Musical theory and practice in the Middle Ages
The treatises of the Carolingian era and the lower Middle Ages were much more
For practice than those of the classical and post-classical or the early
Christianity.
Although Boethius never ceased to be quoted with veneration and the
The mathematical fundamentals of music transmitted by it have continued to constitute
The basis of the construction of scales and speculation about the intervals and
Consonances, his writings were not very useful when it came to
Solving the immediate problems of rating, reading, classification and interpretation of
Or improvising and composing organum and other primitive forms of
polyphony. Such were now the dominant topics of the treaties.
For example, Guido
Of Arezzo, in his Micrologus (c. 1025-1028) attributes to Boethius the exposition of quotients
Intervals. Guido tells the story of the discovery of these relations
Numbers from the sound of a blacksmith's workshop hammer and applies these
Quotients, dividing the monocord in the manner of Boethius.
The monochorion consisted of a rope stretched between two trestles fixed at both ends of a
Long wooden resonance box, with a movable easel to make vary
The length of the part of the string that emitted the sound.
However, after presenting
The Boethius process, Guido exposes another method, easier to learn, that gives
The same diatonic scale, tuned in order to produce quarter,
Pure octaves and a single integer, in the ratio of 9: 8. Guido still departs
Of Greek theory by constructing a scale that is not based on the tetracorde and
To propose a series of modes that have no relation to the tonoi or
Harmony of the ancients.
This author spends long pages instructing the student about
The characteristics and effects of these modes and the way in which they can be
Composing melodies and easily combining two or more voices singing in
Simultaneously.
Guido was to find in part the model for this crosstalk or organum
In an anonymous treatise of the ninth century known as Musica enchiriadis (see chapter 3).
Treaties such as Musica enchiriadis, or even more the dialogue between teacher and student
Attached to it, Scolica enchiriadis, addressed the students who aspired to enter
In the ranks of the clergy.
The monasteries and the schools connected to the cathedrals
Institutions both religious and teaching. In the monasteries the education
Was predominantly practical, combined with some elementary notions
Of non-musical themes.
Cathedrals' schools tended to pay more attention to
Speculative studies, and it was mainly these schools that from the beginning of the
The thirteenth century prepared students for admission to universities. But the greater
Part of formal education in medieval times was geared to practical issues
And most treatises reflect this attitude. The authors of these
They pay homage to Boethius in one or two introductory chapters, but later
They pass with obvious relief to more pressing matters.
Some of the
Teaching are in verse; Others are written in the form of dialogue between a student
Abomination of knowledge and an omniscient master - a reflection of the traditional
A method of teaching in which great emphasis was placed on memorization5. There were
Visual memory aids in the form of boards and diagrams. The students
Learn to sing intervals, to memorize chants, and later to read notes from
Of the agenda.
To this end, one of the most essential components of the curriculum was
The system of eight modes, or tones, as the medieval authors called them.
THE ECCLESIASTICAL MODES
The development of the medieval mode system was
Gradual process, that it is not possible to reconstruct all stages clearly. At
Its finished form, reached by the eleventh century, the system included eight modes,
Differentiated according to the position of the whole tones or halftones in an octave
Diatonic built from the finalis, or final; In practice this was generally
- though not always - the last note of the melody. Modes were identified by
Numbers and grouped in pairs; Odd modes were designated as authentic
) And pairs per plagiarism ( 'collateral'). Each plagal mode had, invariably,
The same end as the corresponding authentic mode. The modal scales
Can be considered as analogous to octave scales on the white keys of a modern keyboard, starting with the notes R (first mode), Mi (third
Mode), F (fifth mode) and Sun (seventh mode), with the corresponding plagais one
Fourth lower (example 2.6). It should be remembered, however, that these notes do not
Represent a height of "absolute" sound - a design extraneous to the chanting and
The Middle Ages in general - having been chosen simply in such a way that the
Characteristics could be the subject of a
Of accidents.
The endings of each mode are indicated in example 2.6 by the KM signal. Besides the
End, there is in each mode a characteristic note, called tenor (as in tones of the
Psalms), chord or recitation tone (indicated in example 2.6 by signal o). the finals
Of pairs of modes, a plagal and an authentic one, are the same, but the tenors are
many different. A practical way to identify tenors is to keep the following in mind:
Scheme: (1) in authentic modes the tenor is a fifth above the end; (2) in
Plagal modes the tenor is a third below the tenor of the corresponding authentic mode;
(3) whenever a tenor, according to this scheme, fits in the note Si,
Goes up to C.
The final, tenor and scope of the melody are the three elements that contribute to
To characterize a mode. Each plagal mode differs from the corresponding authentic mode
Because it has a different tenor and scope: in authentic modes the scope
Is located entirely above the final, while in plagal modes the final is the fourth note
From the beginning of the eighth. In this way, the first and eighth modes have the same
Scope, but different endings and tenors. In practice, however, a song in a
A note comes down from the final, while the chants in plagiarist modes
May rise beyond the octave plagal.
The development of the medieval mode system was
Gradual process, that it is not possible to reconstruct all stages clearly. At
Its finished form, reached by the eleventh century, the system included eight modes,
Differentiated according to the position of the whole tones or halftones in an octave
Diatonic built from the finalis, or final; In practice this was generally
- though not always - the last note of the melody. Modes were identified by
Numbers and grouped in pairs; Odd modes were designated as authentic
) And pairs per plagiarism ( 'collateral'). Each plagal mode had, invariably,
The same end as the corresponding authentic mode. The modal scales
Can be considered as analogous to octave scales on the white keys of a modern keyboard, starting with the notes R (first mode), Mi (third
Mode), F (fifth mode) and Sun (seventh mode), with the corresponding plagais one
Fourth lower (example 2.6). It should be remembered, however, that these notes do not
Represent a height of "absolute" sound - a design extraneous to the chanting and
The Middle Ages in general - having been chosen simply in such a way that the
Characteristics could be the subject of a
Of accidents.
The endings of each mode are indicated in example 2.6 by the KM signal. Besides the
End, there is in each mode a characteristic note, called tenor (as in tones of the
Psalms), chord or recitation tone (indicated in example 2.6 by signal o). the finals
Of pairs of modes, a plagal and an authentic one, are the same, but the tenors are
many different. A practical way to identify tenors is to keep the following in mind:
Scheme: (1) in authentic modes the tenor is a fifth above the end; (2) in
Plagal modes the tenor is a third below the tenor of the corresponding authentic mode;
(3) whenever a tenor, according to this scheme, fits in the note Si,
Goes up to C.
The final, tenor and scope of the melody are the three elements that contribute to
To characterize a mode. Each plagal mode differs from the corresponding authentic mode
Because it has a different tenor and scope: in authentic modes the scope
Is located entirely above the final, while in plagal modes the final is the fourth note
From the beginning of the eighth. In this way, the first and eighth modes have the same
Scope, but different endings and tenors. In practice, however, a song in a
A note comes down from the final, while the chants in plagiarist modes
May rise beyond the octave plagal.
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