quam habeant voces.
13De minori semitonio: semitonium minus est duorum phthongorum legitimis
spatiis ab invicem distantium non integra modulatio. !4Dictumque semitonium
non a semi, quod sit medium, immo sicut dicitur semivir aut semivivus
imperfectum, non enim medius tonus est, sed de duabus toni partibus pars
minima, quod perfecto demonstratur in Boetii musica.
15De ditono: ditonus est trium phthongorum ac duorum tonorum adunatio,
dictus a duo Graece quod est duo Latine, nam etsi tres sonos sive voces habeat,
duos tantummodo tonos in suis spatiis occupat.
16De semiditono: semiditonus quaedam est trium similiter phthongorum sed toni
tantum ac semitonii minoris copulatio, dictus a semi sicut semitonium et
ditonus, quasi non perfectus ditonus.
11.
14,
de supra lin A
phthongon scripsi phthongom A phthongum H
pars in marg Hom A
Seite 15
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)10That distance between one pitch and another is called an interval.
ll’The tone: a tone is an absolutely complete progression between two pitches
which are separated from each other by established distances. The word tonus
is derived from the verb tono, because it produces a perfect tone between one
pitch and the next; it cannot contain more than one interval. 12Certainly, all
harmonious pitch combinations of this kind always have one interval less than
they do pitches.
13The minor semitone: the minor semitone is not a complete progression. It is
made up of two pitches separated from each other by established distances.
14The word 'semitone' is not derived from semi in the sense of ‘half’, but in the
sense of ‘imperfect’ as it is used in the words semivir or semivivus.26 It does
not represent the halfway point in a whole tone; rather, it refers to the smaller of
the two divisions of the whole tone. This is clearly explained in the De Musica
of Boethius.27
I5The ditone: this is made up of three pitches, and is a combination of two
whole tones. It is derived from the Greek övo, which is the Latin word duo.
For even though it contains three sounds or pitches, it contains only two tones
within its range.
16The semiditone: this is similarly made up of three pitches, but is a
combination of a whole tone and a minor semitone, The word is made up from
semi, as in semitone, and ditonus. It is, as it were, an imperfect ditone.
26For ‘semi’ meaning ‘imperfect’, cf Lucidarium 2.5.18, Micrologus 4,5 (p. 103), and
Johannes Afflig. Musica in GS 2, p. 238. For use of 'semivir', see Summa musicae in GS 3
. 210.*
Der, e.g, De inst. mus. 1,16 (203,8-9): Sed utraque semitonia nuncupantur, non quod
omnino semitonia ex aequo sint media, sed quod semum dici solet, quod ad integritatem usque
non pervenit. See also, De inst. mus. 1,7; 2,29; 3,1.
Seite 16
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)17De tritono: tritonus quatuor phthongorum est ac trium tonorum valde discors
aggregatio, sic a tris atque tonus dicta, cum sit ex tribus tonis contiguis tota
confecta.
18De diatessaron, prima consonantia: diatessaron quatuor est phthongorum ac
duorum tonorum uniusque semitonii minoris aggregatio, dicta quidem a dia
quod est de vel per et tessara quatuor, eo quod sit de quatuor sonis effecta.
19Haec est prima trium perfectarum consonantiarum atque simplicium; sicut
enim in alphabeto, demptis quinque vocalibus, aliae litterae consonantes sunt,
ita quidem, separatis hic tribus perfectis consonantiis, aliae sunt omnes
dissonantiae, quamquam ditonus ac semiditonus, tonus cum diapente sive
semitonium et huiusmodi sint compassibiles. 20De quibus loco suo tractabitur,
ut spero, diligentius.
21De diapente perfecto: diapente perfectum est quinque phthongorum atque
trium cum uno semitonio minori tonorum connectio. 22Dicta siquidem a dia
quod est per aut de, et pente quinque, nam de quinque sonis haec tota conficitur
secunda simplex et perfecta consonantia. 23Quadruplex est etiam, sicut et
diatessaron triplex, tot etenim species habere potest omnis coniunctio vocum
quot intervalla possidet, de quo tractandum est diligenter in sequentibus.
24De diapente imperfecto: diapente non perfectum est etiam quinque
phthongorum, sed duorum dumtaxat tonorum ac duorum minorum
semitoniorum discors quaedam compositio.
19. (hic) se (tribus) dele H
20. supero pro spero A
Seite 17
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)17The tritone: this is made up of four pitches, and three whole tones. The
interval produced by these sounds is very dissonant. The word is made up
from tris and tonus because its total range is made up of three adjacent whole
tones.
18The diatessaron, the first consonance: this is made up of four pitches, and is a
combination of two whole tones and a minor semitone. The term is derived
from dia which (in Latin) means de (from) or per (through), and tessera, which
(in Latin) is quatuor (four).This is because the interval is made up of four
sounds. 19This is the first of the three perfect simple consonances. Just as in
the alphabet, if we take away the five vowels, we are left with consonants, so if
we take away the three perfect consonances, all the rest are dissonances; though
the ditone and semiditone, the diapente plus tone, and the diapente plus
semitone and others of this type, are compatible.28 201 shall discuss these in
greater detail, I trust, in the appropriate place.
21The perfect diapente: this is made up of five pitches-a combination of three
whole tones and a minor semitone. 22This term is derived from dia, which
translates as de or per, and nevte which is the Latin quinque. The whole of this
second consonance is made up of five sounds, and is a simple, perfect
consonance. 23It is made up of four intervals, in the same way as the
diatesseron is made up of three; each combination of pitches is able to contain as
many species as it has intervals, butI shall treat this matter in greater detail in
the following pages.
24The imperfect diapente: there is also an imperfect diapente consisting of five
pitches, but it is a dissonant combination of only two tones and two minor
semitones.
28 Concerning compassibilis, cf. below Pars secunda 3.2.. For Marchetto’s coinage of the
term, see Introduction, p. 75.
Seite 18
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)25De tono cum diapente: tonus cum diapente sex phthongorum est et unius
semitonii minoris cum quatuor tonis quaedam auditui compassibilis copulatio.
26De semitonio cum diapente: semitonium cum diapente sex etiam phthongorum
est, sed duorum minorum semitoniorum cum tribus tonis integris quaedam
quoque non tota discors coacervatio.
27De ditono cum diapente: ditonus cum diapente septem est phthongorum et
cum uno minori semitonio discors tota quinque tonorum associatio.
28De semiditono cum diapente: semiditonus cum diapente septem est etiam
phthongorum, sed cum duobus semitoniis minoribus quatuor tonorum quae tota
discordat collectio.
29De diapason, perfectissima consonantiarum ac tertia simplicium: diapason est
octo phthongorum legitimis ab invicem spatiis distantium ac quinque tonorum
cum duobus semitoniis minoribus dulcissima modulatio, dicta videlicet a dia
quod est de vel per, et pan, omne vel totum, eo quod omnes huiuscemodi
vocum aggregationes ipsa contineat et, ut pia mater, in sinu suo foveat ac
enutriat. 30Haec tertia consonantia simplex atque perfecta quae, iuxta datam
regulam, octo voces habet, intervalla septem et septem species, de quibus
disserendum est dum tempus venerit per singula. 3!Quam profecto, si sibi
diapente copules, iam duplicem effectam diapason diapente vocabis, et si
diapason duplices, bisdiapason erit; sicque bisdiapason cum diapente et
terdiapason replicare potes in infinitum.
25. auditui compassibilis in marg H
26. quaedam quoque non tota discors in marg H
29. nutriat A
Seite 19
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)25The tone plus diapente: this interval contains six pitches-four whole tones
plus a minor semitone: it is a sound not incompatible to the ear.
26The semitone plus diapente: this interval also contains six pitches, but made
up of two minor semitones and three whole tones. It too produces a
combination of sounds which is not totally dissonant.
27The ditone plus diapente: this interval contains seven pitches; its combination
of five whole tones and a minor semitone produces an absolute dissonance.
28The semiditone plus diapente: this interval also contains seven pitches, and its
combination of four tones and two minor semitones is also an absolute
dissonance.
29The diapason is the most perfect of the consonances and the third of the
simple ones. The diapason contains eight pitches separated from each other by
established distances. It is made up of five whole tones and two minor
semitones, and is a very pleasing combination of sounds. The term is derived,
of course, from Sua (in Latin de or per) and nov, which translates into Latin as
omne or totum. This is because it contains within itself all the combinations of
such sounds and, like a devoted mother, cherishes them in its embrace and
gives them nourishment. 3°This third consonance is simple and perfect. It
contains eight pitches, and, according to the established rule, seven intervals
and seven species within it, which I must discuss individually when the time
comes. 31If one couples the diapente to this interval, you will then refer to this
as a compound interval, the diapason diapente. If one doubles the diapason, the
interval thus formed will be the bisdiapason. Thus, one can continue doubling
to form the bisdiapason diapente and so on up to the terdiapason.
Seite 20
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)32Inter quas etiam cadunt ditonus cum diapason aut semiditonus cum eodem, et
tonus cum diapason, diapente vel semitonium identidem. 33Quae quidem
dissonantiae compositae sunt, sed compassibiles ut in simplicibus. 34Non haec
tamen rerum innovatio, sed praecedentium eiusdem naturae vocum replicatio.
35Quod totum utique simul in una figura collectum, si paucis subiectis litteris
demonstretur, puto visus humanus in ea satis delectabitur et sensus capacior
erit.
