ConradvonZabern
Demodobenecantandi(1473)
[published1474]
Translatedby
SionM.Honea
1
Introduction
AccordingtotheGroveDictionaryConradvonZabernachievedadistinguishedcareerbothasa
theologianandpreacherandalsoasamusictheorist.Thestandardmoderneditionofhisworks,edited
byKarl-WernerGümpel,creditshimwiththreetreatises,includingthepresentone,whichalsoexistsin
Germantranslation.Littleisknownofhislifespanexceptthathereceivedthebaccalaureatefrom
Heidelbergin1428,whichhecouldreasonablyhavereceivedasearlyastheageof16butmorelikelyno
laterthanbytwenty.HedatedtheDemodobenecantandias1473,thoughitwaspublishedin1474,
andGrovesuggeststhathediedpriorto1481,makinghimreasonablyclosetothethreescoreandten.
VonZaberngainedthereputationofanexcellentteacher,thoughonewhocouldbesomewhat
prickly,asJosephDyernotesinhisarticleonvonZabern.1CertainlyvonZabernmentionsinthepresent
textsomeofhisremarkstoothersontheirfaults,whichcommentswouldhavebeenlessthantactful.
InthisconnectionitshouldbenotedthatDyer’sarticleincludesanEnglishtranslationofthecomplete
sixthprecept,whichconstitutesaboutfortypercentofthetotaltreatise,excludingthetwoappendices.
Thepresenttranslationis,howevertheonlyavailableEnglishtranslationoftheentiretreatise.Dyer’s
concentrationonthesixthpreceptisunderstandable,forinitisconcentratedthemostinformation
directlyrelatedtoperformancepractice.Thepreviousfivepreceptsarenotatallwithoutmeritandare
particularlyvaluableforunderstandingthetotalpictureofwhyvonZabernhasbeencreditedasthefirst
extantauthoronthesubjectthatwewouldconsidermodernvocalpedagogy.Tosaythatheisthefirst
extantauthoronthesubjectisprobablytantamounttosaying“thefirst”withoutfurtherqualification.
NothingrecognizablyequallymoderninconceptionappearedagainuntilMaffei’sLettereof1562,
almostafullcenturylater.
1
JosephDyer,“SingingwithProperRefinementfrom“DeModoBeneCantandi”(1474),”EarlyMusic6,no.2
(1978).
2
VonZabernwasapparentlywellawareofthenoveltyofhisapproach,forheclearlyfelt
compelledtodefenditpreemptively.Priortothefirstpreceptheaddressesaputativeopponentwho
objectstovonZabern’sclaimtoteachingsinginginsomespecialwaywhenhistreatisesayslittleabout
teachingsinging,i.e.,thatheclaimstoteachthemethodofsingingwellbutsaysnothingaboutteaching
singingastraditionallyunderstood.Thehypotheticalcriticismarisesfromaconsciousnessofwhathad
previouslybeenconsideredvocalpedagogyinthemedievaltreatises;thishadlesstodowiththe
modernconceptofvocalpedagogythanwithmusicfundamentals.Drawingbothonthetreatisesand
oncontemporarydescriptionsofsinginginstructionitispossibletoreconstructthatLatindiction,
memorizationofchantrepertoire,musicnotation(whenthatultimatelybecamewidespreadinuse),the
natureofthemodes,theratiosandproperintonationofintervals,andperhapssomerulesfortext
settingformedthecoreofvocalpedagogy.Laterwiththespreadofpolyphony,cathedralsandlarger
collegiatechurchesbegantotrainchoristersinmensuralnotationandavarietyofimprovised
contrapuntaltechniques.ThisviewofvocalpedagogyiswhatvonZabernintendstoenlargebyhis
remarksonvocalproductionandaesthetics,sothathisargumentforteachinghowto“singwell”seems
amplyjustified,thusearninghimanimportantplaceinthehistoryofthefield.
VonZabernrefersonmorethanoneoccasiontothoseinthe“reformed”tradition,whichhe
doesnotclarifybutwhichisworthyofnotice.Themostlikelycandidateforthisreformwouldseemto
bethatpromulgatedattheCouncilofBasel(1431-1435),particularlythosedecisionsissuedinSession
21,June9,1435.NotonlydoesvonZabernshowinterestinmanyofthesameareasofthereform—
pacingoftheservices,performanceofchant,distinguishingfeastfromferialdays,choraldemeanorand
deportment,properdiction—heevenechoestheconcernparticularlywithchoirsincathedralsand
collegiatechurches.ItisalsoworthnotingthattheCounciltookplaceduringthepapacyofEugeneIV
(1431-1447),whowouldreformthechoristerschoolsinItaliancathedrals.VonZabern’sreferenceto
thedistinctionbetweenregularandsecularclergy,whichIhavefoundoftenmystifiespeople,especially
3
Americanstudents,Ihaveexplainedinafootnote,withanotherexplainingthenatureofacollegiate
church.
IfindvonZabern’streatisepotentiallyveryinterestingtovoiceteachersandstudentsaswellas
tochoraldirectorsandchoirmembers.Muchofhisadviceisequallyrelevanttoday.Inordertorender
thetreatiseeasiertouse,Ihaveprovidedabriefoutlineofitscontents.Ihavealsotranslatedthetwo
appendicesthatvonZabernadded.Dyerreasonablyomittedthemfromhistranslationsincetheyare
notpartofthesixthprecept,butthefirstappendixisdevotedtoproperperformanceofpsalmodyand
theseconddealswiththeinterestingrelatedsubjectofproperlectionforservice.
Asalways,Ihavemademyowntranslationwithoutpriorreferencetoanyother,inthiscase
onlyDyer’sown.Alsoasgeneralpractice,IconfirmedaveryfewquestionablepassagesagainstDyer’s
translation,withtheresultnotofretranslationbutmoreintelligiblerewording.Dyer’sispresentedin
smootherEnglish,mineis,Ibelieve,closertotheLatinforgoodorill.VonZabern’sLatinprovedtobe
nottoodifficult,themaindifficultiesresulting,Ibelieve,fromtheintrusionofhisnativeGermansyntax.
Otherwisetherewerefewproblems.
4
OutlineoftheTreatisebytheTranslator
I.
Thefirstpreceptistosingingoodensemble,whichistosinginsuchawaythatthevoicesofall
thesingersproceedinthesamemovementoftimeequallyandsimultaneously.
a. Thisrequiresmutuallydiligentattentionfromallmembersofthechoir.
II.
Thesecondpreceptistosingwithcorrectrhythmsothatnomoretimeisspentononenote
thanonothers.
a. Donotdrawoutthehighernotesofthesong.
b. Mistakesaremostfrequentandgreateramongthehighernotes.
c. Donotsingthehighernoteswithaloudervoice.
d. Donotextendrestscontrarytothemeasure.
e. Onechorusmustconformitselftotheotherinmeasure.
III.
