Musica Ficta!

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FOOTNOTES

1 [03:40] In the different sources of the different periods, the prohibition of the augmented and diminished perfect interval are treated with varying degrees of severity according to specific situations; for example: is there a direct leap of such an interval? Are there notes in between the notes that creates the bad interval? Is after that interval comes a note that changes the picture? etc.

2 [07:53] Pietro Aaron, Toscanello in musica, (Venice, ed. 1529), Aggiunta [imslp link, pdf pp. 68-9] : “Si muove fra alcuni de la musica desiderosi, dubii & disputationi circa la figura del b molle & diesis. Utrum se de necessita gli Compositori sono constretti a segnare ne gli canti da loro composti, dette figure, cioe b molle & diesis, o veramente se il cantore e tenuto a dovere intendere, & cognoscere lo incognito secreto di tutti gli luoghi dove tal figure o segni bisogneranno...” “...tale intelligenza muta, sola appartiene a lui [Dio], & non a huomo mortale, perche sara impossibile a ogni dotto & pratico poter sentire in uno subito una quinta, ottava, duodecima, o quintadecima imperfetta, che non commetta primamente lo errore di qualche pocodi dissonanaza… De laqual cosa dico, che coloro liquali non segnerano il segno del b molle dove naturalmente altro si vede, commetteranno non poco errore, perche. Propositum in mente retentum, nihil operatur.” Copied from Karol Berger, Musica ficta (Cambridge University Press, 1987), pp. 240-241.

3 [19:20] Pietro Aaron, Libri tres de institutione harmonica (Bologna, 1516), f. 50v, and Toscanello in musica, Bk II, Ch. 20. Quoted in Karol Berger, Musica ficta (Cambridge University Press, 1987), p. 163.

4 [11:05] In the first half of the 16th century there are some cases of a “double transposed” system with two flats; in such a case, the flat in question will be A-flat.

5 [11:45] Pietro Aaron, Lucidario in musica (Girolamo Scotto: Venezia, 1545), Bk I, Oppenione VIII [transcription]. Discussed and also quoted in Karol Berger, Musica ficta (Cambridge University Press, 1987), p. 78. A different opinion from Aaron’s is found for example in Maximilian Guilliaud (Rudiments de Musique Practique, 1554, cap. 5, p. 7, imslp), where he says that one should always apply “fa super la”, unless it is clearly notated otherwise.

6 [13:43] Tomas de Santa Maria, Libro llamado Arte de tañer Fantasia (Valladolid, 1565) [imslp], Bk 1 p. 16.

7 [14:04] See Stephano Vanneo, Recanetum de musica aurea, f. 90v [google books]. Quoted and translated in Karol Berger, Musica ficta (Cambridge University Press, 1987), p. 146.

8 [15:24] Example of sources asking for a major third at the end of a musical phrase: Lanfranco, Scintille di musica (1533), p. 126; Vanneo, Recanetum de musica aurea, f. 88v (1533); Vicentino, L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattice (1555), f. 82r.

9 [15:47] Pietro Aaron, Toscanello in musica, Aggiunta (Venice, ed. 1529) [imslp link, pdf pp. 72-3].

10 [18:57] Leaps of augmented 2nds may be found in later Spanish music, but not at this period.

11 [19:48] See Ghiselin Danckerts, Trattato sopra una differentia musicale, Ms. Rome, Bib. Vallicelliana, R.56, f. 408r. See also Lewis Lockwood, "A Dispute on Accidentals in Sixteenth-century Rome", in Studien zur Italienisch-deutschen Musikgeschichte II (Graz, 1965), and in Karol Berger, Musica ficta (Cambridge University Press, 1987), p. 148.

12 [20:17] See our episode about Intabulations.

13 [21:34] Intavolatura de li madrigali di Verdelotto da cantare et sonare nel lauto, intavolati per Messer Adriano (Venice, 1536) [imslp]

14 [24:19] See our episode “Durum and Molle / Hard and soft in the music of the Renaissance”.

15 [24:46] Praetorius in 1618 still writes that in order to avoid confusion, it is highly necessary to notate the accidentals explicitly. This implies that even in his times there were still some confusions and uncertainties in this realm. Michael Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum III (Wolfenbüttel, 1618), p. 31 [imslp].

ERRATA:

12:39 - There is wrong reference to a melodic diminished fourth in the bass; it should have been an augmented fourth.

Credits:

Created by Elam Rotem.

Special thanks to Anne Smith, Iason Marmaras and Pedro Sousa Silva.