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2.9.6 Working with ancient music—scenarios and solutions
Incipits | ||
Mensurstriche layout | ||
Transcribing Gregorian chant | ||
Ancient and modern from one source | ||
Editorial markings |
Working with ancient music frequently involves particular tasks which differ considerably from the modern notation for which LilyPond is designed. In the rest of this section, a number of typical scenarios are outlined, with suggestions of solutions. These involve:
- how to make incipits (i.e. prefatory material to indicate what the original has looked like) to modern transcriptions of mensural music;
- how to achieve the Mensurstriche layout frequently used for modern transcriptions of polyphonic music;
- how to transcribe Gregorian chant in modern notation;
- how to generate both ancient and modern notation from the same source.
Incipits
TBC
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Mensurstriche layout
Mensurstriche (‘mensuration lines’) is the accepted term for bar lines that are drawn between the staves of a system but not through the staves themselves. It is a common way to preserve the rhythmic appearance of the original, i.e. not having to break syncopated notes at bar lines, while still providing the orientation aids that bar lines give.
The mensurstriche-layout where the bar lines do not show on the staves
but between staves can be achieved with a StaffGroup
instead of
a ChoirStaff
. The bar line on staves is blanked out by setting
the transparent
property.
global = { \hide Staff.BarLine s1 s % the final bar line is not interrupted \undo \hide Staff.BarLine \bar "|." } \new StaffGroup \relative c'' { << \new Staff { << \global { c1 c } >> } \new Staff { << \global { c c } >> } >> }
Transcribing Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant can be transcribed into modern notation with a number of simple tweaks.
Stems. Stems can be left out altogether by \remove
-ing
the Stem_engraver
from the Voice context:
\layout { … \context { \Voice \remove "Stem_engraver" } }
However, in some transcription styles, stems are used
occasionally, for example to indicate the transition from a
single-tone recitative to a fixed melodic gesture. In these cases,
one can use either \hide Stem
or
\override Stem.length = #0
instead, and restore the stem
when needed with the corresponding \once \override Stem.transparent = ##f
(see example below).
Timing. For unmetered chant, there are several alternatives.
The Time_signature_engraver can be removed from the Staff context without any negative side effects. The alternative, to make it transparent, will leave an empty space in the score, since the invisible signature will still take up space.
In many cases, \set Score.timing = ##f
will give good
results. Another alternative is to use \cadenzaOn
and
\cadenzaOff
.
To remove the bar lines, the radical approach is to \remove
the Bar_engraver from the Staff context. Again, one may want to
use \hide BarLine
instead, if an
occasional barline is wanted.
A common type of transcription is recitativic chant where the repeated notes are indicated with a single breve. The text to the recitation tone can be dealt with in two different ways: either set as a single, left-aligned syllable:
\include "gregorian.ly" chant = \relative c' { \clef "G_8" c\breve c4 b4 a c2 c4 \divisioMaior c\breve c4 c f, f \finalis } verba = \lyricmode { \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #-1 "Noctem quietam et" fi -- nem per -- fec -- tum \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #-1 "concedat nobis Dominus" om -- ni -- po -- tens. } \score { \new Staff << \new Voice = "melody" \chant \new Lyrics = "one" \lyricsto melody \verba >> \layout { \context { \Staff \remove "Time_signature_engraver" \remove "Bar_engraver" \hide Stem } } }
This works fine, as long as the text doesn’t span a line break. If that is the case, an alternative is to add hidden notes to the score, here in combination with changing stem visibility:
\include "gregorian.ly" chant = \relative c' { \clef "G_8" \set Score.timing = ##f c\breve \hide NoteHead c c c c c \undo \hide NoteHead \override Stem.transparent = ##f \stemUp c4 b4 a \hide Stem c2 c4 \divisioMaior c\breve \hide NoteHead c c c c c c c \undo \hide NoteHead c4 c f, f \finalis } verba = \lyricmode { No -- ctem qui -- e -- tam et fi -- nem per -- fec -- tum con -- ce -- dat no -- bis Do -- mi -- nus om -- ni -- po -- tens. } \score { \new Staff << \new Voice = "melody" \chant \new Lyrics \lyricsto "melody" \verba >> \layout { \context { \Staff \remove "Time_signature_engraver" \hide BarLine \hide Stem } } }
Another common situation is transcription of neumatic or
melismatic chants, i.e. chants with a varying number of notes
to each syllable. In this case, one would want to set the
syllable groups clearly apart, usually also the subdivisions of a
longer melisma. One way to achieve this is to use a fixed
\time
, e.g., 1/4, and let each syllable or note group fill
one of these measures, with the help of tuplets or shorter
durations. If the bar lines and all other rhythmical indications
are made transparent, and the space around the bar lines is
increased, this will give a fairly good representation in modern
notation of the original.
To avoid that syllables of different width (such as “-ri” and
“-rum”) spread the syllable note groups unevenly apart, the
'X-extent
property of the LyricText
object may be
set to a fixed value. Another, more cumbersome way would be to
add the syllables as \markup
elements. If further
adjustments are necessary, this can be easily done with
s
‘notes’.
spiritus = \relative c' { \time 1/4 \override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent = #'(0 . 3) d4 \tuplet 3/2 { f8 a g } g a a4 g f8 e d4 f8 g g8 d f g a g f4 g8 a a4 s \tuplet 3/2 { g8 f d } e f g a g4 } spirLyr = \lyricmode { Spi -- ri -- _ _ tus _ Do -- mi -- ni _ re -- ple -- _ vit _ or -- _ bem _ ter -- ra -- _ rum, al -- _ _ le -- _ lu -- _ ia. } \score { \new Staff << \new Voice = "chant" \spiritus \new Lyrics = "one" \lyricsto "chant" \spirLyr >> \layout { \context { \Staff \remove "Time_signature_engraver" \override BarLine.X-extent = #'(-1 . 1) \hide Stem \hide Beam \hide BarLine \hide TupletNumber } } }
Ancient and modern from one source
TBC
Editorial markings
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