Thethirdpreceptistosingmoderately,whichistosingneithertoohighnortoolow.
a. Whenthesongisinhighrange,starttheinitialpitchlower.
b. Whenthesongisinlowrange,starttheinitialpitchhigher.
IV.
Thefourthpreceptistosingvariably,whichistoexecutethesongaccordingtothedemandsof
the[specificliturgical]time.
a. Singvariablyinregardtospeed.
i. Onfestivalssingverygradually.
ii. OnordinarySundaysandsmallfeastssinginamoderatemeasure.
iii. Onordinarydayssingmorequickly.
b. Singvariablyinregardtocharacter.Onfestivedayssinghigherandmorejoyfullyforthe
sakeofgreaterliveliness.
c. Singdifferenttypesofservicesonthesamedayindifferentways.
i. Onthesamedayahighofficeshouldbesungmoresolemnlythanaprivateservice.
5
ii. Theofficeofthedeadandvigilsandvespersshouldbesunglowerandlessjoyful
thantheotherofficesnotconcerningthedead.
iii. Officesofjoyfulmattersshouldbesungmorejoyfullythanthoseofsinsand
tribulations.
iv. Whenaholidayfallsonanordinaryday,whoseofficeisspecialandoughtnotbe
omitted,2itisfittingtosingadoubleoffice,asinthecaseofAdvent,LentorEmber
Days,withthefeastsungmoresolemnlyandtheordinarydaymorefreelysoasto
preserveaproperdifference.
V.
Thefifthpreceptistosingwithfidelity,whichistosingsothatanyoneofthosesingingtogether
shouldremainintheformofthenotesastransmittedbythefathers.
a. Followtraditionalperformancepractice.
i. Donotbreakupthenotesinto[ornamentalpassages].
ii. Donotgooffinanywayafifthaboveorafourthbelow.
iii. Donotperforminthemannerofdiscant.
b. Maintainproperdecorum.
i. Allshoulduncovertheirheadsatthesametimewhenitisproperlytobedone.
ii. Likewise,allshouldbowtheheadandkneelatthesametime.
c. Secularmelodiesshouldneverbeintroducedandsungtosacredtexts.
VI.
Thesixthpreceptistosingwithrefinement,whichistosingwithoutcoarseness,forwhich
constantself-criticismistherequiredfoundation.
a. Donotaspiratevowelsthathaveno“h.”
b. Donotsingthroughthenose.
c. Distinguishdifferentvowelscarefully.
2
ItshouldbenotedthattheLatinispotentiallyambiguoushere,butthisrepresentsVonZabern’ssyntacticorder.
6
d. Inmelismasretainthesamevowelconstantlythroughout.
e. Donotallowthevoicetogooffpitchinascendingordescending.
f.
Donotstrainorforcethevoice.
g. Singappropriatelytotherangeofthevoice.
i. Donotsingwithanopenthroatorstrongvoiceonhighernotes.
ii. Donotsingwithoneuniformvoicethroughouttherange,low,middle,andhigh.
1. Useaheaviervoiceforthelowrange.
2. Useamediumvoiceinthemiddlerange.
3. Usealightorsubtlevoiceinthehighrange,whichenablesthesingertosing
higher.
iii. Failuretoadaptthevoicetotherangeleadstoinjury.
1. Itburdensandfatiguesthevoice.
2. Itinduceshoarsenessandmakesthevoiceunsuitedforsinging.
h. Whensongscorrespondtoeachothermakesurethattheendingofonecorrespondstothe
beginningofthenext.
i. SuchasthelastKyrieeleisontotheGloria.
ii. Suchastheantiphontothepsalm.
i.
Donotsinglethargicallybutwithlifeandfeeling.
j.
Payattentiontoproperdeportment.
i. Standstillanddonotmovearoundorleaninonedirection.
ii. Donotraiseyourheadtoohighorinclineitorpropitwithyourhand.
iii. Donotdeformyourmouth.
VonZabernhasalreadyreducedAppendicesIandIItooutlinesandsorequirenofurtherreduction
here.
7
DEMODOBENECANTANDI3
Preface
Thereasonwhythefollowinglittleworkhadtobeissuedinprintinpreferencetoathousand
othersisthatbecause,amongthemanysubjectsnecessaryforecclesiasticalorscholarlymen,scarcelya
singleonecanbefoundthatisofsuchgeneralconcernasisthisthatistreatedinthefollowinglittle
book.Foritisthebusinessofallsecular4priestsandclericswhoholdbenefices5incollegiatechurches,6
fromthelargesttothesmallest,whonolessthantheregularclergyfromtheinstitutionhavetopursue
thedivineofficeandalsoofallthoseinparishchurches,atleastsingingontheobligatoryfeastdays.It
isnonethelessemphaticallythebusinessofallteachersandtheirstudentsorassistants,bywhatever
nametheybedesignated,especiallyofallstudentsstrivingforastatusofthiskind,7whobythe
instructionofthislittlebookinthefuturewillbebetterabletoinformandguidetheirownstudentsin
alltherequirementsforsingingwellandeffectivelyandquicklytocheck,drawbackandrestrainbyall
3
ThistranslationisbasedonthetextfoundinKarl-WernerGümpel,DieMusiktraktateConradsvonZabern
(Wiesbaden:FranzSteinerVerlag,1956).
4
Tothemanynotfamiliarwiththisdistinctionitcanbeveryconfusing.The“secular”clericswerethosewhowere
notinmonasticordersandwhoservedinchurcheswithinthelaycommunity,mostlybutnotexclusivelythose
whopossesseda“cureofsouls.”The“regular”clergywerethoseinmonasticorderswholivedcommunally,
sequesteredinmonasteries.Intruth,itwasn’tthistidy,butthisisthebasicdifference.
5
VonZabernisagaindetailinganimportantdifference.Thebeneficewasagrantofcertainpropertiestobe
administeredbytherecipient,whothenreceivedthe“benefit”oftheincomefromthemforthetenureofhis
office.Lateradifferentsystemwasexpandedgreatly,towhichvonZabernrefersbelow,thatofprebends.
Prebendswerestipendsofcashawardedtotherecipientsfromtheinstitution’sincomeinlieuofadisposalof
propertytomanage.Unlikethebenefice,whichrequiredresidencefortheadministrationofthepropertyand
ministerialduties,theprebendallowednon-residence.Theprebendwasoriginallyintendedtoallowclericsthe
freedomtotravelforeducationforfiniteperiodsoftime.Unfortunately,overtimeitbecamemuchabused.The
originoftheterm“sinecure”isrelatedtothissystem,onewhoholdsanofficewithout“cure”orcureofsouls,i.e.,
specificresponsibilities.