36Sit igitur A b tonus, b C semitonium minus, CD tonus, DE tonus, EF
semitonium minus, FG tonus, G et iterum A tonus, A autemet b sic
quadratum tonus, sed A et b sic rotundum sit semitonium minus. 37Tunc quod
AC non sit semiditonus quis velle dicere praesumat et AD diatessaron, AE
diapente, AF semitonium cum diapente, AG semiditonus cum diapente, et Aa
diapason perfectum? 38Nam et CE ditonus est, et BF diapente non perfectum,
F autem ad b quadrum tritonus, et D & quadrum tonus cum diapente, C b
quadrum ditonus cum diapente, verum b primum ac b rotundum inter se
gignunt diapason imperfectum. 39Octo namque phthongos habet sicut et illud
optimum, sed quia cum tribus semitoniis minoribus tonos quatuor tantummodo
colligit, ad illius veri diapason dulcissimam concordiam non pertingit.
32.
in ter pro inter A
35.
capatior A
36.
si pro sit A
37.
39.
minus in marg H
et om À
etom À
Seite 21
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)32Between these intervals fall the ditone plus diapason, the semiditone plus
diapason, the tone plus diapason, the semitone plus diapason, the semitone or
tone plus diapente diapason, and so on. 33These compound intervals are,
strictly speaking, dissonant, but are compatible, like their simple counterparts.
34They are not new intervals, but a doubling up of intervals of the same nature
which we have mentioned previously. 35AIl this material, in any case, can be
collated onto one diagram; if it can be explained by the use of a few basic letters
appended, I consider that the human eye will take pleasure from it, and our
understanding be improved.
36Let us therefore establish the following: the distance between A and b is a
whole tone; from È to C a minor semitone; from C to D a whole tone; from D
to E a whole tone; from E to F a minor semitone; from F to G a whole tone;
from G to A again a whole tone; from A to square b is a whole tone, but the
distance between A and roundb is a minor semitone. 37Then no-one will dare
deny that A to C forms a semiditone, A to D a diatessaron, A to E a diapente, A
to F a semitone plus diapente, A to G a semiditone plus diapente, and A to aa
perfect diapason. 38C to E forms a ditone, b to F an imperfect diapente, F to
square b a tritone, D to b a tone plus diapente, and C to square b a ditone plus
diapente. However, the first square b and the round b produce between them
an imperfect diapason. 39This interval contains eight pitches, as does its perfect
counterpart, but since it is formed from three semitones and four whole tones
only, it does not achieve the perfect harmony of the true diapason.
Seite 22
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)40FIGURA VOCUM OMNIUM CONIUNCTARUM
Quicquid Jubal cecinerit seu canendo protulerit; quicquid Graecus aut Italicus
quidve Gallus aut barbarus. Aliud nemo cecinit neque potest aut potuit
modulari viriliter quam quod hic annotavimus.
-—————————— Tonus cum diapente
|
Diapason perfectum
Semiditonus cum diapente
Diapente perfectum171
Semiditonus q — Dita |
Tritonus
A Tonus b Semi-aTonus I Tonus E Semi- F Tonus G Tonus A Semi-b Semi b
I"
tonium
je"
Pen imperfectum
Semitonium culo
Litmus cum diapente
Diapason imperfectum
tonium|
tonium
Seite 23
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)404 DIAGRAM SHOWING ALL THE COMBINATIONS OF SOUNDS
Whatever Jubal sang, or produced by singing; whatever the Greek, the Italian,
the Frenchman or the barbarian sang. No-one ever sang anything else; no-one
is able, or ever has been able to sing properly other than by using what we have
drawn here.
——
Whole tone plus diapente
Perec diapason
|
Semiditone plus diapente
Perfect se]
Semiditone — Ditone —|
Tritone
A Toneb Semi-C Tone D Tone E Semi- F Tone G Tone A Semi-b Semi-b
— Dar _]
tone
tone
I Imperfect diapente
Semitone plus diapente
|
I
_ Ditone plus diapente
Imperfect diapason
tone
tone
Seite 24
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)1Capitulum quartum:
2De primo et antiquissimo tetrachordo: quale
fuerit ac unde venerit.
3Praesto nunc, o cantores, qui naturam vocum et sonorum his nostris
temporibus ignoratis, nunquam vidistis viros a natura tam mirabiliter modulari
voces ut iam non dicam melius, sed certe multo lascivius quam vos illi canant,
et nihilominus regulas vestras, ciferas, litteras et characteres, notas atque
mensuras non intelligunt? 4Quis in civitate Mantua citharoedum illum quem
appellabant 'passerem' non vidit, qui novas in harpa sua saepe fabricavit, me
teste, cantiones, quas nunquam per se tamen describere scisset? 5Alius etiam
civis extitit illis in diebus in eadem Italica civitate qui tumultuarias quoque
- componens cantilenas, atramento vel carbone pinxit aliquando magis quam
scripserit, quas nemo quidem canere praesumpsisset unquam nisi quidam cantor
mihi notus more communi prius illas descripsisset. "Nunc autem quis dubitet
quoniam Jubal a principio sic egerit? 7Instigante siquidem natura primo cecinit,
ac postea paulatim discrevit sonorum differentias, fecitque fortassis organum et
citharas, dulces cantiones etiam composuit, deinde aetas longaeva rerum causas
investigat et exercitat sensus. 8Quo tamen ritu coaevos suos modulari docuerit,
aut quibus ad docendum et scribendum usus sit notis, litteris, ciferis,
characteribus, aut quibus canendo nescitur, etsi credendum sit Noe filios post
diluvium suaves iterum hominibus tradidisse canendi modulos,
1.
5.
A 4r et hoc capitulum om in toto H
tumultuarias scripsi tumulas A
notus scripsi noctus A
exercitat scripsi exercitati A
Seite 25
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter IV:
2Concerning the first and oldest tetrachord: its nature and its
source.
3Give some attention to this, you singers who are not conversant with the
nature of pitches and sounds during these times. Have you never encountered
men who pitch their voices so instinctively and so beautifully that they sing not
better admittedly, but certainly more uninhibitedly than you, but do not
understand your rules, your ciphers, your letters, characters,29 pitches and
metres? 4There can be no-one in the city of Mantua who has not seen the lyrist
whom they called 'The SparrowTM in my presence , he often composed original
melodies on his harp, but he would never have known how to write them down
by himself. 5In fact, there was another inhabitant of the same city at that time
who also improvised melodies: he would sometimes paint them, rather then
notate them, with black ink or carbon. As a result, no-one would ever have
dared to sing them if a certain singer of my acquaintance had not written them
out, using the familiar notation. "Now who can be in any doubt that Jubal
would initially have acted in this way?30 7Certainly at the beginning he sang
instinctively, but then gradually he discovered the differences between sounds;
he probably built an organ and some lyres, and composed sweet melodies.
Then his long life gave him the opportunity to delve into the nature of things
and to cultivate his sensitivity. 8No-one knows however how he taught his
contemporaries to sing, or what notes, letters, cyphers or characters he used for
teaching and writing, or which he used for singing. However, we must believe
that after the Flood, the sons of Noah passed on to their fellow men in turn
beautiful melodies to sing.
29Concerning the term character, see F. Reckow in Handwörterbuch de musikalischen
Terminologie (Wiesbaden, 1970). * For an analagous useage of the term, see Micrologus 5,
30Cf, above nn. 4 and 6.
Seite 26
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)maxime Japhet qui totus, ut legitur, virtuti deditus erat, et a quo nobis illa
philosophorum emanavit progenies, totaque Graecorum et aliarum omnium fere
nationum gentilitas.
9Nam et primas illas quatuor chordas, quarum Graeci iactitant inventorem
extitisse Mercurium, opinor magis ante diluvium ab ipso Iubal exquisitas ac
inventas, sed et ad docendum in ordine dispositas atque regulatas, deinde post
diluvium a praefatis Noe filiis novae genti novisque populis ita sicut prius erant
fuisse traditas. 10In ea namque musica, quam totiens allegatus Boetius de
Graeco vertit in Latinum, legitur illam a principio fuisse simplicissimam, adeo
quod quatuor nervis ipsa tota constaret. !!Inde tetrachordum a quatuor chordis
appellatum est. 12Primus autem nervus et quartus diapason invicem resonabant
consonantiam, medii vero simul tonum habentes, ad extremos diatessaron ac
diapente reddebant, quod totum his quatuor litteris sequens figura demonstrat.
13Si ergo diatessaron AB, tonus autem BC, quisque AC diapente sit negare
poterit? 14Iterumque si BD diapente sit et diatessaron AB resonabit, et AD
diapason perfectissimum erit.
—_
_——T———__r_________—
nationum scripsi nationem A
Seite 27
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)This is particularly true of Japhet, who was totally committed to goodness, so
we read.3! It is from him that the noble line of philosophers sprang, together
with the entire pagan learning of the Greeks and of almost every other nation.
It is my opinion that the first four pitches-which the Greeks claim were
invented by Mercury-existed rather before the Flood: that they were sought
after and discovered by Jubal himself, and later arranged and tabulated for
teaching purposes. Then, after the Flood, they were handed down by the
above-mentioned sons of Noah, in their original state, to the new nation and
new peoples. 10In that treatise on music, which Boethius-so often referred totranslated from Greek into Latin,?2 we read that it was the most simple of all
types of music at that early stage because it consisted entirely of only four
pitches. 11So it was called tetrachordum because it contained four strings.
