The Critical Nexus: Tone-System, Mode, and Notation in Early Medieval MusicThe Critical Nexus confronts an important and vexing enigma of early writings on music: why chant, which was understood to be divinely inspired, needed to be altered in order to work within the then-operative modal system. To unravel this mystery, Charles Atkinson creates a broad framework that moves from Greek harmonic theory to the various stages in the transmission of Roman chant, citing numerous music treatises from the sixth to the twelfth century. Out of this examination emerges the central point behind the problem: the tone-system advocated by writers coming from the Greek harmonic tradition was not suited to the notation of chant and that this basic incompatibility led to the creation of new theoretical constructs. By tracing the path of subsequent adaptation at the nexus of tone-system, mode, and notation, Atkinson promises new and far-reaching insights into what mode meant to the medieval musician and how the system responded to its inherent limitations.Through a detailed examination of the major musical treatises from the sixth through the twelfth centuries, this text establishes a central dichotomy between classical harmonic theory and the practices of the Christian church. Atkinson builds the foundation for a broad and original reinterpretation of the modal system and how it relates to melody, grammar, and notation. This book will be of interest to all musicologists, music theorists working on mode, early music specialists, chant scholars, and medievalists interested in music. |
Contents
Prologue | 3 |
1 The Heritage of Antiquity | 6 |
PART I THE EIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES | 47 |
PART II THE SYNTHESIS OF ANCIENT GREEK THEORY AND MEDIEVAL PRACTICE | 147 |
Epilogue | 234 |
| 259 | |
| 292 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accent according added Alia musica ancient Greek appears ascending Aurelian autem authentic Babb beginning Bern Boethius Boethius’s Book called cantus Capella century chant chap chapter church modes commentary dates described designation deuterus diagram diapason diapente diatessaron dicitur diezeugmenon differentia discussion division early edition eighth enchiriadis example fifth final formulas four fourth given glosses Guido harmonic Hucbald hypaton important institutione intervals John later Latin letters manuscript Martianus means medieval melody mese meson Middle modes modi modus monochord names neumes ninth notation notes octave Paris passage Perfect phrase pitch plagal points position practical presented Principal proslambanomenos Protus provides quae Quidam quod reading refer represented says semitone signs Smits sound sources species sunt syllable term tetrachord theory third tonary tone tone-system toni tono tonus translation treatise treatment tropes vero