Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
Tonary of the alia musica compilation (manuscript M) with neumed intonations, psalmody, and glossed tonaries, music theoretical collection of the Abbey St Emmeram, Regensburg (1006-1028).
When I published my article about this particular intonation:
Hartvic's tonary was not yet online, so that I could reconstruct the original echema as it was notated in this manuscript. It is one of those with a melisma on the last syllable:
The text (Chailley 1965, 141):
Hoc quoque senties canendo A[punctum]I[virga cum episema]A[virga cum episema]-NE[climacus/pressus?]O[punctum]E[pes]A[pes]NE[clinis, salicus & torculus].
Siquidem a paramese [♮], peracta quarta specie diapente, ad lichanos hypaton [D] descendit, et ad lichanos meson [G] per singulas chordas ascendendo diapente intendit, rursusque ad trite diezeugmenon [c] gravando remittit; ad extremum in sua finali hoc est hypate meson [E♭] definitum.
I think we could do this reconstruction work together, based on this source.
Any suggestions, how this echema AIANEOEANE should sound like according to the neumes and the verbal description?
You might download this graphic to insert letter notation:
Replies
The interval 11/10 can be heard often in various oral traditions (particularly in laments). It is not too large because it is local; in the practice of oral traditions, including learned spiritual ones (Byzantine and Eastern Churches, Sufi Turkish, Iranian, North and South India, etc.), the used intervals do not follow strictly the theoretical scale and are not fixed, as they were not in our XVIIth c. I can show e.g. that in D mode (of our Chant), the fourth D-G is rather large and usually de passage, but can be the deep pure fourth (4/3), especially in the end of a verse, or to make the intonation G-A, from the fourth to the pure fifth easier to sing (I can give some examples). With a strictly fixed scale and intervals, there is no way.
This comes closer to my hypothesis that a lower intonation of E was possible which means that the fourth between a and the low E was augmented. I also explained, how this low intonation was possible, although it is no longer compatible with the Boethian diagramme. Within a tonus of tetrardus, whether authentic or plagal, the pentachord of the mode defines the fixed degrees, according to Greek theory it was C—G or G—d, according to Latin theory only G—d, around E the diatessaron (fourth species) was D—G.
Now, a low E does not exist within the Boethian diagramme, but a diesis on E very well. The chant examples mentioned by the author (compilator) of alia musica point at a particular case where punctum and oriscus seem to be on the same pitch. The question is, whether this was also meant for the salicus within the cauda of the echema?
Nevertheless, 11/10 is too large for a semitone, it can be the middle interval in a rather equal tetrachord division where C—D und G—a is defined as a whole tone (9/8). But there is one problem: If the minor tone would be 12/11 within the tetrachord 12/9 and you prefer to rely on a sequence of microtones (so that your ear can grasp the intervals after some training), there is no space for 9/8, it becomes 12/11, 11/10, 10/9. I mentioned it before.
Oliver Gerlach for Iegor Reznikoff:
Actually, small intervals appear immediately if you are in just intonation and ancient scales. You have two thirds which differ from a comma (81/80); two seconds, two semitones, etc. and then you have ornaments fluctuating from one interval to the other, these ornaments are therefore in the size of microtons. For instance, in the E mode, you have often (with a salicus), e-e+-f+, where e-f is the large semitone 11/10, which one can here very well in the overtone sequence.
Yes, it makes sense (I would rather start on G). We settle this soon (I call).
Concrete this means, the punctum of the beginning is likely to be an E or G, according to the description rather G and than it descends to D, while the torculus must somehow find a way back to E.
With all respect Huglo does not help here, because he never tried to transcribe the echema AIANEOEANE!
But concerning alia musica you can have a look at Chailley's edition and check with the manuscript, it was obviously classified as a deuterus due to the base note E, but the tetartos melos is somehow present by mentioning the fourth species of pentachord as a kind of melodic frame which separates the upper from the lower register.
I read your remark "Note that the salicus is often used between E and F+, more precisely on E F F+." as a hint that this could be a possible way to transcribe the salicus in this echema.
At least, I can say that I agree with your method!
(partial answer)
I didn't mean that in the manuscript the salicus is on E F F+; it was simply a remark and this prooves that E-F is a larg interval, actually E-F+. Following the manuscript, it could be on D E F+ and then G A G (toculus); or E F F+ and G A G; or E F G and G A G or A h A. But we have first to understand wether it is a deuterus or a tetrardus. I have only the formulae given in Huglo's Les Tonaires.
I think the author of this treatise was still aware that this "deuterus" was in fact a "tetartos echos" which is clearly expressed by the echema ἅγια νεανὲς. This was his/her reason to mention the 4th species of the diapente which was G—d according to the Western system where mele of the tetrardus had to finish on G (in Byzantine chant this practice was more flexible, it could be on C—G as well, and a fifth higher G—d the upper tetrachord required an f sharp). In both cases this means that G was unmoveable at least with respect to mele belonging to diatonic tetartos echoi.
But I did not wish to disturb you, you can just go on as you think it is right!
If the salicus is E—F—F+, on which pitch you wish to end the torculus? On which pitch should be the punctum at the beginning?
Please forget about my essay, because this was the intonation or echema which I developed on the base of the Byzantine practice.
I had nothing better, because I did not know any neumed facsimile of a manuscript close to Chailley's edition. The one of Hartvic I did not know yet. My suggestion was to do the reconstruction of Hartvic here together...
You can download the last graphic in my discussion, and upload it in your answer together with your letters (if you use G, F+ or G+, I think it is clear now), so that anyone here can see your suggestion.
Of course, everyone here is invited to do the same... whatever the intervals might be you would like to use!
Starting from D, D-E (10/9), E-F+ (11/10), F+-G+ (9/8) flexible, D-G+= C-F+ (11/8). Now, what do you mean by "fourth species of the fifth"? In which scale D or E?
For the main question, what notes or what echema do you choose? I can't follow the suggestion of your paper p.179 because you don't follow the neumes, the pressus, the two pes, the clivis, the salicus and the torculus. But the intervals would be, as before: D E F+ G G+ A H, A G+ F+ E. Note that the salicus is often used between E and F+, more precisely on E F F+. It's better to discuss (and sing) on the phone since misunderstandings appear easily. Until when is your address in Provence valid?
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