Slanted Punctum?
  • josephw
    Posts: 10
    Hi all,
    Could anyone shed some light on how these slanted punctums are to be sung? This chant seems to be identical to some of the Psalmus Alleluiaticus in the Graduale Simplex, except that in the Simplex there is a descending liquescent note on the 'lu' syllable in 'Alleluia'. Does this slanted punctum serve the same function as a liquescent note?
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  • DCM
    Posts: 70
    I think so? The foreword to the Liber Hymnarius notes two kinds of liquescents: figurae auctae, such as this, which are elongated, and figurae deminutae, which are shortened. For a translation of the foreword with a guide to these neumes, see pp17-18 of this PDF.
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  • FSSPmusic
    Posts: 255
    Yes, it's an augmentative liquescent note, more specifically a descending augmentative liquescent note, perhaps better called simply a unison cephalicus. The liquescent notes of the manuscripts hold a key to the correct rhythm, which will help you cut through a lot of nonsense claims about what requires conjecture and what doesn't. The interchangeability of
    1. plain porrectus=augmentative liquescent porrectus=diminutive liquescent porrectus flexus=plain porrectus flexus,
    2. plain torculus=ascending augmentative liquescent torculus=diminutive liquescent torculus resupinus=plain torculus resupinus, and
    3. plain torculus=descending augmentative liquescent torculus=diminutive liquescent pes subbipunctis=plain pes subbipunctis
    reveals that the ordinary porrectus and torculus are short-short-long, not entirely short. All twelve figures have the same duration, two beats.
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