Introduction to Mensuralism

[@Gwyll_Arboghast]

I agree that more effort should be put into recovering rhythm. Drone properly done is not harmonization. In the tradition of Byzantine chant, the drone is always on the modal base, providing a firm ground for the singers on melody, and making the mode easier to understand for those listening. this works because the drone does not move except to reflect a genuine modulation. While i think 'gussying it up' is an unfair statement of proper drone, i would say that few people outside the byzantine tradition have a good sense of how to do it; they always want to move it around, making it harmony rather than a drone.

[@prometheusjones6580]

Fascinating. Thank you for demonstrating the different interpretive methods. Just a quibble about organum: I could see how the more elaborate forms of organum and cantare super librum would be injurious to the rhythmic interpretation you advocate since the foundation of that demands equal note values, but it seems to me that a drone and simpler organum would pair well with a more rhythmic chant. As can be seen in Byzantine chant, the use of the ison hasn't led to the degradation of rhythm-but their "gussying up" of chant has not gone beyond the ison.

[@michaelrex6948]

Has there ever been any attempt to make a systematic notation of scores according to the style in your first (proportional) example, or is that just a one-off example derived from the older adiastematic manuscripts?

[@organistAL]

It's a work in progress! www.cantatorium.com/proper

[@musiquesacree8494]

Je suis tout à fait convaincu par les explications sur le mensuralisme du chant grégorien. Par contre je suis moins convaincu par l'interprétation qui en est donnée dans cette vidéo : les notes épisémées sont chantées trop vite, de même que le Pes carré et la virga. Chanter une virga comme une note courte c'est avoir la même vision que Dom Pothier ou la méthode de Solesmes. Qu'on prouve donc que toute virga n'est pas une note longue par nature.

[@michaelrex6948]

@@organistAL Thank you! I will take a look at that!

[@organistAL]

@@musiquesacree8494 Are you listening to the right segment of the presentation? They are twice as long as the short notes. At 12:57, there are four places where I sing a virga short at the beginning of a climacus, but each corresponds to a punctum in Laon and is also understood to be short from context in St. Gall. Do you disagree?

[@emanuelnogueira7484]

How should psalm tones be chanted proportionally? Are there early manuscripts that inform us about it?

[@organistAL]

The "Commemoratio brevis de tonis et psalmis modulandis" from the end of the ninth century deals fairly extensively with psalmody. The Introit and Communion psalm verses of the Mass and the gospel canticles (Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc dimittis) are sung more slowly than the psalmody of the Office. chmtl.indiana.edu/tml/9th-11th/ANOCBT_TEXT.html