12The first and fourth strings produced between them the consonance of a
diapason, the middle strings together comprised a tone, and produced a
diatessaron and a diapente with the outer strings. The following diagram
demonstrates all this with the following four letters: 13if A to B is a diatessaron,
and B to Cisa
tone, then clearly the distance from A to C must be a diapente.
14A gain, if from B to D we have the distance of a diapente, and the interval
between A andB is a diatessaron, then the distance between A and D will be an
absolutely perfect diapason.
31 This reference to Japhet cannot be traced.
32The treatise would be Nicomachus’s lost Peri mousikes, cited in De inst. mus. 1,20
(205,28-206,7).*
Seite 28
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)15Hoc tetrachordum omnium primum ac vetustissimum creasse Graeci iactitant
ac fecisse Mercurium, sed illud magis traditum renovatis hominibus a Noe
succe[sso]ribus, opinor, post diluvium.
Diapason intensa
Diatessaron
intensa
|
Diapente intensa—
Diapente remissau Diatessaron
remissa
Diapason remissa
in figura: (Diatessaron) intensam A
Seite 29
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)15The Greeks claim that Mercury invented and constructed this tetrachord,
which is the first and oldest of them all. However, I think that it was handed
down after the Flood by the descendants of Noah to humankind which had been
given a new lease of life.
The diapason in ascent
The diatessaron
in ascent
A
The diapente
in ascent
B
C
D
The diapene—!The diatessaron
in descent
in descent
The diapason in descent
Seite 30
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)1Capitulum quintum:
2 Addidisse philosophos suprascriptis chordis et
alias undecim per intervalla temporum, nec unquam illos excessisse quindecim
numerum.
3Porro philosophi Graeci quatuor illis nervis adhuc undecim alias apposuere
chordas per intervalla temporum, quod qualiter aut quomodo si scire cupis, lege
Boetium in primo suae musicae libro, ibique reperies non id modo quod
quaeris, sed ipsorum quoque nomina philosophorum. 4Sensati namque viri
quod omnis vox aut continua sit aut intervallis suspensa non ignorabant, et
idcirco se posse plures adhuc tantillo numero superaddere chordas non
dubitarunt. SAttamen quindenum numerum transcendere nunquam voluerunt.
6Est enim vox illa continua qua prosas legere solemus et historias verba:
loquendo verbis subiungere, quae nimiruma sola natura moderari potest ne sit
infinita, dum loqui tantum valeat homo seu legere quantum anhelitus eius duret
aut queat respirare. 7Quae vero dicitur intervallis suspensa vox est qua musicos
elevare solent homines aut deprimere sonos; quae quidem et ipsa modum non
habet si non refrenetur a natura, nam ultra non gravat homo vocem quam valeat
sonos alacriter exprimere, nec adeo si sit prudens scandit in altum ut dubitet
deficere. 8Quisnam oro fere mortalium, si vocem elevet ultra quintam decimam,
fere non deficiat, aut si tantum illam relaxet, confusus non erubescat?
NexYr
A4vHSr
Addidisse philosophos......Capitulum Quintum om H
repies pro reperies A
valet pro valeat A
vero om H
deprimere pro exprimere A
oro in marg H oro fere dele H
Seite 31
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)Chapter V:
2The philosophers added eleven other pitches at different times
to the ones mentioned above: they did not add any beyond fifteen.
3Further, the Greek philosophers added eleven more pitches, at different times,
to the four already in existence. If you wish to know the nature of these, and
how they arose, you should read the work of Boethius-the first book of his
.
treatise on music.33 There you will find not only what you seek, but also the
names of the philosophers themselves. 4Perceptive men as they were, they
were aware that all pitch is either continuous or interrupted by means of
intervals.34 Therefore, they did not doubt that it was possible to add more
pitches to the pre-existent small number; however, they were never willing to
exceed the total of fifteen. “That line which we call continuous’ is one which
we normally use for reading prose passages and for joining words to each other
when reciting historical accounts.35 This clearly can be prevented from being
infinite only by nature, for a man can speak or read only as long as his breath
lasts, or as long as he can catch a second breath. 7That vocal line which is
_ referred to as being ‘interrupted by intervals36 is the one which men use to
raise or lower musical sounds. This has no limit apart from the fact that it is
controlled by nature; for a man does not lower his voice beyond the point at
which he can produce sounds effortlessly.37 Nor, if he is sensible, does he
sing so high that he is uncertain about reaching it. 8I ask you, what man's
voice would not break if he raised it higher than the fifteenth pitch, or if he
lowered it to the same extent, would he not blush in confusion?
33De inst. mus. 1,20 (206,7ff).
34Cf, De inst. mus. 1,12 (199,3-4): Omnis vox aut OVVEYN est, quae continua, aut
Soo
Tn pario, quae dicitur cum intervallo suspensa. Note ambiguity in Latin between
‘voice’ and ‘pitch,’
35Cf. De inst. mus. 1,12 (199,5-6): Et continua quidem est, qua loquentes vel prosam
oratiorem legentes verba percurrimus.
36Cf, De inst. mus. 1,12 (199,4): ... quae dicitur cum intervallo suspensa.
37Cf. De inst. mus. 1,13 (200,1-5).
Seite 32
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)9Quod si quis se vidisse voces humanas obiecerit ad praefatum numerum
superandum aptissimas, respondemus quod paucae sunt ad totius humani
generis comparationem, et de his quae raro accidunt non datur regula generalis.
10Egit in hoc ergo per omnia prudenter philosophorum auctoritas, quae nobis ad
cantandum docendum ac discendum, et omne quod canitur, si velimus
describendum, optime providit, nihilque superfluum, aut inepte per incuriam
ordinatum reliquit.
praefactum pro praefatum
A comperationem A
Seite 33
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)9Now if anyone disagrees, and claims that he has encountered human voices
easily able to go beyond these limits, we reply that they are very few-relative to
the size of the human race—and that we cannot form a general principle from
these phenomena which occur so rarely.
10So the authority of the philosophers has proceeded wisely here in all respects—
an authority which has admirably provided for us a means of teaching and
learning the art of singing, and a method of describing, if we wish, everything
which is sung. It has passed down to us nothing which is superfluous, or any
ideas which are inadequately presented because of carelessness.
Seite 34
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ICapitulum sextum:
‘© 2Harum quindecim vocabula chordarum ac
interpretationes earum.
3Chorda Prima: collectis itaque prout tradit Boetius quindecim tantummodo
chordis, primam et omnium gravissimam vocavere philosophi Graece
proslambanomenos, hoc est 'additam' vel 'appositam' seu 'acquisitam', eo
quod quamquam ultima fuerit inventa, caeteris tamen sit necessario praelata.
4Chorda Secunda: Hypate hypaton idem est quae gravissima gravissimarum,
quod quippe vocabulum antequam esset proslambanomenos iure sibi
competebat, cum tunc esset prima. Nunc vero tenet illud adhuc quamvis illa
tono sit altior et secunda.
5Chorda Tertia: Parhypate hypaton iuxta gravissimam interpretatur
gravissimarum, quae cum ab illa solo minori semitonio remota sit, suum optime
gerit nomen ac vocabulum.
6Chorda Quarta: Lichanos hypaton ‘index’ appellatur non ab re
'gravissimarum', nam cum antiquitus esset in loco tertio distans a secunda
chorda tono, mox indici monochordum occurrebat tangenti digito.
1.
2.
4,
A Sr H 5r
(chordarum) ut (ac) dele A
esse pro esset A
Seite 35
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter VI:
167
The terms used for these fifteen pitches, with their meanings.
3The first pitch: I have listed the pitches-only fifteen in number-as Boethius
has handed them down to us.38 The first and deepest of them all the
philosophers called by the Greek word proslambanomenos, which means
'added', ‘placed next to', or 'newly-acquired'.39 The reason for this is that
although it was the last to be invented, it is of necessity put in front of the
others.
4The second pitch: the Hypate Hypaton. This likewise is the pitch which is the
‘lowest of the lowest’ because this term was properly appropriate for it before
the existence of the proslambanomenos. It claimed this term as its right since at
that time it was the first pitch. Now, it continues to have this term applied to it,
although it is the second pitch and a tone higher than the first.
SThe third pitch: the Parhypate Hypaton means ‘next to the lowest of the
lowest’: as it is positioned only at a minor semitone's distance from it, it well
deserves its title and its terminology.
6The fourth pitch: the Lichanos Hypaton is rightly referred to as ‘the index
finger of the lowest pitches’. for although in ancient times it occupied the third
position at a tone's distance from the second pitch, it subsequently
corresponded with the index finger as it touched the monochord.
38For general description of the fifteen pitches, see De inst. mus. 1,20; for Boethius’s
translations of the names of the pitches, see De inst. mus. 4,3.
39Boethius refers to the proslambanomenos as ‘added’ (addita) in De inst. mus. 1,20 (211,22);
he further describes it with the term adquisitam in 4,3 (309,21). Boethius does not use the
term apposita with respect to the lowest pitch. Martianus Capella De nuptiis likewise uses
the term adquisitus (9,931). The naming of notes and their interpretations in the following
lines does not follow Boethius or Martianus Capella.
Seite 36
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)7Chorda Quinta: Hypate meson 'gravissima' recte vocitatur 'mediarum', distans
enim a praecedenti vicina tono, sicuti voces finit gravissimas, ita quidem
inchoare probatur et medias.