6
Thecollegiatechurchwasalargechurch,notofcathedralauthority,servedbyamultiplebodyofclerics.The
originandnatureofthistypeofchurchchangedovertime.Atfirsttheyweremostly“regular”institutions
connectedtoandservedbyamonasticorder.Latertheydevelopedintosecularinstitutions,someoriginating
fromtheunificationofalargenumberofseparatelyendowedchapelsorchantrieseachwithitsownpriestin
service.Somewerefoundedasbequestsbywealthyindividuals,whoprovidedfundstobuildthestructureandan
endowmenttosupportabodyofpriests,whosemainservicewastoofferprayersforthebenefitofthe
benefactor’ssoul.Theparishchurcheswerethesmalllocalestablishmentsservedbyasinglepriestwhowasoften
verypoorlyeducated.VonZaberndoesnotusethetermprebendherebutdoessolaterneartheendofprecept
one.
7
VonZabernprobablymeansthoseaspiringtobecomesinginginstructorsthemselves.
8
necessaryrestraintsofanykind,notonlyinyouthbutevenafterwardtheirentirelives,towhatever
positiontheymayattain,thattheymaycontributemoreusefullyinchoir.Truly,itisamatterof
inestimableharmthatthemethodofsinging,wellreportedhere,upuntilnowhasbeenunknownto
teachers,becausefromthisitcomesaboutthatinnumerableprieststodayareignorant,sothereislittle
wonderthattheysingsobadlyforgoodstipendsandprebends.
ASmallWorkRecentlyCompiledontheMethodofSingingWell
ChoralSonginLargeChoirs8
AD1473
TothefavorofalltheclergyandtoitshonorandincreaseIdeclarethatIhavecompiledthis
presentlittlebookandhavepublishedit,inorderthatall,towhosepracticesitpertains,maysingchoral
songinthatmethodofsingingwell.Thismethodupuntilnowhasbeenunknowntoinnumerable
clerics,evenwhoproperlyunderstandsinging,becauseofthefaultoftheirinstructorswhoneglectedto
instructtheminthisintheiryouth,seeminglyfortheveryreasonthattheywereignorantofit.On
whichaccounteventodaymoreteachersareignorantofit,eveniftheyknowsomethingofmusic
comparedtomanyothers.NorwasIeverinstructedinthismethodofsingingwellbyanyofmy
teachers,howevermuchtheyknewaboutmusic.Indeed,Iwanttomakethismethodclearinthis
presentbooktothemostecclesiasticspossible,justastheycommandintheholyscripturesthatit
shouldbedonefirstandmainlymorepleasingtoomnipotentGod,andsecondmoretothecreditof
thosesinging,sinceGodisthepaymasternotofnounsbutofadverbs9andalsothirdtothegreater
8
VonZabern’sLatinlooksalittleodd,butitisclearinthefollowingthatheisspeakingofunisonchoirsfor
plainchant,notpolyphony.
9
ThismaybeaquoteorsayingwithwhichIamnotfamiliar.Thesenseseemstobeofqualitiesratherthanof
materialthings.
9
serviceofthefaithfullisteners,sincewithoutdoubtaworkofthiskinddonewellbecomesmorethan
otherwiseanincitementandincreaseofdevotion.
Therefore,itmustbenotedthatforsingingchoralsongwellsixthingsaltogetherinnumberare
requiredofthesingers,whichherebelowfollowintheirproperplaces,giveninupper-caseletters,10
theirexplanationalwayssoonjoinedinlower-caselettersforthesakeofsimplicity.Thosewhostandin
greaterneedofsuchexplanationandwhosometimescanbemoreusefulinachoirthanthoseolderand
morelearnedthanthemselves,oratleastsomuchthemoreasthemorefullytheywillhavebeen
instructedherebythefollowingconcerningsingingwell.So,thethingsnecessaryforsingingwellin
choirIwillnowinthisfirstplaceonlysimplyenumeratesummarily,afterwardIwillfollowthemupwith
explanationsappendedinthebestorderIcan.
These,therefore,arethesixthingsthatarerequired,namely:tosingwithgoodensemble,in
rhythm,withmoderation,withdiversity,withdevotion,andwithsufficientsophistication.Thefirstof
theseisthefoundationforalltherest,indeedtheultimateornamentofalltheothersbecauseifit[this
firstprecept]islackingintheremainingfive,thenthesongitselfcannotsufficientlydeservepraise.
Thesesixintheenumeratedconsiderationaremostworthybecausewithouttheseonecannotsing
appropriatelyforachorus,howevertrainedinsong.Foralthoughmanyupuntilnowhavethoughtthat
hewasconsideredtoknowhowtosingwell,whoknowshowtosingquicklyandcorrectlythesame
notesbothinascentanddescentfromonetotheotherofthemwithoutobviouserrorordeviation,
neverthelessthisisnothingexceptknowinghowtosing.11Forsingingwell,however,trulymoreis
10
Theoriginaltitlesforthepreceptswereinallupper-caselettersbutthebodyofthetextislower-case.
Hispointliesintheomissionofbene“well,”i.e.,suchapersonknowsthemechanicsorfundamentalsofsinging
butnothowtosingwell.VonZabern’sDemodobenecantandiistheearliestsurvivingtextonvocalpedagogyin
themodernsense:TessKnighton&DavidFallows,CompaniontoMedieval&RenaissanceMusic(Berkeley:
UniversityofCalifornia,1997),314,whichis,perhaps,tantamounttosayingthefirstworkonvocalpedagogy,
PrevioustovonZaberninstructioninsingingwaswhathehasdistinguishedhereas“howtosing”asopposedto
his“howtosingwell.”Earlier,singinginstruction,asinevidencefromthetextsanddocumentarydescriptions,
includedreadingaloudforproperLatinpronunciation,memorizationofrepertoirebyroteinearliertimesthen
laterfrombooks.Alsolaterwereincludedsolmization,mutation,notation,modalidentification,sometimestext
settingandotherinformation.Inotherwords,itwasessentiallythemusicalfundamentalsofthetime.Von
11
10
demanded,namelytheobservationofthosesixalreadyenumeratedandconsequentlytobeexplained
inorder.Ifsomeoneweretoreplytomethatsurelyitisproperforsomeonetoknowhowtosing
beforebeingabletosingwell,inwhatway,then,wouldIbeableinthepresentworktotreatthe
methodofsingingwell,inwhichIinstructnotevenonesinglenoteaboutsinginginregardtothe
demandofproportions,12thereadyresponseis:inthisworkIaddresschurchmenwhohavelongsung
intheirownchurches,whomIsupposesomehowknowhowtosingeitherfrompracticeorsomehow
else,desiringtoteachthesesameones,thatintheway—theverysame—thattheyhavelongandoften
sung,theyoughtandarecapableofsinginginthefuturebyfarbetterthanupuntilnow,evenapart
fromtheexpenseofmoretimeandwithouttheaggravationoflabor.Forthoseforwhom,indeed,
instructioninsingingaccordingtotherulesofmusicalrudimentsuptonowhasbeenanecessity,these
latterIleavetomyotherlaborsmadeinthissubject,butIdoinvitethemtomypubliclectureson
music,whichIamalwayspreparedtogive,whenthesupplyoflistenersisnotlacking.NowIproceedto
theexplanationofthesixbeforeenumerated.
