Not Pascal but good old George Bernard Shaw, who also reviewed concerts with a c ertain measure of wit. RA
> Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2011 21:29:40 +0000 > To: robmackil...@gmail.com; mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk > CC: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > From: willsam...@yahoo.co.uk > Subject: [LUTE] Re: diatessaron/diapente > > Ah! The gift of brevity! Wasn't it Pascal who wrote "Sorry this letter > is so long - I didn't have time to make it shorter". > Bill > From: Rob MacKillop <robmackil...@gmail.com> > To: Monica Hall <mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk> > Cc: Lutelist <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Sent: Friday, 4 November 2011, 19:50 > Subject: [LUTE] Re: diatessaron/diapente > So he put it in D because he thinks it sounds better. > Rob > www.robmackillop.net > On 4 Nov 2011, at 19:14, "Monica Hall" <[1]mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk> > wrote: > > Subject: RE: [LUTE] Re: diatessaron/diapente > > > > To those of you who were discussing this - I had the following reply > from Wilfred which I think clarifies pretty well what he means in the > context of the Bach piece.......... > > > > > > The use of diatessaron and diapente in this context relates to the > > structure of the works. The position of the diapente (perfect fifth) > > within the octave has connotations for the development and > disposition > > of music on the fingerboard. > > > > By way of example, 'Twinkle, twinkle little star' outlines a perfect > > fifth melodically with the upper note elaborated using what some > might > > call an upper auxiliary note, whereas other might use the terminology > of > > Heinrich Schenker and call it a complete neighbour note pattern. In > > essence, the opening perfect fifth creates implications for the voice > > leading which are fulfilled at the conclusion of the work. In most > > tonal music, the position of the diapente within the musical > structure > > dictates a good deal of the range of the upper voice, and the > associated > > harmonic progressions. > > > > Taking examples I am sure are known to you, Dowland's 'Awake sweet > love' > > has the diatessaron above the diapente, which means that the work > > requires an upper octave in the vocal part (i.e. note 8, unlike note > 5 > > in the Twinkle example). Campion's 'Never weather beaten sail', by > > contrast may begin on note 3, but its apex is akin to that of > Twinkle. > > In the Campion example the diapente is above the diatessaron. For > both > > examples the tonic note is the same. > > > > If you consider the opening bars of the Prelude BWV 1006, the note 8 > is > > clearly present and, in my view, requires a resonance which is > greater > > than that available on fret n of the first course. If you consider > the > > well-known passacaglia in D by Weiss, note 8 is very resonant in D > Major > > and, since BWV 1006a sits well on the 13 course lute in D major, it > made > > sense to me to use that key rather than the more common F major. > Philip > > MacLeod Coupe wrote to me and provided his version of the minuets > from > > BWV 1006 which he had transposed to D major. I have a recollection > that > > someone in the SLF had done the same. > > > > The disposition of the diapente and diatessaron also governed modal > > categories; if the diapente is at the bottom, the mode is authentic, > if > > it is at the top, the mode is plagal. > > > > There is a fair amount of material on the net about Schenkerian > theory, > > but this is mainly related to the Austro-Germanic musical culture. > > Felix Salzer (Schenker's pupil and nephew to Wittgenstein) had > broader > > horizons and even analyzed 'What if I never speed' in his Structural > > Hearing: Tonal Coherence in Music (New York Dover Edition, 1962). > This > > kind of analysis is not for everyone (a certain well-known German > > Chancellor was none too impressed with Mr Schenker) but it represents > > the way I think about music. > > > > I used the terms diapente and diatessaron as I felt they would be > more > > recognizable to the lute world than terms like > Kopfton................... > > > > Monica > > > > > > > > > >> Dear friends, > >> In the Supplement to LUTE NEWS 99 there is a second part of Bach > >> Suite bwv1006a intabulated by Wilfred Foxe. It is presented here > > in > >> a key of D major, quite unusually. In the Critical Commentary > >> Wilfred Foxe explains: > >> "The tonality of the original suite is E major, and this has been > >> transposed by a major second to D major. The Weiss Sonata 18 in D > >> Major provides a useful structural example since the work makes > > use > >> of the diatessaron above the diapente for a work with a high > >> tessitura. In other of Weiss's sonatas with a high tessitura, > such > >> as Le fameaux corsaire -- Sonata 22 in F Major, the diatessaron > is > >> not employed. The fact that the same exists in BWV 1006a is the > >> principal reason for adopting D major in preference to F major." > >> I understand what means "diatessaron" and "diapente" in Greek, as > >> applied to historical music theory, but still I understand > nothing > >> from Wilfred's explanation. Can someone enlighten me on this? > >> Jurek > >> --- > >> To get on or off this list see list information at > >> [2][2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >> > >> -- > >> > >> References > >> > >> 1. mailto:[3]jurek...@gmail.com > >> 2. [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >> > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. > > For more information please visit [5]http://www.messagelabs.com/email > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > > > -- > > References > > 1. mailto:mjlh...@tiscali.co.uk > 2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > 3. mailto:jurek...@gmail.com > 4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > 5. http://www.messagelabs.com/email > --