8Chorda Sexta: Parhypate meson interpretatur ‘iuxta gravissimam mediarum,
nam ab illa solo scitur distare minori semitonio, quod est initium mediarum et
origo.
9Chorda Septima: Lichanos meson Latine sonat ‘index mediarum', quae tono
distans a sua praecedenti socia, nomen alterius Lichanos a loci similitudine
sortitur ac vocabulum.
10Chorda Octava: Mese, quae dicitur 'Media' jure duplici tale nomen habere
debet, a subdita namque sibi vicina tono se tantum elevans, primum finit
diapason a principali proslambanomenos vocula, rursusque sedens in loco
medio, mater est omnium sequentium vocularum ac domina,
11Chorda Nona: Paramese ‘iuxta Mese' non immerito dicitur, nam si sit ab illa
plus minusve tono remota, nusquam de septem diapason speciebus apparet una.
12Chorda Decima: Trite Diezeugmenon optime quidem interpretatur tertia
disiunctarum, est etenim a mese locum habens tertium, quamquam ad paramese
minus reddat semitonium.
10.
quae om A
(rursus) que supra lin H om A
(sequen)tium supra lin H
Chorda X H
Seite 37
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)7The fifth pitch: the Hypate Meson is rightly called the ‘lowest of the middle
pitches’, for, lying at a tone's distance from its aforementioned neighbour, it
forms the limit of the lowest pitches, and is accepted as being the start of the
middle register.
8The sixth pitch: the Parhypate Meson means 'the pitch which is next to the
lowest in the middle register’, for it is known to lie at a distance of only a minor
semitone from that pitch, which forms the beginning, and is the basis of the
pitches of the middle tetrachord.
9The seventh pitch: the Lichanos Meson; this term, in Latin index mediarum,
means ‘the index finger of the middle pitches’. It lies at a distance of a tone
from its neighbour mentioned above. It obtains the name and the terminology
of the second Lichanos because of its similar position.
10The eighth pitch: the Mese which means ‘the middle pitch’, has to have such
a name on two counts. It is only a tone higher than its lower neighbour, and it
forms the upper limit of the first diapason, which begins with the principal
pitch, the proslambanomenos. Further, it occupies a central position, and is the
mother, and ruler of all the following pitches.
11 The ninth pitch: the Paramese is rightly referred to as ‘the pitch lying next to
the mese', for if it lay at more or less than a tone's distance from it, one of the
seven diapason species would in no sense be realized.
12The tenth pitch: the Trite Diezeugmenon is well translated as ‘the third of the
disjunct pitches’, for it occupies the third position from the mese, but is only a
minor semitone's distance from the paramese.
Seite 38
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)13Chorda Undecima: Paranete diezeugmenon ‘iuxta nete disiunctarum' versa de
Graeco significat in Latinum, eo quod triten uno tono superans ad neten quoque
tonando semel ascendat.
14Chorda Duodecima: Nete diezeugmenon a verbo Graeco neate iuxta Boetium
‘inferior’ appellatur 'disiunctarum', tono namque praescriptam paranete
chordam superans, novissimam omnium disiunctarum vocem emittit atque
iuniorem.
15Chorda Tertia Decima: Trite hyperboleon iure 'tertia' nominatur 'superiorum'
aut 'excellentium', altius namque solo minori semitonio quam nete vicina sua
prodiens, etsi certe graviorem, tertium nihilominus a superiori nete locum
occupat.
16Chorda Quarta Decima: Paranete hyperboleon ‘iuxta nete' dicitur
‘superiorum' eadem ratione qua paranete diezeugmenon, scilicet pro eo quod ad
illam per tonum pergit similiter.
17Chorda Quinta Decima: Nete hyperboleon“inferior superiorum' interpretata
probatur eodem argumento quo nete diezeugmenon, videlicet ultima namque
superiorum est, sicut illa disiunctarum, soloque tono vicinam sibi subditam
superat.
13.
14.
15.
(quoque) semel (tonando) dele H
Chorda XII H
parinete A
vocum pro vocem A
Chorda XIII H
at pro aut A
pergat H
inferior.......... diezeumenon in marg A
Seite 39
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)13The eleventh pitch: the Paranete Diezeugmenon means ‘next to the nete in the
disjunct pitches’ when translated from Greek into Latin, because it is higher
than the trite by a whole tone, and has to climb a tone to reach the nete.
14The twelfth pitch: the Nete Diezeugmenon, derived from the Greek word
‘neate’ according to Boethius, is referred to as the lowest of the disjunct
pitches,“ for it lies at a tone's distance above the previous paranete. It
produces the newest and most recent sound of all the disjunct pitches. _
The thirteenth pitch: the Trite Hyperboleon is rightly called the third pitch in
the highest or outstanding pitches. It appears at only a minor semitone's
distance from its neighbour the nete. Even though it occupies a deeper position,
nevertheless it is only three pitches down from the higher nete.
16The fourteenth pitch: the Paranete Hyperboleon is so called because its
position is adjacent to the nete in the highest pitches, on the same principle as
the paranete diezeugmenon, which similarly travels the distance of a whole tone
to reach its neighbour.
17The fifteenth pitch: the Nete Hyperboleon is rightly translated as ‘the lowest
pitch in the highest pitches’ for the same reason as the nete diezeugmenon is so
called—because it is the last of the upper pitches, just as the other is the last of
the disjunct ones, and is higher than its neighbour underneath it by only a tone.
40Cf De inst. mus. 1,20 (206,25): + Quasi neate id est inferior. ‘Neate’ is a Doric variant of
‘nete’.
Seite 40
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)1Capitulum septimum:
2Has quindecim chordas hic more Graeco per
solum genus diatonicum divisas.
3His igitur expeditis, ac quindecim illis phthongorum vocum sive sonorum
vocabulis satis ad propositum interpretatis, scire non erit absonum Graecis
antiquis, valde curiosis, unam harum quindecim vocum nequaquam suffecisse
distinctionem, immo tribus illas permutando tonos ac semitonia distinxere modis, primam utpote modulandi formam genus diatonicum, secundam autem
enarmonicum, tertiam vero chromaticum appellantes. 4Veruntamen de solo
diatonico, quod primum est verum ac perfectum, tractare dispono, quamquam
de caeteris etiam duobus in totum silere nolim, captato tempore siquidem et loco
congruo. 5Mater enim Ecclesia de tribus his generibus solum diatonicum ad
omne quod canere velis aptissimum elegit, aliis reprobatis duobus, Deum utique
laudare volens ad libitum, idque totum quod curiosum est magisve difficile
quam consonuma se reiciens.
6Has igitur Graeci quindecim chordas in quatuor primo divisere tetrachordis,
primum appellantes tetrachordum hypaton, id est 'gravissimarum', secundum
autem tetrachordum meson, hoc est ‘mediarum’, tertium tetrachordum
diezeugmenon, id est 'disiunctarum', quartum autem tetrachordum hyperboleon
quod sonat 'superiorum'.
1,
2.
3.
4,
6.
A 5r H 6r
hic supra lin H
(Gracco) divisas (per solum) dele H add A
divisas in marg
Hom A
Hae pro His A
vocalibus pro vocabulis A
siquidem tempore A
in pro et A
tetrachordum in marg H
est om À
Seite 41
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)173
Chapter VII:
2These fifteen pitches at this point are classified in the Greek
fashion only by the diatonic genus.
3Having settled these matters then, and having explained, sufficiently well for
our purpose, the fifteen terms used for the phthongi pitches or sounds, it will
not be out of place for us to be aware that, as far as the ancient Greeks were
concerned*-and they were a very intellectually curious people-one version of
the succession of fifteen pitches was not enough. They therefore distinguished
them in three ways by changing the order of tones and semitones. The first
type of singing they called the diatonic, the second the enharmonic, and the
third the chromatic. 4However, I am inclined to deal only with the diatonic
type, which is the first truly perfect type, though I would not wish to remain
wholly silent about the other two, if there is time, and in the appropriate place.
SMother Church chose only the diatonic type of the three as being the most
suitable for what you feel inclined to sing-and rejected the other two. She
wished nothing else but to praise God at will while rejecting all that is laboured,
or is too difficult to be pleasing to the ear.
6These fifteen pitches then the Greeks divided up into four tetrachords 4! They
called the first Tetrachordon Hypaton -that is, the one made up of the lowest
pitches. The second was called Tetrachordon Meson, containing pitches in the
middle register. The third they called Tetrachordon Diezeugmenon -the
Tetrachord of the Disjunction. The fourth was the Tetrachordon Hyperboleon
containing the highest sounds.
De inst. mus. 1,20.
Seite 42
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)7Contemplantes namque philosophi solis tribus diatessaron differentiis inesse
totam harmoniae virtutem-quicquid enim ultra fit replicatur et unum est-omnem
istius modi per illam divisere vocum ordinem, duo simul tetrachorda
connectentes, quibus tres exprimi probantur illius varietates. 8Nil aliud enim est
hic tetrachordum quam perfecta consonantia diatessaron. 9Est autem eius prima
species ab hypate hypaton in hypate meson secundum Graecos, quae currit per
minus semitonium et tonum et tonum, et hoc, ut dixi, per solum genus
diatonicum. !0Secunda vero pergit a parhypate hypaton ad parhypate meson,
per tonum et tonum ac minus semitonium, a lichanos autem hypaton in lichanos
meson tertia, currens utique per tonum ac minus semitonium atque tonum.