TheFirstistoSingwithGoodEnsemble
Tosingingoodensembleistosinginsuchawaythatthevoicesofallthesingersatonce
proceedinthesamemovementoftimeequallyandsimultaneously,sothatnoneofthosesingingatthe
sametimegetsaheadwithhisvoiceortarriesafterthemperceptiblytoanydegreewhatever.Ofthis
thingwehaveadoubleexampleworthyofimitation.Oneistheangelsinheaven,ofwhomitissungin
thesequenceofthefeastoftheNativityofChrist:Theangelsinheavensingwithonevoiceinunison.
Letthesewordsbeconsidered:“voiceinunison.”LetusimitatetheseangelsofGod,ifwewishtoattain
Zabern,however,givesattentiontovocalproductionandissuesofvocalaesthetics,whichjustifiesthe
identificationofhisbookasinthemoderntraditionofvocalpedagogy.
12
Thewordusedhereisproportio,whichmightseempeculiarinthecontext,sincevonZabern’sadvicerelates
onlytoplainchantchoirs,nottopolyphonicmusic,makinganallusiontoproportionsinmensuralnotationunlikely.
Proportiois,however,thetermusedforwhatinEnglisharecalledthePythagoreanratiosoftheintervals,which
wouldthenmakesenseofthepassage.VonZabern’sputativeantagonistissaying“howcanyousayyouare
teachingsingingwhenyoudon’tsomuchasevenmentiontheratiosoftheintervals?”
11
totheirfellowshipinsingingperpetuallywiththemthepraisesofourfounderandredeemer.Wehave
anothernotableexampleofboysplacedintheburningfurnace,concerningwhomitiswritteninthe
thirdchapterofDaniel:ThesethreeasfromonemouthwereblessingandpraisingGod.Now!Whois
sosimpleasnottounderstandthatthesethreeboyshadthreemouths?Butevenso,thescripturesays
distinctly“asfromonemouth,”becausetheirthreevoicessoundedsoconcordantlytogether,asifthey
hadissuedforthfromonemouth.Weoughttoproposetheseboysasdeservingimitation.
Butinorderforthattobecomenotonlypossible,buteveneasilydoableinaremarkable
multitudeofpeoplethroughouttheentirebreadthofthechoirofpeoplestandingdistantfromeach
other,thisonethingisrequiredbyabsolutenecessity,namelyamutuallydiligentattention,which
unfortunatelyupuntilnowwassomethingalltoounaccustomedinmanychurches,butwithoutwhichit
isnotpossibletomaintainthepropermeasureoftimeinalargenumberofpeoplesingingtogetherwith
accurateensembleofvoices.But,whenthissamemoderatingdiligentattentionofthosepeopleis
highest,whoineverychoirarespecificallydesignatedtoit,justasissufficienttotheneed,thisthing
withoutdoubtiseasilydoablewhenonlythepeopleofthechoirinthisworkofGod—towhichnothing
ispermittedtotakeprecedence“oversong”accordingtotheblessedBernard—willhavebeensuchas
theytrulyoughtandareobligedtobeindeservingofgoodwill.ForthisreasonthisworkofGodislike
theirlaborinthefields,whencetheyhavedignityandtheirlivelihood,forwhichtheyhavebeen
selectedaccordingtothatinthecanonsofSt.Peter:“Youareaselectpeople,”forwhichtheyhavebeen
madeworthy,especiallyevenfaraboveprinces,specificallybecauseoftheassociationwithholyorders,
forwhichasathirdreasonarethestipendsforprebendsorecclesiasticalbeneficesanddailyassistance.
Pray?Whatdifficultyobtainsforpeopleofgoodwill—sinceanypersonatallhastwoearsforlistening
toothers—tousethese[ears]diligentlyintheworkofGodalreadymentioned,inorderthatitmaybe
doneblamelesslyandwellforthegloryofthissameomnipotentGodandforthehonoraswellforthe
spiritualimprovementandsecurityofthosesingingandlistening.
12
TheSecondistoSingwithCorrectRhythm
Tosingwithcorrectrhythmistosingsothatnomoretimeisspentononenotethanonothers,
whatevermeasure13issung,eitherlongerorshorteraccordingtothedemandsofthetime,justaswill
cometobeseeninthefourthoftheprecepts.14Formeasure[rhythm]isdefinedbymeasuringand
consequentlythesongitselfhasapropermeasure[rhythm]andismeasuredcorrectlywhenonenoteis
neitherdrawnoutnorshortenedmoreorlessthananother,whichallchurchmenbothregularand
secular,whohavepraiseofsingingwellbeforeotherthingsareaccustomedtoobserveinviolably.By
contrast,inmanycollegiatechurchesmanypeoplewithoutnumberoftendosoastodrawoutonenote
morethantheremainderandabbreviateanotherorotherstoomuchandbymuchmorethanthe
remainder.15Thisisoneofthemostcommonabusesinsingingamongthegreaterpartoftheclergy.
Rather,mostespeciallyandfartoofrequentlydotheydrawoutlongallthehighernotesofthesong,
thenrightafterwardtheyshortenthefollowingonestoomuch,justasisconspicuouslyapparentinthe
festival“Patrem.”Iwillbesilentnowoninnumerableotherexamples.
SinceIhavementionedherethehighernotesofthesong,Ioughtnottopassoverthisone
worthwhileremark,ofwhich,nevertheless,fromallmyinstructorsIhaveneverheardmentionmade,
eventhoughwithoutdoubtitismostworthyofconsideration.Thisisthatamongthehighernotesof
thesongtherearemistakesnotonlymorefrequentlybutevengreater,byafaultspecificallyofskill,so
13
VonZabern’sterminologyisvagueandinconsistent.Hedistinguishesherebetweendurationofnotesandtheir
overallspeedortempo.Theproblemseemstoarisefromhisapparentuseofmensuratomeanbothdurationof
individualnotesrelativetoeachother,orrhythm,andalsotomeanoverallspeedortempoofthenotes.Heis
sayingthatwhateverthetempo,thedurationmustbeuniform.Itisnotatalluncommontofindthatearlier
authorsdonotclearlydistinguishdistinctconceptsthatwedotodayandsocombinereferencetothemunderone
term.
14
AsitstandswithoutamplificationthisstatementwouldbeverymisleadinginEnglishtranslation.Inthefourth
preceptvonZaberndiscussesvaryingtheoverallspeed,fasterorslower,ofthepieceaccordingtotheliturgical
purpose,whetherhighorlow;thus,by“thetime”heapparentlymeansaccordingtotheplaceinthetemporal
cycleoftheliturgy.
15
Theremaywellbenoissueregardingplainchantthatismoredebatedthanthatofthevalueofindividualnotes.
Someprimarysourcesappeartosaythatdifferentvalueswereemployedwhereasothersdonot.Amongmodern
scholarsthesamedifferenceinopinionobtains.VonZabernisclearlyassertingherethat,withfewexceptionsto
bementionedlater,thenotevaluesshouldbeuniform.
