Re: Humble question, text at the second note in a ligature

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Kastrup" <address@hidden>
To: "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden>
Cc: "Son_V" <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: Humble question, text at the second note in a ligature


> "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden> writes:
>
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
>
> > > > Well, that makes no sense at all.  You can't sing two syllables to a
> > > > single note.
> > >
> > > Well, when singing Monteverdi's Vespers, I remember having to fit about
> > > a dozen of syllables to some single notes.
> > >
> > > Take a look at
> > > <URL:http://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/311853>, page 10.  Or
> > > probably more convincingly interspersed with "normal" syllable
> > > distributions several times on page 11.
> >
> > I don't personally see examples of two syllables per note there: there
> > are a few where the words could be hyphenated better, that's all I can
> > see.
>
> Page 11.  There is a single note for all of "Donec ponem inimicos".
> Similarly "Tecum principium in die virtutis".  Again with "in
> splendoribus sanctorum ex utero ante luciferum".
>
> --
> David Kastrup


I would assume that's simply chant.  Don't forget that in music from the 
1600 era, printers were pretty keen to minimise repetition: so if there are 
a load of syllables on one note, I assume they saved reprinting the note. 
See also the ij on the same page, which means "sing the same words again".

Furthermore, note that, simply because a printer does something in 1610 
doesn't make it correct notation in 2014.  For example, in that copy you 
cite, they seem to have forgotten the bar lines.

:-)

--
Phil Holmes