White mensural notation

From the 15th to the 16th century, there is a shift from parchment to paper. What happens?
The scribes used very corrosive inks to write on the parchment and the
paper does not have as much resistance as that one, so writing on paper became
impossible without it deteriorating. The solution was to change the tip of the
pen (called calamus) and use less aggressive inks:

Many of the works of Dufay and Binchois are still in black notation. Both
types of notations coexisted until the black one stopped being used. The notation
it is also undergoing a process of coding, there is greater homogeneity in
all of Europe that will be particularly enhanced starting from the invention of the
printing. It is at this moment that there is a revolution comparable to that of the internet:
there is a cheapening and massification of culture.

The Petrucci printing press of 1501 needs three prints: one for the ruled paper; another
for the notes; and another for the letters. The first one that will make impressions of a single
draw it will be Peter Attaining.

The figures used by the white mensural notation are the following:

And our current notation derives from the last five notes.
When we make a transcription to current notation, we do not necessarily have
that this equivalence should be respected. The tactus of the 16th century was not the same as that of today
Transcribing a half note as a whole note could hinder the reading of the score.
transcribed. For this reason, sometimes it is even advisable to transcribe the brief as if it were
a round one.

What is tactus? The tactus was the term used in the 16th and 17th centuries for the...
that today we call the pulse (a unit of time measured by the
hand movement). The term first appeared in 1490 in the treatise
music of Adam von Fulda. A tactus is constituted by two hand gestures: one
descendant and another ascendant (called, respectively, position and elevation or thesis and
(arsis). In a 2/4 measure (imperfect tempus), each gesture has the same
duration; in a 3/4 measure (perfect time) the downward gesture lasts twice as long
what the gesture ascending.

The appearance of a score with white notation was as follows:

 "Inviolata" de Josquin Desprèz (Florencia, Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana, Códice Medici, ff. 89v-90)
Unlike the notation systems of previous eras, we can contemplate
a greater similarity to our current notation system to the point that
we could easily read the music from this score. We can find several
transcriptions of this work on the internet, such asthisinthe values that are respected
from the notes. Of course, this transcript has five voices, while in the manuscript
there are only four voices. The fifth is a second tenor that is in canon with
the one that appears in the manuscript; the canon is indicated with some black dots
about the first long of the tenor (second voice of the first folio).

Sign of congruence
They are a series of symbols that indicate the correlation of the various voices. When
they appear in a single voice indicates the beginning of a canon, but if they appear in all it is a
point at which all voices meet simultaneously.
Signs of repetition

Correction signs

All the signs above the black note indicate that it is a vacua, an empty note.

The lines indicate that it is a whole note and not a half note.

The lines that protrude from a figure's head indicate that the note does not
corresponds to the indicated height, but the height on which the lines are situated.
In this way, the figure above is actually a C and not a D.

Exceptions of ligatures
The first ligature is a ligature with opposing properties, but with a
line of more in the last figure. If it were a ligature cum oppositat
normally, there would be two half notes, but with the line of the second figure, we
we find ourselves before a half note followed by a whole note.

In the second, something similar happens: the first would be a whole note and the second a half note.

The third tie would be a breve with a dot, a breve, and a longa.

High keys or chiavette

There is a combination of keys that indicates that the sheet music should be interpreted.
a fourth below the written sound. When we come across a score
like the one shown in the image below, in which the soprano is written in
treble clef and the bass in C clef in fourth (it can also appear in bass clef)
in third), we will transcribe the score a fourth below the written sound in the
The first record we have of this practice is through
of The Leader's Book by Erhard Oeglin from 1512.

You can find transcripts of this work (Veni sponsa) by Tomás on the internet.
Luis de Victoria, I have made my own that you can download.ringshere.

Sometimes it happens that many of these works can be found in different sources.
It is the case of the piece 'Never Was Greater Pain' by Urrede, which we can find in
two different manuscripts, as can be seen in the images below. The
the first belongs to the Musical Songbook of the Palace and the second to the Songbook of
Segovia. There are differences between both: the first one can be found in the
text. One of the verses says 'makes my days sad' (Songbook of
Segovia) while on the other it says "makes my days so sad" (Musical Songbook
from the Palace). The note on which the word "that" is sung in the line "that matches with the
"pain that I receive" in the Musical Songbook of the Palace is divided into two
whole notes, while in the Segovia Songbook a short note is sung.
Finally, the manuscript of the Musical Songbook of the Palace includes a small
final cadence that we do not find in the Songbook of Segovia. You have a version
of this piece inChoralwiki.com; I have transcribed my version in the original tone that
you can gethere.