13
thatbymeansoflackofdiscernmentandineptsingingafaultismadecontrarytomanyofthe
[precepts]enumerated,especiallycontrarytothefirst,secondandsixthrequirementsforsingingwell.
Truly,soveryoftenisonesolitaryhighernotethussungineptly,thatatthesametimethereisafault
againstthreeoftherequirementsalreadyenumerated,soobviouslythattheperceptionofitcannotbe
hidden.ThisIthusdeclare,becauseifanyoneshoulddrawoutsomehighernotemorethantheothers
singingwithhim,asissooftendone,heerrsagainstthefirstprecept,sincehetarriesbehindtheothers
singingwithhimandsodepartsfromgoodensemble.Whenheprolongs,asbyconsequence,thesame
highernotemorethanthefollowingnotes,accordingtotheverycommoncustomwithinnumerable
ecclesiastics,hesinsagainstthesecondpreceptbecauseheobviouslyviolatesmeasure.Ifheshould
singthissamehighernotewithaloudvoice,justassocustomarilyhappenswithoutnumberoften
amongthegreaterpartoftheclergy,soalsodoesheviolatethesixthprecept,since,aswillbeexplained
belowinthesixth,highernotesmaybesungwithalightervoiceandarenottobesungoutwithan
openthroatorstrongervoice.
Thisnowmustbenoted,thatallextensionsofrestsareentirelytobeavoidedbecauseitisa
faultagainstmeasure.
Thismustbeguardedagainst,letnorestsbemadewheretheyarenottobemadebecausethis
alsowouldbecontrarytomeasure,whichmustbecontinueduniformlyuptotheappropriateplaceof
thetruerests.Contrarytothis,innumerableecclesiasticsmakelittledelaysafterthemannerofmaking
restsinathousandplacesinthesongwherenorestorretardationismade,notatallinfrequentlydo
theydoitaftersinginganywordwhatever,whichiseasilyexplainedbyexamples.
Thisalsopertainstosinginginrhythm,onechorusshouldconformitselftotheotherin
measure,foritbenefitsnothingthatonechorusisfasterthantheotherorwouldpreserveamore
14
drawnoutmeasureinsinging,whentheysinganythinginturnsoralternatelyashymnsorthesequence
“Etinterra”andothersofthiskind,certainlynotwhileitisplayedontheorgan.16
TheThirdistoSingModerately
Tosingmoderatelyistosingneithertoohighnortoolow,whichisentirelyfittingbecausea
moderatesongislessonerousformostpeoplethanahigherorlower,17sincetherearealwayssomein
thegroupwhoarenotabletosinghighorlowwithoutmuchphysicaldifficulty,inwantofwhose
assistancethechorusisdiminishedwhenitwouldbesungeithertoohighortoolow.But,whenitis
sungmoderately,anyonecanfaithfullyaidthechoruswithoutimpairmentandwithouthisown
difficulty.Likewiseifinotherthingsthemeaniscommendable,notlessisitinchoralsong.18
Forthelaudablepreservationofcontinualmoderationofthiskindinsong,thisonethingisquite
necessary,namelytheprudentanddiscerninginitiationofthedirectingprecentor,especiallywhenthe
songascendsmuchaboveitsbeginningnoteordescendsmuchbelowthesameinanyofitssections.So
thatwhenitproceedstothesameplacehighorlow,itmaybeabletobesungbythemajorityofpeople
ofthechoirwithoutdifficulty.Concerningwhichdiscerninginitiationpracticaldirectiontohearingand
explanationinthesongscaneasilybegiven,particularlytheoneswho,beforeothers,morestandin
needofprudentbeginning,astherearethosesongsthatascendbeyondtheirinitialnotetoeightor
nineevenmorenotesinanypart,19accordingtowhichthisbefitsbeginninglowertothedegreethatit
ascendshigher.Onthecontrarythosesongsthatdescendbelowtheinitialnotebymuchinanyplace,it
16
VonZabernapparentlyreferstotheperformancepracticeofdividingthechoirintotwosectionsinorderto
createanalternatingcharacter,asindifferentversesofthesequence.Thereferencetotheorganisnotclearasto
whetherhemeanswiththeorganaccompanyingthechoirsimultaneouslyorinanalternatingmanner,asinthe
alternationofpsalmverseswithorganversets,apracticethatbeganaround1400andbecameincreasingly
popularinthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies.
17
Thisdoesnotrefertodynamiclevelbuttopitchlevel.Sincetherewasnosuchthingasstandardpitchatthis
time,thechoralleader,theprecentororotherofficial,setthepitchandthechorus,knowingthemodeofthe
piece,adjustedaccordingly.
18
Thisis,ofcourse,areferencetoAristotle’sadvocacyofthemeaninallthings.
19
Thisisalmosttheclassicdefinitionofanauthenticmode.
15
isfittingtobeginhighertothedegreethattheyarefoundtodescendmore.Songs,indeed,thatfit
neitherofthedefinitionsrequirelessforethoughtinbeginning,forinthemchoirseasilyavoidtrouble.
TheFourthistoSingVariably
Tosingvariablyistoexecutesongaccordingtothedemandsofthe[specific]time20and
differenceoftheofficesinthefirstway,inorderthatitmaybesungquitegraduallyinfestivals,buton
ordinarySundaysandforsmallfeastsinamoderatemeasure,andonordinarydaysabriefermayserve.
Thereisbothauthorityandreasonforthis.IsaytheauthorityistheholyCouncilofBasel,21whose
specificruling,Dedivinoofficioriteperagendosaysthus:makingaproperdifferencebetweensolemn
andordinarydaysoftheoffice.Thereason,indeed,iswhereasforalargenumberoffeaststhesame
measurequiterightlymaybesunginthesameway,longerormoredrawnout,nevertheless,on
ordinarydaysforbothclergyandlaityitwouldbecomeoneroustokeepthemeasureinsongotherthan
shortandexpeditious.Fortheclergy,bothregularandsecular,mustdovariousthingsfortheirown
need,notonlyinbooksbutalsoinsuchotheractivitiesasareappropriatetothem,whichisnot
permittedonfeastdays,butonordinarydaystheywouldcertainlybelessabletodo,iftheyhadtosing
equallyprolongedonordinarydaysaswellasfeasts.Thosemoredevoutlaity,whonotseldomdesire
outofdevotiontoheartheofficeofthechoirevenonordinarydays,wouldbetoomuchimpededin
theirownlabor,bywhichtheymustsupportthemselvesandtheirfamilies,ifitweresunginadrawn
outway;andformanyitwouldbecomeoccasionoftotallyabsentingthemselvesorwithdrawingfrom
theoffice.Onthecontrary,completelyforthedevotionoftheseisit[i.e.,thecharacteroftheservice]
loweredbythesongproceedingmoreexpeditiously,forwhichreasonweencouragethedevoutandthe
religiousreformed22todo[so]intheowncongregations.
20
“Time”referstothespecificseasonoftheliturgicalyear.
