Semiology
  • Ralph BednarzRalph Bednarz
    Posts: 492
    What are the benefits? Where can we we hear examples of propers ( or even ordinaries) sung in this style. Where do you start?
    Our schola is developing a good sense of textual rhythm and they are eager ( and almost need ) to interpret melismas with a bit more character.They have a more organic sense of the chants now, and can differentiate their interpretation of a pressus form an episema, a dot or a salicus

    Besides the pressus , the dot, the episema and the salicus,what do the signs tell us about rhythmic variations? I am familiar Mocquereau's interpretation of the signs of St Gall, Metz/Laon where uses them to validate the neumes and the general shape of a melody but for the most part he maintains that the individual punctums, rhombus, and virga are equal.
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    Ralph, do a search on this forum. Many threads discuss the interpretation of signs (paleography) based on comparative studies of the oldest manuscripts. This is known as semiology. Interpretation of dots, the salicus, and to some extent the horizontal episema is explained by the people who put those dots and episemata there in the first place, the monks of Solesmes. This is known as the Solesmes Method, and there are several publications available in the "books" sections of this site.

    Beginning Studies in Gregorian Chant by Dom Eugene Cardine would be a good reference book to start with. On the subject of rhythm, Gregorian Chant According to the Manuscripts by Dom Gregory Murray is a good introduction to the basic long and short neumes. Fr. Columba Kelly has written some books and guides that deal with structural analysis, but i think they are for more advanced practitioners.
Add a Comment