"Never was a greater sorrow" by Juan de Urrede (Musical Songbook of the Palace)
 "Nunca fue pena mayor" de Juan de Urrede (Cancionero de Segovia)

Rules
Practical Music of Couplets (1482)
The 12 treatises on music written by Johannes Tinctoris between 1472 and 1484
Proportional music (1480)
Musical Practice of Gafurio (1497)
The 7 books on music by Francisco Salinas
Practical Music Book by Francisco Tovar (1510)
Toscanello of music by Pietro Toscanello (1525)
The Harmonic Institutions of Zarlino (1558)

From these treaties of the time, a series of rules have been deduced that we use to
transcribe the music of the 16th century. For ternary rhythms, they are very useful and
necessary. If we consider that the ternary rhythm applies to the breve, we could
state the following rules:

1. Similar to similar by perfection

The breve is perfect if followed by 3 semibreves even if they are divided into minims.
The breve is imperfect when it is followed or preceded by a semibreve or more.
3 or multiple of 3 and 1.

4. A brief silence can never be imperfect; however, it can cause

imperfection to another note.

5. When there are two half notes between two whole notes, the second half note is altered or
doubles its value.

A figure can only be altered if the following figure has a higher value than the
next
7. The rule of alteration is maintained when there are two tied half notes.
opposite property
8. A silence cannot be altered, but it can produce disturbance.

Blackening
Sometimes we will encounter darkened notes, what does it imply?
this? Can to suppose two things:

1) A decrease del value of the note.

2) Produce a proportion of hemiolia.

The reduction in value does NOT affect all the blackened figures. It affects the grade of
greater value. The figure that surrounds it simply complements it. An example
The darkening can be seen in the piece Verbum caro factum est of the
Uppsala Songbook, whose image we see below. You can find transcriptions
modern of this workhere, each one of them completely different from one another.

The Word was made flesh from the Uppsala Songbook

Rules of the theoretical for to put the text
In addition to the music, we also have to place the text below the notes. In
many of the scores, the text is not placed carefully and needs to be done
a construction work of music-text. There was no concern about placing
adequately the text under the music and, in fact, the singers had full freedom
to match the syllables with the notes and the rhythms indicated. This situation is going to be
very common at the time until, later on, the composers themselves (such as
Josquin, Isaac or Willaert) began to worry about the arrangement of the text. It is the
which was called reserved music. Here we present a series of rules extracted from
the writings of the theoretical of the era.

Any singable note that is not tied has its corresponding syllable.
Long syllables must fall on notes of greater duration than the short ones.

2) Only one syllable is assigned to the first note for each tie.

3) In a principle only the notes singable they will carry

syllable.

4) No syllable is placed on those notes that follow independently from non-notes.

singable.

5) When, by necessity, a syllable is placed above the semima, it may be placed

about the next note.

Any note after a pause is accompanied by a syllable.

7) Although it doesn't specify, repetitions of words and phrases (or even syllables) are tolerated,
but hey that try what he repeat words important.

8) If, once the text is placed, only two syllables remain, the penultimate may carry
alguna de las notas menores. Pero intenta entonces que sea un grupo de notas no
cantables.

The last syllable must end on the last note, except if it is a tie.

Let's see how we put the text in the Kyrie of the Missa Pange lingua by Josquin.
About. And if we look at the original manuscript, we will see that underneath each entry we have
"Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy," but it does not specify in which note each should be placed.
syllable. In our transcription, which you can downloadhere, we took the liberty
to place the text as we see fit according to the melodic line, the
imitations between voices and the correspondence between musical accent and the accent of
text.

"Kyrie" from the Pange Lingua Mass by Josquin Desprèz. Part 1

 "Kyrie" from the Pange Lingua Mass by Josquin Desprez. Part 2
Semitone subintelecta
- Tomás from Santa Mary: The art of to play fantasy
- Juan Bermudo: Declaration of instruments musicals

From these treaties, the rules of subintellectual semitony are derived. They are alterations.
that are added to the written figures that are implied, that have to be sung
even if they do not appear. It is the set of alterations that are not written but that
himself know what himself they did.

In the Renaissance, they used the hexachord theory based on natural hexachords.
flat and sharp. For them, ficta music needs fictive hexachords.
(pretend) what no coincide with the previous.

The imperfect intervals, when they lead into perfect ones, do so from the
place that is least distant. The imperfect intervals are the thirds and the perfect ones are
the fourth, fifth, and eighth. If the F goes to G and the D to C, let it be from the place
which is the least distant; that is to say, from the F#.
What the theorists also give us are the usual cadences of each mode:

You can find a transcript of the work Omnium bonorum plena by Compère.
en Choralwiki.com, what happens is that it can be rough and difficult to read. I have
a transcription has been made from the original manuscript with smaller values and
What can favor a better reading of the work. You can obtain it.here. Not there
It is incomplete; a good part of the work is missing. Regarding this transcription, I must add that
the subintellectual semitone has been taken into account, that is, the set of
alterations that are not written in the original manuscript, but that we know are
They were doing. In such a way that you can encounter several mib (except the first mib.
sung by the tenor, which appears clearly in the original manuscript), C# and F# that
they do not appear in the original manuscript, placed in the transcription. I also have
What to add is that the lyrics of the four voices have not been placed according to the manuscript.
original, but of the interpretation of this work that you can find on YouTube.
Although it should be done in a transcription in modern notation, I have not pointed out the
brackets connections, more for a matter of technical impossibility than for
laziness. Finally, the voices of superius, tenor, contra, and bassus that appear in the
original manuscript, coincide in the modern transcription with those of soprano,
contralto, tenor, and bass.
 Of all good things, fully Loyset Compère
The following work is a three-voiced Christmas carol from the 16th century that belongs to the
Songbook of the Colombina. It is titled The Men with Great Pleasure. Below you can see.
the original manuscript andherepoYou can download a transcription in notation.
modern. The image below, which is in modern notation, indicates the
coloration in brackets.