TheCouncilofBaseltookplace1431-49.
22
Thereferenceissomewhatobscuretoday.VonZabernmorethanoncerefersto“reformed,”whichlikelyrefers
tothereformspromulgatedduringtheCouncilofBasel(1431-45),whichhehasalreadymentioned.Thepapal
encyclicalforJune9,1435recordsthesereformsastothecelebrationofthedivineoffice.Someofthedirections,
21
16
SinceIhavementioneddifferentmeasureshere,forthisreasonIsaythatinthefourthprecept
alsoadiscernmentofbeginningsisrequired,bypreservingproperlytheneedsanddifferencesaccording
tothetimes,becausetheprecentoroughtalwaystobeginameasure23suchasmustbecontinuedfor
whateverpropertime[i.e.,season]comes,24lestinthedetectionofhisnegligenceitmayjustlybehoove
himimmediatelytochangethis[measure],ifthepropermeasureoughttobesungaccordingtothe
demandsofthetime.
Second,itmustbesunginavariedway,sothatonfestivedaysitmaybesunghigherandmore
joyfullyforthesakeofadisplayoffullerlivelinessthanonordinarydays,butevensoabsentnotable
departurefrommoderation.
Third,inavariedwaysothatonthesamedaythehighofficeofthechoirmaybesungwith
greatersolemnitythanaprivateservice.
Likewiseinavariedwaysothattheofficeofthedeadmassaswellasvigilsandvespersmaybe
sunglowerandlessjoyfulthanotherofficesnotspecificallyconcerningthatforthedead.
Likewiseofficesofjoyfulorrejoicingmattersoughttobesungmorejoyfullythananofficefor
sinsortribulationsandothersofthiskind.
Likewisewhenaholidayfallsonanordinarydaywhoseoffice,whichisspecial,oughtnottobe
omitted,itisfittingthentobemadeadoubleoffice,insuchawayasAdvent,LentorEmberDays
frequentlyitiscustomarytobedone.Thencertainlymoresolemnandprolongedoughttheofficeof
thefeasttobesung,butthatoftheordinarydaymorefreelyinorderthatamongthediverseofficesof
thiskindtheproperdifferencesmaybepreserved.
judgingfromtheEnglishtranslation,arequitesimilartothosefoundinvonZabern’streatiseinregardtosinging,
reciting,and“decorum”duringtheoffice.
23
ThewordismensuraandvonZabernapparentlymeanssomethinglikethe“pace”ortempoofthemusic.
24
Asareminder,vonZabernistalkingabouttheliturgical“time,”theseasoninthechurchcalendar.Theword
“season”isnotquiteprecisdenough,butatleastitservestoalertthereadertothedifficultyinEnglishtranslation.
17
TheFifthistoSingwithFidelity.
Tosingwithfidelityistosingsothatanyoneofthosesingingtogethershouldremainintheform
inthosenotesthatweretransmittedbyourdevoutfathers,sothatnoonebreaksthemupintomanyor
goesoffinanywayintoafifthaboveorafourthbelow,orbyleapingtoanotherintervalorby
wanderingoffinthemannerofadiscantanddeviatingfromthem.25Forallsuchdeparturesfromthe
devoutmelodiesoftheholyfathersimpedesthelistenersmorethanitproducesdevotion,norisita
signofdevotioninthesingers,butratherseemstobeevidenceofablameworthylevity.Whatismore,
therearethoseinthechorussufficientlyprejudiced—becausetheyoftenareorbecometheoccasionof
errorinsinging—thattheresttakingcaretoremaininthetruenotesorprescribedmelody,notonly
becauseofthisstrayingbeyondtheaccuratenoteinthemannerofthose[prejudicedones],these
[faithfulones]areimpededintheirownpurpose,butalsoaredeceivedbytheassistanceofthoseothers
whoarestraying,who,iftheywouldremainwiththem[thefaithful]inthetruenotesandfaithfully
assistthem,thentheywouldbepreservedbetterreciprocallyfromconfusion,justasnoonecandoubt.
Furtheralso,itisnecessarytosingwithfidelity,inorderthatallthosesingingtogetheruponthe
samesongmayuncovertheirheadswhereandwhenitisfittingoriscustomarilydone,andalsoaswell
thesameheadsbowedandkneesbend,andsointhecaseofotherindicationsofdevotion,allofwhich
worktogethertowarddevotion,whichecclesiasticalsongoughttoengenderbothinthesingersandalso
intheotherfaithfulwhenhearingitoutsidethechurch.
Further,itmustbesungwithfidelitysothatnomelodythathasnotbeentransmittedtousby
thedevotedholyfathersbeintroducedbytheservantsofthedevil,asisexplainedbelow,shouldever
besungamongthesongsofdivinepraise.Adulterinemelodiesofthiskindareabsolutelytoberejected
fromdivineservice.Alas,evensoinmanychurchestheyareasifindailyuse.Iwillgiveasanexample
25
VonZabernseemsheretobereferringtoavarietyofimprovisatorytechniquesthatnotonlywereincommon
usagebutwereactuallypartofthestandardtrainingofchoristers.Hisdescriptionsapparentlyincludediminution,
parallelorganumanddiscant,improvisationonachanttenor.
18
sothatIwillbeunderstood:QuiteafewteachersdesiringtopleaseIknownotwhombutnodoubt
servingthedevilbymeansofit,eveniftheydonotrealize,havetakenmelodiesofthesesamesecular
songsandinpreferencetothosethatarepreferableamongthesongsofdivinepraise,thatisoverthe
angelichymnGloriainexcelsisandovertheNiceneCreedandovertheSanctusandAgnusDei,asthey
wereable[todoso]theyfittedthesebysingingthetextstothesesamesecularmelodies,withthe
devoutmelodiesoftheholyfathersprescribedforusthrownout.Thesemelodiesofsecularsongs,so
longastheyaresungintheofficeofthemass,notonlyscandalizemanyofthosefaithfulinChrist,asI
myselfknow,butalsomakeespeciallymanyyouthsandcarnalmenthinkmoreofthedancehallthanof
therealmofheaven,anotinsignificantimpedimenttodevotion,withlittlewonderbecausemelodiesof
thiskindorthosesimilardotheyoftenhearinthedancehall.Intruth,Ihaveparticularlyheard
complaintfromnofewofthelaitytotheconfusionoftheclergy,andInotethatbishopsandprelates
rightlyoughtentirelytoprohibitthesekindsofmelodiesthroughouttheentireextentoftheir
jurisdictions,quitedeservedlycallingthemdiabolical,whichIintendtoexcludehereaccordingtothe
letteroffidelity.