11Cernis ergo quod sumant hic a semitonio minori tetrachorda semper
exordium, quodque primum sit ab hypate hypaton in hypate meson, cui
connectitur, ut patet in hac figura, statim secundum.
(Figura in pagina 176)
7.
8.
omnem om A
Nihil pro Nil A
hic supra lin H
(quod) que om A
(hypa)te (hypaton) om A
Seite 43
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)7The philosophers believed that the entire virtue inherent in the tonal structure
lay solely in three species of diatessaron-for whatever lies beyond that range is
a duplication and a reiteration-and they divided up every such order of pitches
by this scheme, connecting together two tetrachords, by means of which three
varieties of structure are produced. 8Here, the tetrachord is nothing but the
perfect consonance of a diatessaron. "The first species of diatessaron extends,
according to the Greeks, from the hypate hypaton to the hypate meson.42 It
progresses as follows: minor semitone, tone, tone, and this, as I have said,
applies only in the diatonic genus. !0The second species extends from the
parhypate hypaton to the parhypate meson, using the following
order: tone,
tone, minor semitone. The third extends from the lichanos hypaton to the
lichanos meson in this order: tone, minor semitone, tone. 11You see therefore
that here the tetrachords always begin with the interval of a semitone, and that
the first tetrachord extends from the hypate hypaton to the hypate meson, to
which is connected conjunctly the second tetrachord, as the following diagram
makes clear.
(Diagram on page 177)
42The ordering of species follows Boethius’s second ordering of species, that more consistent
with traditional Greek theory: see De inst. mus. 4,14 (339,12-15), and Bower/Boethius
p. 151,n. 76. The order “according to the Greeks” may be found, for example, in Cleonides
Eisagoge 9 (JanS. p. 195-98), and Ptolemy Harmonica 2,3,50.
Seite 44
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)120mne quidem tetrachordum est sola diatessaron, sed si duo coniunxeris, mox
tres diversas efficis; quarta namque replicatur ut hic recte comprobatur, nec illud
quod est simile diversum dicitur.
His duobus tetrachordis surgit
istud heptachordum
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Seite 45
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)12Every tetrachord is made up of one species only of diatessaron, but if you
join two tetrachords together, you quickly produce three species. The fourth is
a repetition, as is rightly pointed out here, and what is identical is not referred to
as different.
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Seite 46
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ICapitulum octavum:
2 Alia duo tetrachorda primis duobus simillima;
cur sint ab illis per unum tonum disiuncta.
3Hic natura rerum satis exercuit solertiam philosophorum: aut certe coacti sunt
in duas partes tonum secare, vel humanas aures trium discordia tonorum sibi
succedentium vehementer offendere. 4In illo enim quem supra depinximus
heptachordo diapason haberi non potest, eo quod ibi sint septem tantummodo
chordae sive voces, ipsa vero consonantiarum consonantia minus quam octo
chordas habere non debet. SGraeci namque proslambanomenos nunquam in
divisione vocum annumeraverunt, quoniam divisis iam longo tempore chordis
ab hypate hypaton, quae tunc erat prima sicut hic ponitur, ad complendum
bisdiapason, et illa, prout in eius interpretatione tactum est, illi superadditur.
6Cum ergo proslambanomenos, quae prima nunc est omnium, ad eam quae
prima prius erat tonum semper habeat, et ad eam chordam quae media dicitur,
optimum diapason efficiat, quod et illa chorda quae mese sequitur, ab ipsa tono
distet integro necesse est. 7Alioquin una de septem diapason speciebus tota
perit, et si servaveris eam, trium tonorum, ut dixi, discordiam pessimam
incurris. 8Cum tribus namque tonis contiguis humanae naturae concordia non
est. ?Qua de causa, philosophi totis diebus altercari maluere cum tritono quam
unam de septem diapason auferre de numero.
PD»
A 6r H 6v
simillia pro simillima A
diximus pro depinximus A
habere pro haberi H
Seite 47
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter VIII :
2Two other tetrachords, which had the same structure as
the first two: why they were separated from them by the interval of a tone.
3At this stage, the facts of nature were enough to tax the ingenuity of the
philosophers: there is no doubt that they were compelled either to divide the
tone into two parts, or violently offend human ears with the dissonant interval
produced by the succession of three tones.*3 4For a diapason cannot be
contained within the heptachord which we have described above, because the
latter possesses only seven pitches or pitches. Also, the most perfect
consonance needs to contain no fewer than eight pitches. SThe Greeks never
included the proslambanomenos in their classification of sounds until, as is
mentioned in Boethius' account, it was added on to the hypate hypaton to
complete the bisdiapson.44 For some time, the pitches themselves had been
classified starting with the hypate hypaton—which at that time was the first pitch—
which is how it is placed here, in the preceding diagram.
6Since therefore the proslambanomenos, which is by this time the first pitch,
always lies at a tone's distance from the pitch which used to be the first, and
since it produces a perfect diapason with that pitch which is called the mese, it is
necessary that the pitch following the mese lies at a tone's distance from it. 7In
the absence of the proslambanomenos, one of the seven diapason species is
entirely destroyed; and if you retain it, you produce the dissonance of the
interval produced, as have said, by three successive tones, the worst possible
one. 8For human nature has no agreement with three whole tones adjacent to
each other. 9For this reason, the philosophers preferred to argue with the
tritone all the time rather than be deprived of one of the seven diapason species.
43For Johannes’ suppositions on the Greek view of the tritone, see below, Pars prima 1.9.14.
44See De inst. mus. 1,20 (211,21ff). I assume here eius refers to Boethius’s account.
Seite 48
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)10Hinc est quod sequentem paramese chordam ab ipsa mese per tonum
integrum elongarunt, tertiumque tetrachordum a primis duobus seiunctum et
cum quarto sequenti ligatum diezeugmenon, hoc est disiunctum, nominant,
sicque durum a parhypate meson in paramese vilipendentes tritonum, optimam
ab hypate hypaton in eandem paramese diapason conservant.
11Tonus ergo soluit hic tetrachordum tertium a chorda mese tritonum
generando, quod ligare poterat cum caeteris minus semitonium dulcisonam
diapason enervando, pergens videlicet a paramese versus nete diezeugmenon, ut
alia tetrachorda per semitonium minus, tonum et tonum. !2In qua nete chorda
siquidem et quartum tetrachordum huic tertio connectitur, non aliter quam et illa
duo prima simul in hypate meson connexa sunt, tenditque similiter ad nete
hyperboleon chordam ultimam per minus semitonium, tonum ac tonum.
13Nullamque prorsus inter haec quatuor tetrachorda video distantiam, cum et
ista duo tres diatessaron demonstrent species sicut et illa, nisi quod ibi
tantummodo graves, hic autem acutae voces resonent.
14Quod totum esse verum hic depicta probabit figura.
(figura in pagina 182)
10.
12.
13.
14.
tertium namque A
est supra lin A
huic supra lin H
in om À
(prorsus) est dele H om A
video om A
apparebit pro probabit A
Seite 49
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)10]: was for this reason that they separated the following pitch-the paramesefrom the mese itself by the distance of a whole tone. To the third tetrachord
they applied the term diezeugmenon which means ‘disjunct’, for it was
separated from the first two tetrachords, and joined to the fourth which
followed it. Thus, they preserved the perfect diapason extending from the
hypate hypaton to the same paramese, paying little regard to the harsh tritone
between the parhypate meson and the paramese.
11 The distance of a tone therefore separates here the third tetrachord from the
mese, thus creating the interval of a tritone; were it to be joined by a minor
semitone to the rest, this would result in the weakening of the sweet-sounding
diapason. This tetrachord then extends from the paramese to the nete
diezeugmenon- like the other tetrachords, in that it contains the progression
minor semitone, tone, tone. 12At this nete, the fourth tetrachord is joined to the
third, in the same way as the first two tetrachords are joined at the hypate
meson; it extends to the nete hyperboleon-the last pitch-in a similar way, using
the progression minor semitone, tone, tone. 13] myself see no difference at all
between these four tetrachords, since both pairs produce the three species of
diatessaron; however, there is the fact that one pair produces only deep pitches,
and the other high.
14The diagram which I have drawn here will prove all this to be true.
(Diagram on p. 183)
Seite 50
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)Haec duo ligata simul sunt caeteris simillima, nisi quod voces acutas occupant et
illa graves; in quo quidem ostenditur quod quicquid voces resonant, totum
quippe dirigitur triplici diatessaron.
His duobus tetrachordis
surgit istud heptachordum
—Secunda species
diatessaron
— Tertia species
Diatessaron
——- Tota orina
similis haec
|
|
Tetrachordum
hyperboleon
|
Prima species
diatessaron]
|
Tetrachordum
diezeugmenon
hNypertboelon hPyaprearnbeotleon Thyrpeirbtoleon Smeitnouism dNiezetugmenon dPiaerzaeungemtenon Tdirezieutgmenon Smeimntounisum Paramese
Tonus Tonus.
Tonus Tonus
Seite 51
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)15These two conjunct tetrachords are totally identical to the others, apart from
the fact that these occupy a high register, and the others a low one. It is this fact
which demonstrates that whatever the pitches sound, the whole is controlled by
the three species of diatessaron.
From these two tetrachords
arise this heptachord
The second
species of
diatessaron
The third ——
species of
diatessaron
|
The whole of this
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of diatessaron
is identical to the
first (species)
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the highest
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Seite 52
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)1Capitulum nonum:
2Cur quintum sit inventum tetrachordum et cum
chorda mese ligatum.