Men with great pleasure (original manuscript)

 Men with great pleasure (modern transcription)

The following manuscript is a fragment of the Creed of the Armed Man's Mass.
Ockeghem, based on the French popular melody L'homme armé and how many masses
inspired not only Ockeghem, but also Dufay, Josquin Despres, or Pierre de la Rue.
You will be able to hear the well-known melody in the tenor that serves as the basis for the speculation.
musical in the rest of the voices. About the tenor, it must be said that, despite the contrary.
Despite how it may seem, it is in bass clef and not in treble clef.
 Creed of the Mass of the Armored Man by Ockeghem. Part 1

Credo of the Mass of the armed man by Ockeghem. Part 2

You will be able to find a complete transcription of the Creed (and also of the rest of the Mass)
inimslp, what happens is that it uses very long values and harmonic keys, so
Reading sheet music can be a rough and arduous task. You can download one.
transcription in modern notation here, in 6/4 and in treble clef, more comfortable to read,
through thislink. This manuscript can be found partially transcribed.
in Willi Apel's manual, in 6/8 meter with a change to 3/4 in the coloring.

We have already seen above a fragment of the Uppsala Songbook, which corresponds to
with the piece Verbum caro factum est. We return to this Songbook, but to
Transcribe the work Soleta so jo açi. This would be the piece written in the original Songbook:
 Soleta is the songbook of Uppsala. Part 1

Solet to the Açidel Uppsala Songbook. Part 2

And that would be my transcription proposal, which you can download.here. I have it
made in 6/8, however, you will find other transcriptions made on the web
in 3/4, a meter that might be much more convenient for this work. This
it shows, however, that a transcription ends up being something very personal and
it depends on each one.
The following work belongs to the Oxford manuscript and is a rondo. It is titled Ce ieusse fait ce
what I think of Hugo de Lantins. It consists of three voices, the two upper ones have a
imitative character and the third, the lowest, is a tenor that probably was
instrumental and has no lyrics.
 Folio of the manuscript from Oxford. Taken from The Notation of Polyphonic Music by Apel

In the original manuscript, the two lower voices carry a B flat in their key signature.
while the upper voice carries nothing in its armor. In his book, Willi Apel
talks about a possible polytone in this time; however, some of the yes of the
superior voices appear altered in the manuscript itself. Others are not, but they
they have altered in the modern transcription, following the rules that Apel comments on in his
the book Notation of Polyphonic Music(page 104):

It is natural when the phrase is produced by joint movement (that is, by

secondly), in either direction, whether ascending or descending;
but the B is flat when there is a leap both between the B and the note that precedes it or the
what the precedes.

A note that is at the peak of a phrase is flat.

These alterations that do not appear in the original manuscript are indicated with a
parentheses in the modern transcript, which you can downloadhere. Although it would be
more suitable, the ligatures are not marked in the modern transcription nor the
colorations, due to the limitations of my score editor.
 This is what I think of the Latins.
It has been very difficult for me to transfer the structure of the rondo to the score, as it has
a combination of repetition of music and somewhat peculiar lyrics. Its structure is the
next: ABaAabAB, where lowercase letters indicate the repetition of the music
with different lyrics. I copy the lyrics, with their respective structure, here. The verses in
italic indicates the chorus:

This issue reflects what I thought.

And if I were in my country.
I would be more than satisfied
To have such an advance.

aCar is longing for the alliance

From the very beautiful to the sweet clear face.
This issue does what I think
If I were in my country.

So do not love them in forgetfulness

If strong and there my heart sits.
but if it pleases him that his friends
Silk of all sufficiency.

It is indeed what I thought.

And if I were in my country.
I will be more than satisfied
To have such an advantage.

In the Chigi Codex, written by Martin Bourgeois of Ghent, we find the

manuscripts of many works by Johannes Ockeghem, all of them written in what
it has been called white mensural notation. Some of these works are the Missa
prolation of the Mass for the Dead. From this last one, we can present a brief
fragment of the Offerory: But the standard bearer. This would be the appearance of this fragment in
white mensural notation

Both images have been obtained from the digitization that you can find of the Codex
ChigiC. VIII. 234 in IMSLP. It is divided into seven parts, and the Missa pro Defunctis is
between the third and fourth part. According to Bruno Turner in an edition of the Mass
for the dead, it is supposed that the mass would be between folios 125 v. and 136 r, although in
reality is between 117 v. and 128 r. In the image below, you can find the
transcription in modern notation.