SixthistoSingwithSufficientRefinement
Tosingwithsufficientrefinementistosingwithoutthosecoarsenessesthatareworthyof
blame,concerningwhichIexplainbelow,whicharecommonlyandfrequentlycommittedinsingingby
thosealsowhoseemtobesomewhatbeyondothers,andnotatallinfrequentlyalsobythosewhoare
foundtoobservetheprecedingfive,whichisassuredlyworthyofnote.Itistobenotedasintelligence,
whichquitedeservestheword“sophisticated”asfarasisthepresentcase—thatbecauseacityiscalled
acivilthing,andmenincivillifeareusuallymorerefinedthaninthecountryandvillages,forthisreason
“refined”isusedtothepurposeassubtleorskillful,26hencethequalifier“withrefinement.”Therefore,
26
VonZabern’stermisurbanus,translatedhereas“refined”ratherthan“urbane,”whichlatterseemsnotquite
appropriatetomusicandhasgainedinsomecontextsaslightconnotationof“effete,”or“overlyrefined.”The
choiceof“refined,”however,precipitatesothertroublesforthetranslationwhenvonZabernuseswordsthat
19
tosingsufficientlywithrefinementistosingsufficientlysubtlywithoutcoarseness,soIwantheretothe
letterof“withrefinement”toexcludeallcoarseness,especiallyatthispointaftertheobservationinthe
contextofthefivepreviousrequirementsinsinging.Foraslongassomesuchcoarsenessiscommitted,
trulyitisnotrefinedenoughbutissunginacoarsemanner.Iftherearesomanycoarsenessesofthis
kind,thatIcouldnotpossiblyenumeratethemall,evensoIwanttoenumerateandsufficientlyexplain
infullnumberthemoreimportantandnotableonesthatarecommittedmorefrequently,sothatthey
beallthemorerecognizedandbebetterabletobeavoidedinthefuture,foritisdifficulttoavoid
unlessrecognized.
BeforeIcanproceedtotheenumerationofthekindofcoarsenesses,however,Imustnotpass
overthisone,namelythat—becausemanyoftheclergyhavelongheldsuchkindofcoarsenessesina
distortedusage—forthisreasoniftheyshouldliketowithdrawthemselvesfromthemsufficientlyinthe
futureandrefrain—theirownself-reflectionwillbeabsolutelynecessary,27whichisrequiredinthiscase
asafoundationbynecessity.Surelythisisdemonstrated—becauseinallouractionsself-reflectionisso
necessaryaccordingtoSt.Bernard,thatitshouldbeconsideredthatnoonecouldbesavedwithoutit—
thenbyhowmuchmoreintheworkofecclesiasticalsong,towhichaccordingtothesamemannothing
ispermittedinpreference,sincenegligenceinthisworkwoulddeservedlyearncondemnation,as
Jeremiah48makesclear,whereitiswritten:“CondemnedishewhoisnegligentintheworkofGod.”
Oneought,therefore,tosingwellandsufficientlyrefined,wishingtoconsiderhimselfandhisvoice
diligentlyandnevertosingwithoutattentionandwithoutreflection.Inthatcaseitwillbepossiblefor
himthentoavoidthecoarsenessesenumerated.
wouldalsomostnaturallytranslateas“refined.”Thewordtranslatedhereas“coarseness”isrusticitas,“rustic”or
“countrified.”
27
Theawkwardnessofthephrase“valdenecessariaeriteisconsideratiosui,”indicateshowunusualwasthe
conceptofself-reflectionofself-criticism.VonZabernisquiteremarkableforhisawarenessofit.Sylvestro
GanassiinhisfamousRegulaRubertina(1542-43)demonstratesthepowerthroughouthisworkandinhisclosing
oftheLettioneSeconda(1543)evendiscussesself-awarenessoflanguageanditsuse.
20
Number1.28Thefirstcoarsenessinsinging,then,istoadd“h”[anaspirate]tothevowelswhen
thewordstobesungdonothave“h”inthem,whichindeedisaverycommoncoarsenessinalargepart
oftheclergyascannotbedenied.ThisismostobviouslyapparentinsingingKyrieeleison,wherethose
withoutnumberoftensinghe-he-hejustlikeexecutionersleadingsheeptopasture.29Itisobviousalso
inmanyothersongswheremanythousandsoftimestheysingha-ha,ho-ho,etc.,whereasthewords
thataresunghaveabsolutelyno“h,”whichwithoutdoubtisnotsingingwithenoughrefinement,but
wehavetosayisexcessivelycoarse.Thisisproof:“h”isasignofaspirationandisitselfasperityas
contrastedtosmoothness,whichasongoughttohave,forbythemouthoftheprophetMicahawordis
oftheholyspirit.Pointtwo:Asongwillbesungwithsmoothness;therefore,aspirationofthiskind
disruptingthesonganddestroyingitssmoothness,itresultsthattheremustbeanabstention.
Number2.Anothercoarsenessistosingthroughthenose,whichmustsodeservedlybe
guardedagainstbecauseitproducesadiscordantvoice.Since,therefore,amongallthenaturalmeans
requiredfortheformationofthehumanvoicenosesareneverincluded,itisnotalittlecoarsethat
anyonenotcontentwiththemouthandothernaturalmeansissuesthevoicethroughthenose,whence
itisgenerallyagreedsoundsnotbetterbutworse,justasnoonedoubts,whohasknowntohave
correctevidenceofit.
Number3.Anothercoarsenessinsingingisnottopronouncesufficientlydistinctlythevowels
accordingtotheirownpropersound,forthisproducessongslessintelligibletothelistenersinregardto
thewords,sincethereisnowonderthataconfusedandscarcelyperceptibledifferentiationofthe
voicesdoesnotaidunderstandingverymuch.Manyclergyarefoundculpableinthis,who,asifthey
hadtheirfoodintheirmouths,areaccustomedtomakelittledifferencebetween“e”and“i,”or
between“o”and“u”andalsobetweensyllablescomposedfromthesamevowels,sothatIhaveheard
28
ForthesakeofeasierreferenceIhaveprovidedthenumbersforthecoarsenesses.
TheimageissosuddenandgruesomeastocausewonderwhethervonZabernhaschosenthewrongwordfor
shepherd,butecclesiasticalandclassicalLatinbothrecognizeonlythissenseoftheword.
29
21
somesinging“dominosvabiscomaremus,”sothatIwouldsaytothosenextme“lethimgoplow!”30
Truly,fromtheFrancfordia31totheconfluenceatCoblenz32andfromthereovertoTrier33Ihavenoted
thisveryoften,especiallyamongstudents,bymeansofwhichtheyconfusealltheirsongs,thattheyare
accustomednotsufficientlydistinctlyand[so]lesswelltopronouncethevowels“e”andi,”sothatit
producesnosmalldispleasureforme.Fromthistheirteachersoughtrightlytorestrainthemdaily,lest
theyshouldcontinueitonintooldage.
Mapdetailfromhttps://www.bing.com/mapspreview?.
Number4.Anothercoarsenessisthatthesoundofonevowelthatmustbecontinuedupon
manynotestowhichitissetisnotpreservedinitsownidentitybutischangedorvaried,whichcertainly
30
Thisisapunonthemispronunciationoforemus,letuspray,asaremus,letusplow.