3Nunc autem ad id quod de tribus tonis contiguis supra motum est convertere
stilum nos oportet. 4Circa quod primo quaerendum est ad quid philosophi
Graeci quintum illis quatuor addere voluerunt tetrachordum, et cum satis
allegata mese chorda totaliter connectere, cum praesertim illa quatuor sufficiant
ad canendum tetrachorda, sic, ut vides, in optimo genere diatonico distincta,
tamque decenter per diapason ac diapason simul adunata. >Videtur praeterea
superfluum ac inane totum istud tetrachordum, quoniam etsi nomina mutata sint
chordarum, est tonus identidem et tonus inter triten paraneten netenque
synemmenon, sicut inter triten paraneten ac neten diezeugmenon erat. 6Sed si
rem diligenter consideremus, non parvam inter has chordas differentiam esse
videmus. 7Providi namque philosophi, trium illorum tonorum discordia, quae
cadit a parhypate meson in paramesen, concitati, rursus et aliam inter mesen et
paramesen constituere chordam triten synemmenon, hoc est, tertiam
coniunctarum illam ea de causa qua et triten hyperboleon vocitantes. 8Quae
procul dubio tonum ab ipsa mese in paramesen secat et dividit, sed non
aequaliter, dum ad mesen minus reddit semitonium, et ad parhypate meson per
consequens non iam tres tonos successivos, immo veram diatessaron generat.
„rom
AGvH7v
inventum sit A
quatuor om A
propterea pro praeterea A
actom A
mesem et paramesem A
Seite 53
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter IX:
2Why the fifth tetrachord was invented, and why it was joined
to the mese.
3]t is necessary now to devote some of my text to what we mentioned above
concerning the three adjacent tones. 4With regard to this, we must first ask
ourselves why the Greek philosophers wished to add a fifth tetrachord to the
other four, and join it conjunctly to the mese, a pitch I have mentioned enough
already, since these four tetrachords are more than adequate for singing
purposes, set out thus, as you can see, in the excellent diatonic genus, and
combined together so aptly between one diapason and another. Further, this
tetrachord seems to be totally useless and superfluous, because even if the
names of the pitches are changed, there is still a progression of two tones
between the trite, the paranete and the nete synemmenon, likewise between the
trite, the paranete and the nete diezeugmenon. But if we consider the matter
carefully, we see a considerable difference between these pitches. 7The
philosophers, provident as they were, were disturbed by the dissonance
produced by the three tones which occurs between the parhypate meson and the
paramese. They placed another extra pitch between the mese and the paramesethat is, the trite synemmenon-the ‘third of the conjunct pitches’. They named it
on the same basis as the term adopted for the trite hyperboleon. 8Clearly, this
cuts and divides into two parts the whole tone which lies between the mese and
the paramese-but not into equal halves. The pitch lies at a minor semitone's
distance from the mese; consequently, the distance to the parhypate meson is
not now three successive tones, but rather a true diatessaron is produced.
Seite 54
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)9A paramese vero distat apothome, quod est maius semitonium, idque totum
non cernitur solum oculo, sed et manu de facili tangitur in monochordo.
10Quotiens ergo necesse est hoc uti quinto tetrachordo, relictis tetrachordi
diezeugmenon chordis, totiens naturalem deserere paramesen, et hanc arte
factam triten synemmenon recipere nos oportet; !!tuncque tonum inter ipsam et
paraneten synemmenon quae prius trite diezeugmenon erat proferre, rursusque'
tonum ab ipsa paranete synemmenon ad neten synemmenon quae chorda
paranete diezeugmenon fuerat, ut ad tempus tetrachordo disiunctarum seposito
quod naturale totum est atque facillimum, quintum istud difficile recipiatur quod
currat etiam per minus semitonium ac tonum et tonum. 12Difficile dico quidem
et non naturale quoniam, ut vides, arte quadam hic tonus, quod pauci capiunt,
dividitur, minorique semitonio cum chorda mese ligato, maius quod et
apothome cum sequenti disiunctarum minori semitonio iungitur. 13Hanc itaque
Graeci maluere cum pessimo tritono iugem habere colluctationem quam unam,
ut dixi, non posse describere diapason speciem, nec ab eis ob aliud
tetrachordum istud synemmenon est cum chorda mese copulatum, nisi quo tanta
trium tonorum duritia mutaretur in diatessaron perfectam.
14Quid amplius? Tolle, si potes, tritonum, et nil valet istud tetrachordum.
15Quo viso, melius est ipsum ab aliis naturalibus atque semper necessariis
tetrachordis, ut hic depingendo seiungere, quam ab eo quod per se clarum est
intricare.
10.
naturalem in marg H
paramesem A
recipere..... paranete synemmenon in marg A
11.
ad nete synemmenon om À
chorda scripsi chordam HA
12.
quod pauci capiunt in marg H
et? om A
14.
potesses A
Seite 55
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)The pitch lies at a distance of an apothome from the paramese, that is, a major
semitone. This can not only be wholly seen by the eye, but easily produced by
fingering the monochord. 10Whenever we find it necessary to use this fifth
tetrachord, then we have to abandon the pitches in the disjunct tetrachord, and
by the same token, dispense with the natural paramese and replace it with the
trite synemmenon, which is created by artifice. Then it was necessary to
produce the distance of a tone between this pitch and the paranete
synemmenon-previously the trite diezeugmenon-likewise a tone between the
latter and the nete synemmenon-previously the paranete diezeugmenon.
Consequently, having set aside temporarily a totally natural and easy concept,
that is, the disjunct tetrachord, the difficult fifth tetrachord was accepted, which
was likewise made up of the progression semitone, tone, tone. 12I emphasize
that this is a difficult and unnatural feature, for as you see, by means of certain
skilful procedures, the whole tone is at this point dividend into two segments, a
point which few appreciate; the minor semitone joins itself to the mese, and the
major-that is the apothome-is joined to the minor semitone with the next of the
_ disjunct pitches. 13 And so the Greeks preferred to be involved in this
continuous battle with the dreadful tritone rather than not be able, as I have said,
to realize one of the diapason species. There was no other reason to join this
other tetrachord, that is the synemmenon,with the mese than to change the
considerable dissonance produced by three tones in succession into a perfect
diatessaron.45
14What more is there to say? Take away the tritone, if you can, and this fifth
tetrachord has no validity. 15Now that I have clarified this point, it is better to
separate this from the other natural, and totally necessary tetrachords, by
describing it as I have done here, rather than, because of it, complicate a matter
which, in itself, is quite self-evident.
45Conceming this extended argument concerning the synemmenon tetrachord and the tritone,
see Introduction, pp. 42-44.
Seite 56
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)16Istud quintum tetrachordum totum erit superfluum, si non discors ac nimius
nobis occurrat tritonus quem delet diatessaron.
Prima species
diatessaron
Tetrachordum synemmenon
id est, coniunctarum
Nesyntemenon Parsaynemtenon Trsiyntemenon Smeitnouism
Tonus Tonus
Mese
Seite 57
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)16The fifth tetrachord will be totally superfluous, if the tritone does not strike us
as discordant, and excessively so. This diatessaron does away with this
tritone.
The first species
of diatessaron
Tetrachord 'synemmenon'
that is, of the
conjunct pitches
Nseyntemenon Pasyrnaenmetenon Trsyinetmenon sMeimntonre
Tone
Tone
Mese
Seite 58
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ICapitulum decimum:
2Ad sonitum malleorum Tubal-Cain; Jubal
concepisse totam in numeris musicam consistere.
3Quoniam de diviso tono mentionem fecimus ac de monochordo, putavi non
esse vanum parumper ad Jubal redire, quoque ritu subiectam invenit esse
numeris musicam breviter aperire, quatenus in hoc saltem me vidisse Boetii
musicam evidenter appareat ac eius arithmeticam non nescisse, et priusquam
dispersa superius illa quinque simul aggregentur tetrachorda, viso quod nil a me
loquar aut novi quippiam de proprio cerebro cudam, lector lectioni fidem
adhibeat, et si forsan dubitaverit, ad fontem relicto rivo properet. 4Jubal igitur
ille dum iam multis diebus, uti credendum est, a natura cantasset, aliosque suos
coaevos ad id ipsum provocasset, non ei suffecit sonos auditu tantum
discernere, quin potius coepit paulisper in dies meditando causas inquirere.
SQui cum apud se talia crebro cogitaret, ac omnino cur sic soni permixti
consonent aut dissonent investigare vellet, audit una dierum super incude fratris
sui Tubal-Cain, qui faber erat, resonare tonum, diatessaron, diapente, simulque
diapason, et ait: "Mutate quaeso malleos ac iterum percutite, non enim parvum
aut in vestris bracchiis aut in ipsis malleis latere sentio naturae secretum".
1.
A7rH8v
3,
evidenter in marg H
(quinque) tetrachorda dele H
4,
5.
(viso) quoque add A
letor A
forsan in marg H
coaevos suos A
sufficit A
tantum auditu A
cepit A
aut pro audit A
simul cum pro simulque A
Seite 59
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapterX:
2Regarding the sound of the hammers of Tubal-Cain; Jubal
discovers that music consists entirely of numbers.
