There are some signs in
Orphenica Lyra that I did not understand:
either a left bracket like [ or
a clef-like symbol (like a little cloverleaf turned 90° counter-clockwise)
indicating a certain course. From Luis
Gásser, I discovered that these indicate Ut and Fa, respectively, on the
indicated courses. That allows for
figuring out the mode of the piece. Also
from Gásser, I learned that the custom at the time was to play the colored
notes even when a singer was singing them.
That makes sense to me, because they seem to be mainly the bass line,
and it would be weird to play the lute part sans
a bass line. From Rob MacKillop, confirmed by Luis Gásser, I learned that a
capital .D. or .F.
at the beginning of a piece indicates whether it is Difficult or Easy, respectively.
The dots above the notes are not fingering dots but “alignment dots” or “gear
change dots” (to use David Tayler’s term) to indicate which notes go under
which rhythm symbol. These are found
mainly where there is a change in rhythm.
They are probably superfluous in printed documents, where the
typesetting does a good job of aligning the notes with the rhythm flags.
There are red notes in
many of the pieces indicating a vocal line, and text somewhat arbitrarily
placed under them. I have rendered these
in a separate mensural staff, generated using a certain set
of principles.
In Book 3, Fuenllana has
included a mensural staff on some pieces for an additional part, in addition to
the red notes.
He gives instructions for
reading these parts, which Luis Gásser has kindly translated for me:
On f. 67:
“En
esta boz que se punta en canto de organo no se cantaen toda ella otra letra mas
que virgo Maria: porque sobre este passo esta compuesto el motete.
Entonase la boz la prima en vazio.”
“In this voice written in
mensural notation, the lyrics are only Virgo María, since the motet is
written over this ostinato. This voice starts with the sound of the first open
course”
Further
comment by Gásser: To line up this part
with the tab, first consider that the text “Virgo Maria” is repeatedly sung,
one syllable per note. It is a kind of ostinato (a “paso”, or “paso forçado”).
You have to start singing this part after the silence indicated with “normal”
mensural notation and with the sound of the first open string (“la prima en
vazio”). Another second voice is to be sung, at the same time, with the sounds
of the red ciphers and the text indicated (rather inaccurately) below the tab.
On
f.73:
“En
la primera parte de este Credo no se tañen mas que las quatro bozes.por escusar
dificultad: ponese la quinta boz en canto de organo.porque cantandose se pueda
gozar en alguna manera de la fuga y
“In
the first part of this Credo only four voices are played [on the lute]. To make
it easier, the fifth voice is written in mensural notation, so that by singing
it one may enjoy (in a certain way) the fugue and the plain chant [i.e. the
counterpoint]. In the second part of this Credo all five voices are played,
since it is not so difficult, and also because otherwise it will be lacking the
invention and harmony of a duo that it contains. The lowest voice of the first
and second parts is to be sung to the red ciphers”.
On f.
77:
“Ponese
la boz
Translation:
“The plain chant voice is written in mensural notation so that anyone who might
be interested in singing it may enjoy it. This voice starts with the sound of
the third course at the third fret”.
On f.
81:
“En
esta boz puntada no so canta mas letra que gaudeamus: porque sobre este passo
esta compuesto el motete. Entonase la boz con la.111j.c vazio”
Translation:
“In this voice written [with mensural notation], the only lyric to be sung is
the word Gaudeamus, since the motet is written over this ostinato. This voice
starts with the sound of the fourth open course”
On
f., 83v:
“Agnus
de la missa de si bona suscepimus: tiene.ij.bozes a fuga c unisonus: la una se
punta en canto de organo: la otra se señala con cifra colorada: porque
cantandose anbas se goze de la fuga. Entonase la boz segunda en tercero
traste.”
Translation:
“Agnus, from the mass “Si Bona Suscepimus”. It has two voices written in a
fugue at the unison: one of the two voices is written in mensural notation, and
the other with red ciphers, so that by singing both voices, one may enjoy the
counterpoint. The second voice [written with mensural notation] starts with the
sound of the second course at the third fret”.
And
finally, on p. 86v:
“Los
dos tiples de este motete vā a fuga c unisonus: cantandose el que va n
canto de organo se podra gozar della: la cifra colorada es la boz
Translation:
“The two upper voices of this motet are in a fugue at the unison. If you sing
the voice written in mensural notation, you will be able to enjoy it [the
counterpoint]. The red ciphers are for the bass voice.”
I
haven’t ventured yet into Books 4, 5, or 6.
New puzzles may await there.
--Sarge