Re: Recitative in Chant music

[Vladimír Slávik]

Hi Michael,
Admittedly I'm not that good with lilypond and then I'm familiar mostly 
with Roman catholic music as written here (cz), but perhaps that can 
help you a bit with the direction.

What I have seen done in psalms and thus do in these situations is make 
the recitative note a breve. So I make the whole thing a cadenza, then 
use explicit lengths for all the lyrics, and have a breve there. See 
below for an example.

The one thing that is not really a given, just a convention in the 
literature I have seen, is that it's a breve. You could just use another 
quarter for the "long part" and the lyrics and it's all the same to 
Lilypond.

Arguably typing in all the lengths for all the lyrics is a lot of work, 
but personally I've found that preferable to littering the lyrics with 
directives to alter lengths. I have also never (never, ever) succeeded 
in making the lilypond "guessing" right for the lyrics lengths.

If you make the whole work a cadenza, you have to also mark the bar ends 
manually.

To make the chord show "only at the beginning", you need to align the 
lyrics left. You can do it once for each breve, but following my 
approach of "not littering the data with programming", I just align 
everything.

Others will perhaps help correct if there's anything wrong with this 
approach? For me, it worked well this far :-)

Best,
Vladimir


\version "2.18.2"

\layout {
    \context {
        \Lyrics
        \consists "Bar_engraver"
        \consists "Separating_line_group_engraver"
        \hide BarLine
        \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
    }
}

noTime = \override Staff.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f

right_hand = \relative c' {
    \key c \major
    \clef treble
    \language "deutsch"
    \noTime
    \autoBeamOff
    \accidentalStyle forget
    \cadenzaOn

   c4 d4 e\breve e4 f2 f4~ e2 \bar "|"

   %(...more music)

    \cadenzaOff
}

words = \lyricmode {
    \set stanza = "1. "
    Some4 words4 "that have something real"\breve -- ly4 long2 he4 -- re.2

    %(... more lyrics)
}

staff = \new PianoStaff <<
    \new Staff \right_hand
    \new Lyrics \words
    %(...)
>>

\score {
    \staff
}

Note that this is a simplified example, so might not compile as-is.



Dne 25.10.2022 v 23:45 thedoctor81877--- via LilyPond user discussion 
napsal(a):
> Hi,
>
> I have another question pleae. I have typeset several Orthodox 
> liturgical music chant settings. Before, I would type out every 
> sylable of the music even where there is a "recitative" (several word 
> on the same chord.
>
> However, I have a score somone had sent me, that, for the recitative 
> parts, prints only the chord at the beginning of the recitative, and 
> the chord at the end. For the exmample I was sent, only the altoWords 
> line.
>
> But, I am not sure how to use this, and am working on mastering it; 
> and could use some help please. Here is part of what I have:
>
> sopMusic = \relative c'' {
>   % Music follows here.
>   \set Timing.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 13/4)
>   g'4 g a2(b) g4 g g a b c2 \bar""
>   \set Timing.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 2/4)
>   b4 b \bar""
>   \set Timing.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 5/4)
>   a2 g2 \bar""
> }
>
> altoMusic = \relative c'' {
>   \set Timing.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 13/4)
>   d4 d fs2(g) g4 g g g g g2 \bar""
>   \set Timing.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 2/4)
>   g4 g \bar""
>   \set Timing.measureLength = #(ly:make-moment 4/4)
>   fs2 d2 \bar""
> }
>
> altoWords = \lyricmode {
>   When the stone __ had been sealed by the Jews,
>   \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
>   while_the_soldiers_were_guar -- ding_Thy_most -- pure
>   \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #CENTER
>   Bo -- dy.
>   \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = #LEFT
>
>
> }
>
> So. the recitative should have:
>
> "While the soldiers .. most-pure"
>
> and Bod--y for the last two half-notes. Also, I seem to have 2 extra 
> g4 in the alto line for the recitative.
>
> I am not sure how to change and adress this; I have been trying to 
> change the underlines and such in the lyrics but to no avail.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael D
>
> --
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