Sunday 6 July 2014

More on the Quilisma

I blogged recently about the Quilisma, here. In response to a request in the Combox, I have now recorded the different versions: in each case, I sing the usual interpretation (note before the quilisma lengthened) first, then the new hypothesis (following note lengthened) second.  I hope that this makes it clear what I was on about.




In the meantime, I have had an interesting conversation with Dr Beale (@Dr_Teacake) on Twitter. He commented: A brief trill might be right. We lengthen the previous note, *and* often the subsequent notes. When I asked how he decided, he referred me to the Graduale Triplex.  I also asked for examples of people employing a trill, and he directed me to two fabulous and fascinating recordings on Youtube, here and here

Yet again, blogging my ignorance has led the wise to teach me.  I love this!

4 comments:

Marc in Eugene said...

Many thanks! Your recording illustrate the point clearly. We do occasionally sing the Salve at the parish and, well, we are pleased to sing it. I believe the strongest voices go with a sort of trill throughout at those places, ahem, so we the rest of us take @MenAreLikeWine1's advice and follow local custom.

Quite the coincidence :-) -- I put up Ensemble Organum's Dominus regnavit from YT on the blog last evening.

Liturgeist said...

It always looked like it should have a twiddle on to me, so I've always put a twiddle on it (I read from the triplex edition when possible).

Ben Trovato said...

Liturgeist

Hmm, but by that reasoning you'd be doing a glissando on the porrectus, and I really don't think that's a good idea....

ben said...

Another example of the trill can be found in the alleluia verse here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yyr94GrkNI

Personally I'm convinced that it's not a rhythmic sign at all but rather a pitch indication. You will notice it is nearly always on the half step note and ‘they’ say it is a form of question mark in texts of that period. I may be wrong but I think it’s use ceased with the introduction of the stave.

In practice I use the typical lengthening preceding it.