3Since I have mentioned the division of the whole tone, and also the
monochord, I thought it not a waste of time to return to the subject of Jubal for
a while, and to show briefly how he discovered music to be subservient to
number. To this extent at least it should be clear that I have consulted the De
Musica of Boethius, and that I am familiar with his De Arithmetica.. Before
the five tetrachords-treated separately above-are brought together as a single
topic, let the reader-seeing thatI say nothing on my own account, or forge any
new idea in my own mind-accept on faith what he reads: and, if he entertains
any doubts, let him return directly to the source and abandon the rivulet.46
4Jubal#? therefore, we must assume, had been singing naturally for many
days, and encouraging his contemporaries to do the same. At this point, it was
not enough for him to distinguish the pitches by ear alone; rather he began, as
the days went by, to tum gradually to enquiring into the reasons for these
phenomena. His thoughts turned to such matters frequently, and he was
generally interested in investigating why combinations of sounds were either
consonant or dissonant. One day, he heard the sound of the tone, the
diatessaron, the diapente and the diapason at the same time upon the anvil of his
brother Tubal-Cain, who was a blacksmith. He said to his brother: "Please
change the hammers around, and strike again, for I feel that a wonderful secret
lies either in your arms, or in the hammers themselves”.
46This passage conceming faith on the part of the reader may represent a literary topos
modelled on similar passages in De inst. mus., 1,19 (205, 19ff) and 1 33 (222-23).
47The narrative of this chapter rather closely follows De inst. mus. 1,10, but name of Jubal is
substituted for that of Pythagoras-as noted by Johannes himself in sentence 10 below. The
same Christian tradition of substituting Jubal or Tubal Cain for Pythagoras can be traced back
to Egidius of Zamora (fl. ca. 1260-80), see GS2, p. 372a. Burtius (Florum libellus, p. 76)
makes Pythagoras the hero of the legend.
Seite 60
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)6Dubitavit siquidem vir sensus habens ob longam aetatem exercitatos ne causa
tantae novitatis quam aure captabat inesset ferientium viribus, sed nec sic aliud
ibi concipiens quam quod ante senserat, malleos concitus ponderavit. 7Quo
facto, singula singulis comparans pondera malleis, quosdam ab invicem duplo
distare deprehendit numero, quosdam autem epitrito sive sesquitertio, quosdam
nec non sesquialtero, sed et quosdam simul sesquioctavam reddere vidit
proportionem. 8Exempli gratia: si quis libras duodecim ad novem comparet,
mox proportionem sesquitertiam habet, sed si novem ad octo sesquioctavam, et
si rursus duodecim ad octo sesquialteram, quod si duodecim ad sex consideret,
invenit duplam. 9Haec autem subiecta demonstrat figura quae solus musicus
capere solet, nam qui se musicum reputat ignorans arithmeticam, haud secus
quam si se rhetorem praedicet nesciens grammaticam.
.
10Tradunt Graeci Pythagoram invenisse figuram, sed magis puto consonum
opinari dictum Jubal suum fratrem Tubal-Cain frequentasse fabricantem, qui
ferro pater extitit ac aere malleantium.
6.
7.
inesse A
deprehendit in marg H
8,
9,
(consideret) et add
solis musicis À
Seite 61
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)6Jubal was a man whose senses were sharpened by the long passage of time,
and he doubted that the reason for this new experience which was reaching his
ears lay in the strength of the beaters themselves. However, though he did not
imagine that there was any factor other than what he had previously observed,
in a state of excitement, he weighed the hammers. 7Having done this, he
compared the weight of each hammer, and discovered that some were twice the
weight of others. Some produced the ratio 4:3, some the ratio 3:2, and others
9:8. 8For example, if one balances twelve pounds against nine, one easily
arrives at the ratio 4:3. Again, nine pounds in relation to eight produces the
ratio 9:8. Twelve pounds set in relation to eight produces the ratio 3:2, and
twelve pounds in relation to six the ratio 2:1.* 9The following diagram explains '
these laws, which only the musician can grasp. For the person who considers
himself to be a musician, while he at the same time is ignorant of arithmetic, can .
be compared to the person who claims to be an orator, but has no knowledge of
grammar.
10It is traditional amongst the Greeks to claim that Pythagoras invented this
diagram, but I think it is a more convincing idea to believe that the said Jubal
visited his brother Tubal Cain the blacksmith, who was reputed to be the father
of those who forge with iron and with bronze.
Seite 62
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)1Capitulum undecimum:
2Quibus proportionibus numerorum Jubal
adaptari voluit consonantias vocum atque sonorum.
3At Jubal, his cognitis, non nesciens voces acutas e pluribus ac velocioribus
quam graves fieri motibus, omnemque pluralitatem ad paucitatem non aliter
haberi quam si numerus comparetur ad numerum, in epitrito numero iudicat
esse diatessaron consonantiam, eo quod illam inter duos eiusdem numeri
malleos aure concepisset, motusque suos se sic invicem habere non ambigit tam
graves quam acutos. *Certus quoque per arithmeticam ex epitrito numero et
sesquioctavo gigni sesquialterum, in illo tonum, et in hoc diapente constituit,
iuxta quod in malleis talium proportionum resonare praesenserat. SEt quidem
bene, scimus enim ex diatessaron et tono diapente fieri, et ex sesquitertia cum
sesquioctava sesquialtera generari, propter quod necesse est ut tonus
sesquioctavam et diapente sesquialteram occupet. Porro duplam inveniens
proportionem ubi dulcis diapason resonabat in malleis, totam in duplo numero
naturam eius esse censuit, cum praesertim diapente cum diatessaron aut e
converso componere diapason aspiceret, quemadmodum epitritus numerus et
sesquialter duplum generat, quod totum sequens figura monstrabit.
PD=
A7v H9r
voluit adaptari A
proportionem A
praesenserat (praesenserat) dele H
Seite 63
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter XI:
With which numerical ratios Jubal wished to relate the
consonances produced by sounds and pitches.
3Having made these discoveries, Jubal became aware that high pitches are
produced by more and faster vibrations than are deep pitches; also that every
greater quantity has the same relation to a smaller quantity as one number has in
relation to another.48 He decided that a diatessaron was produced by the
numerical ratio 4:3, because he had heard this interval produced by hammers of
the same numerical ratios; he was sure that the low and the high vibrations had
the same interrelation. 4He established too, using arithmetic, that the ratios 4:3
plus 9:8 produce the ratio 3:2. He established that the 9:8 ratio produced a
whole tone, and the 3:2 ratio a diapente, according to what he had previously
realised to be happening with hammers of the same relative sizes. 5And indeed
he did well; for we know that a diapente is made from the combination of a
diatessaron and a whole tone, and that the 3:2 ratio is produced from 9:8 plus
4:3. Consequently, it must be that the 9:8 ratio produces a whole tone, and that
the 3:2 ratio produces the diapente. After this, he discovered the 2:1 ratio-that
is when the sweet diapason sounded on the hammers-and he decided that its
entire nature depended upon this duple ratio, especially since he saw that the
combination of diatessaron and diapente-or vice versa-constitute a diapason,
just as the 4:3 ratio added to the 3:2 ratio produces the 2:1 ratio The following
diagram will make clear all of this.
48Cf, De inst. mus. 1,3 (190,21-30): ...acutae voces spissioribus et velocioribus motibus
incitantur ... Ex pluribus enim motibus acumen quam gravitas constat. In quibus autem
pluralitas differentiam facit, ca necesse est in quadam numcrositate consistere. Omnis vero
paucitas ad pluralitatem ita sese habet, ut numerus ad numerum comparatus.
Seite 64
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)THic est tonus, haec diatessaron, haec diapente et haec diapason quae profecto
veris suis partibus aequis ac integris totam monochordi metiuntur chordam,
neque sunt aliae phthongorum vocum aut sonorum aggregationes quae tantam
arrogare sibi praesumant omnino gloriam. 8De quo quippe monochordo post
haec disputare cogito, monstrare volens oculo tonum ac diatessaron cum
reliquis perfectis consonantiis nonnisi per praefatas proportiones in chorda
posse creari vel resonare, videlicet per duplam, per sesquialteram, per
sesquitertiam, ac per sesquioctavam proportionem, partes quoque toni
principales esse maius atque minus semitonium palpare velle disponens, nec
ullatenus in aequa tonum ipsum dividi. 9Nullum enim est aliud penes musicos
ita verum approbans instrumentum, et hoc propter continuum ibi varie per
praescriptas proportiones ac iustissime compartitum. !0Omnia siquidem, ut ait
sapiens, in mensura, numero et pondere consistunt.
on
aequis in marg H
. haec om A
praefactas A
in chorda in marg H
(iustissime) pa dele H
Seite 65
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)7This diagram shows the tone, the diatessaron, the diapente, and the diapason.
All of these, with their true, equal and perfect parts, certainly measure out the
total length of the string on the monochord. There are no other combinations of
sounds, phthongi or pitches which can in fact presume to claim such status. 81
intend to examine after this the nature of the monochord, as I wish to
demonstrate to the naked eye that the tone and the diatessaron, together with the
other perfect consonances, cannot be produced and sounded on the string
without using the numerical ratios mentioned above-2:1, 3:2, 4:3 and 9:8.
Iam
disposed to wish to examine the fact that the principal parts of the tone are the
major and minor semitones, and that in no way can the tone be divided into two
equal parts. There is no other instrument which proves the truth in such a way
as this one, as far as musicians are concerned: and this is because the unbroken
whole is there divided variously and absolutely correctly according
to the ratios
mentioned above. 10AII these principles-so the wise man tells us-are
dependent on measurement, on number, and on weight.4?
49Cf. Sap. 11,21: sed omnia in mensura et numero et pondere disposuisti.*
Seite 66
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)11 Hic Jubal prior cecinit ac primus artem reperit, omne sumens iudicium, ut hic
patet in numeris; quam demum in marmoribus sculpsit ac in lateribus ne pereat
diluvio vel solvatur incendio.
Proportio dupla
Proportio sesquialtera
-Proportio
sesquitertia
XII
Proportio
Proportio
sesquioctava | sesquitertia
VI
Diatessaron
Tonus | Diatessaron
Diapente
Diapason
Seite 67
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)11This Jubal was the first to sing, and indeed the first to discover the art by
undertaking every investigation, as is demonstrated here in the numerals. He
eventually sculptured this in marble and in brick lest it perish in a flood or be
destroyed by fire.
The duple ratio —
—
The sesquialteral ratio
—The sesquitertial-—The sesquioctaval
ratio
The sesquitertial
ratio
XII
ratio
IX
Diatessaron
VII
Tone
Diapente
Diapason
Diatessaron
Seite 68
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ICapitulum duodecimum:
Numeros eiusdem esse naturae voces et sonos.
3Nemini quidem grave videri debet, si numeros eiusdem esse naturae dicam et
sonos, cum etsi lingua sileat aut scribere cesset calamus, non aliud ipsa natura
clamet. 4Nam oro, quid est numerare nisi de decem unitatibus crescendo
quasdam summas varias aut decrescendo congregare, totumque si sit opus, in
primam unitatem et omnium matrem resolvere. SDecem etenim varii
tantummodo numeri sunt, et quicquid ultra numeretur non est novum, sed unum
et idem totiens quotiens volueris replicatum. 6Quidve, quaeso, canere nisi de
solis sex sonis tam varias quas supra vidisti vocum resonantias concreare, seu
idem resumendo semper nunc voces intendere, nunc versus suam originem
reflectere? 7Sex namque dumtaxat varii soni tres diatessaron species exprimunt,
ut supra visum est, nihilque novum ultra canitur, sed replicatum est. 8Nullam
ergo prorsus inter sonos ac numeros distantiam video, nisi quod vox sit
continua dinumeratio, cantus autem vox cum intervallo suspensa. Quid plura?
Motus est ab unitate numerus in unitatem, et motus est a sono in sono cantus
identidem. !0Quemadmodum enim ab unitate movetur in aliam unitatem
binarius, sic et tonus ab uno sono transit in alium ac semitonium minus.
eeMAW
A 8r H 10r
.
clamat A
voces nunc A
ultra in marg H
Seite 69
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)IChapter XII:
That pitches and sounds have the same natural ratios as
numbers.
3No-one should be seriously concerned because of my claim that numbers and
pitches share natural properties: even if my tongue were silenced and my pen
ceased to write, nature herself would make the same claim. 4For, pray, what is
counting, if not the production of different amounts by addition or subtraction—
out of the ten basic units-and, if one's efforts are to be complete, to resolve
them back to the initial unity, the mother of all?50 SThere are only ten different
numbers, and any reckoning beyond these is not new, but one and the same
thing repeated as often as you wish. 6What is singing, I ask, other than to
create all the different vocal sounds which you saw above, out of just six
sounds, or, using them over and over again, raising the pitch of the voice, and
at other times reverting to the original pitch? 7For there are but six
distinguishable sounds which produce the three types of diatessaron, as I
previously made clear: nothing new is ever sung beyond these, but is a mere
repetition. 8I am aware of no great difference between sound and number,
unless perhaps we can say that spoken sound possesses the quality of
continuous delivery, and that a melodic line is made up of such a sound divided
up by intervals.5! 9What need of more? Number moves from one whole to
another, and melody likewise moves from one sound to another. !0In the same
way as a two-fold number progresses from one unit to another, likewise there
exists a tone or minor semitone between one sound and another.
SOCf. De inst. arith. 1,14 (30, 26-28): Dicitur autem primus et compositus, quod nullus eum
alter numerus metiatur practer solam, quae cunctis mater est, unitatem.
51See above, n. 34.
Seite 70
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)11Et sicut ex tribus motibus unitatis in unitatem surgit ternarius, et ex quatuor
quaternarius, sicque de reliquis, ita quidem ex tribus sonorum motibus constat
ditonus ac semiditonus, et ex quatuor oritur diatessaron et tritonus caeterique
musici motus iuxta suam uniuscuiusque propriam qualitatem et quantitatem.
12Concrescunt numeri, conscendunt et soni. 13Decrescunt numeri, descendunt
et soni. 14Infiniti sunt numeri, infiniti sunt et soni. !9Prodeunt ab unitate
numeri, prodeunt ab unisono soni. !6Reducuntur ad unitatem omnes numeri,
resolvuntur in unisonum omnes soni. 17Numerat homo quantum habet ad
numerandum; canit homo quantum ab imo scandit in altum. !8Ergo cantor non
dicas "quid habent numeri cum cantibus?," quoniam adeo soni subiecti
probantur esse numeris ut nullum omnino verum de motibus musicis proferri
valeat iudicium, si non fuerit per descriptas ibi proportiones tam in multiplici
quam superparticulari diligenter discussum. 19Nam ut vides in ipsa figura,
quatuor motus musicos integros simplices ac primos quatuor illis
proportionibus subscriptos, ac sicut sesquitertia cum sesquioctava producit
sesquialteram, et ipsa sesquialtera cum sesquitertia, vel e converso duplam
proportionem, ita diatessaron cum tono diapente perfectum, ac idem diapente
cum diatessaron aut e converso diapason perfectam, non aliter progredi potes
eosdem componendo motus usque in infinitum. 20Si namque duplam cum
sesquialtera componas, ut hic: II-III-VI, triplam componis, in qua diapason
diapente perfecta resonet, sed non simplex consonantia.
11,
(numeri) a dele H
consendunt A
uniuscuiusque scripsi unusquisque HA
18.
soni om À
iuditium À
(aut) e (converso) om A
Seite 71
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)ll The number three arises out of three progressions from unity to unity; the
number four from four progressions. Thus it is with the rest of the numbers.
Likewise, the ditone and the semiditone are established by the progression of
three pitches. From the four-fold progression arise the diatessaron and the
tritone. Other musical progressions come into being, each according to its own
characteristics and its range. 12Numbers become greater, sounds become
higher. 13Numbers decrease, sounds become lower. 14Numbers are infinite,
sounds are also infinite. 15Numbers are born of the single unity, sounds are
born of the one initial sound. !6All numbers finally resolve back to this initial
unity, all sounds back to the one sound. !7The range of man's counting
depends on how much he needs to count; man's singing range depends upon
how high he reaches, starting with the lowest pitch. 18Therefore, dear singer,
you are not to say “What do numbers have in common with melodies?", since
sounds are proved to be so subservient to numbers that no value judgement can
be brought to bear on musical progressions unless there has been a careful
analysis according to the numerical ratios I have described above-both of the
multiple and superparticular species. !9For as you see in the diagram, the four
prime, simple, complete musical progressions are written under the four ratios.
The 4:3 ratio added to the 9:8 ratio produces the 3:2 ratio. The latter, added to
the 4:3 ratio-or vice-versa-produces the 2:1 ratio.°2 Likewise the diatessaron
with a whole tone added to it produces a perfect diapente, and the same diapente
with the diatessaron - or vice versa - produces a perfect diapason. In just the
same way, you can progress by compounding the same movements to infinity.
20]f you couple the 2:1 ratio with the 3:2 ratio in this manner, 2:4:6, you then
produce the ratio 3:1 as a result of which a perfect diapason and diapente is
sounded. This is not however a simple consonance.
52Concerning addition of consonances to create others, cf. De inst. mus. 2,26 (258, 19-27).
Seite 72
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)21Si vero triplam et sesquitertiam copules, non dubium quin extremi numeri
surgant in quadruplam ut hic: I-III-III proportionem, quae sicuti dupla
simplicem diapason, ita compositam bisdiapason consonantiam generat.
22Quid ultra dicam? 23Nulla fit utique de sonis ac vocibus concordia sive
discordia canendo quae non cadat etiam in his proportionibus simul aggregatis
numerando.
24Quod ut lector facilius capere valeat ubicumque tractandum est de numeris,
hoc expleto primo libro, secundum a quinque generibus inaequalitatis inchoare
disponimus, ubi tota natura numerorum ac inaequalium proportionum habetur.
25EXPLICIT LIBER PRIMUS.
21.
ut hic 1 111 1111 in marg H (ut hic) apparet add et dele A
24.
quae om A
letor A
in aequalitatis A
proportionem pro proportionum A
Seite 73
Im PDF ansehen(öffnet in einem neuen Fenster)211f you couple together the 3:1 and 4:3 ratios, clearly the outside numbers
produce the 4:1 ratio in this manner, 1:3:4, This produces the compound
consonance in the same way as the 2:1 ratio produces the simple diapason.
22What more need I say? 23Assuredly, no consonance or dissonance exists in
singing which does not also fall within these ratios compounded by the
arithmetical process.
2450 that the reader may grasp with greater ease the subject matter whenever we
must deal with number, now that the first book is complete, I am disposed to
begin the second with the five types of inequality, when I will consider the
whole nature of numbers and unequal ratios.
25HERE ENDS THE FIRST BOOK.