ThisisoneofverymanypermutationsofthecityknowntodayasFrankfurtamMain.
32
ThewordconfluensinclassicaltimeswasassociatedwiththemeetingoftheRhineandMosellerivers,and
specificallyatthesiteofthemoderncityofCoblenz.
33
ThisseemsthemostlikelyidentificationofvonZabern’sTreverim,theGermancityontheMoselleRivernearthe
Luxemburgborder.
31
22
soundsquitebad.Nevertheless,thiscoarsenessissocommonwithmanyecclesiasticalpersonsthatit
wouldbeworthyofderision.Tothosewhopayattentiondiligentlyitisdailysufficientlyobvious,andit
iseasytogiveagreatsupplyofexamples.
Number5.Anothercoarsenessquiteodiousisthedivergenceinthecorrectnessofthevoice
[i.e.goingoffpitch]byadissonantascentordescent,34bothofwhicharethemoredetestableasthey
arethemorenoticeablebecausechoralsongiseasilyperturbed.Somuchsothatitconfoundswhatis
donewellinsingingbytheothers,justasonedissonantstringconfoundsthesoundoftheentire
clavichord.Hewhohasthisspecificdefectmoreadvisablyshouldremaincompletelysilentthansing
untilsuchtimeashecantakecaretoremedyit,whichheoughtnotneglect,solongasthereishopeof
remedy,whichdefectIhaveremediedinnofew.
Number6.Anothercoarsenessistoissueorforcethevoicewithstrainorvehemence.Thisis
certainlyacoarsenessbecausewithamplesmoothnessisthecontrary,concerningwhichsmoothness
thewordoftheprophetMicahwaspreviouslyadduced:thesongwillbesungwithsmoothness.Truly,I
haveknownpeoplebetterinstructedinsongthanotherswhoneverthelessproduceeveryoneoftheir
songsaccordingtothiscoarsenessalienfrompraise,eventhoughitseemstothemthattheysingwell,it
isnowonder,sinceithasneverbeenmadeknowntothemjusthowblameworthythiscoarsenessisand
howdeservingtobeavoided.
Number7a.Anothercoarsenessmorenotablethantherestisonacuteorhigher35notesofthe
songtosingwithanopenthroatorstrongandemphaticvoice,whichamongthepreviousotherscalled
toattentionaboveisquiteundiscerning,aswillsoonbecomeclearbelow.Whenthisisdonebypeople
34
Assooften,thelackofstandardterminologymakesforobscuredescriptions.WhatvonZabernmeansisthe
commondefectofgoingoffpitchwhenascendingordescending.
35
Thephraseis“inacutissivealtioribusnotis,”whichtwoadjectivescouldhavedifferentmeaningsandmightbea
reasonableconclusionwereitnotforvonZabern’suseof“sive,”whichinLatinmeansthatthetwoitemsarenot
contrastedbutarealternativemeansofexpressingthesamething.Ifanydoubtpersisted,vonZabernlater
specificallyclarifiesthatbothtermsmeanhighnotes.
23
whohaveatrumpet-likeorloudvoice,itisextremelydisturbingandconfusesthesongoftheentire
chorusjustasifcows’voiceswereheardamongthesingers’voices.YetevensoIhaveheardina
notablecollege36thatsingerswhohavetrumpet-likevoiceswithpowerfulvoicesweresingingwithall
theirmightontheacuteorhigher[notes]justliketheywantedtobreakoratleastmovethewindowsof
thesanctuary,sothatIwonderedgreatlyattheirignoranceandsowasmovedtomakingthis
aphorism37“Ascowsinapasture,soyouinthechoirbellow.”Bythisaphorisminafriendlywayinmy
worksandlecturesonthemethodofsingingwellImeantocriticizeallthosepresumingtosingina
forcefulvoiceinorderthattheymayfullylearntoacknowledgetheirundiscerningcoarsenessandafter
thisrecognitionrecoilfromthistheypractice.
Number7b.Foracknowledgingthiscoarsenessmorefully,therefore,itmustbeknownthat
whoeverwishestosingdiscerninglyandwelloughttousethevoiceinthreeways,namelyinthisway:
heavyortrumpet-likeinthebass,whichisonlownotes,inamiddlewayinthemiddlerange,andmore
subtleonacuteorhighernotes,andthisevenmoresothehigherthesonggoes.Hewhodoes
otherwiseconductshimselfundiscerninglyinsinging,whateverandhowevermuchitmaybe.There
are,evenso,innumerablechurchmenwhoinsingingfollowthisindiscretionasifbyrule.Leteach
consider,then,howwellandreasonablyIhavespokenaboutfollowingthethreewaysofthevoicewith
diversityinsinging.Foreveryoneofanyknowledgeknowsthatanorgan,whetherlarge,mediumor
small,hastriplereedsorpipes,namelylarge,mediumandsmall.Thelargesoundthelownotesofthe
song,themediumthemiddle,andthesmalltheupperorhighernotesofthesong.Ofthesereedsor
pipeseveryintelligentpersonknowshowthreefoldisthesound,namelyheavy,medium,andgraceful
36
Atthistimethetermcollegiumcouldrefereithertothemembersofacollegiatechurchortoacollege
connectedwithauniversity,especiallyinEnglandandFrance.Singingservicesweremaintainedinboth,butwere
mandatoryinthecollegiatechurchesandusuallyofasecondarynatureintheuniversitycollege,makingthe
formerthemorelikelyintendedreferencehere.
37
Thewordtranslatedhereas“aphorism”is“rigmum,”whichdoesnotappearintheclassicalorecclesiastical
Latindictionaries,norinmymorelimitedsourcesforVulgateandmedievalLatin,norisitaGreekloanword.The
conjectureseemssafebecauseitreferstothefollowingquip.
24
orsubtle.Since,however,amanhasonlytheonethroat,bymeansofwhichthevoiceissues,whichhas
tofulfillinplaceofthediversereedsoftheorgan—atonetimelargeandatanothersmall—howgreata
lackofdiscernmentwillitbetowanttodothisbyauniformuseofhisownvoice,eventhoughthevoice
ofahumanhasnocorrespondencetosuchthreefoldsoundofthediversereedsoftheorgan,obviously
asalreadystated.
Letustakeanotherexampleinastringofthemonochord,whichexistinguniqueandofitsown
quantity,neverthelessproducedatriplesoundintheupperandlowerpart,clearlyaheavieronelower,
mediuminthemiddleandmuchmoregracefulandsubtlehigher.38Why,therefore,doesthehuman
notinflecthisvoicethreewaysinimitationofthatstring,sincethemonochordmaybethebest
instrumentforteachingandlearningchurchsongbymeansofit?Leteachwhowantstosing
blamelesslytakecare,then,thathenotfurtherinthefuturepresumetosingwithfullstrongvoiceon
acute,thatishighernotes,39sinceinthefirstplaceitdeformsthesongandinseconditburdensand
fatiguesthesingertonopoint,andthirditquicklymakeshimhoarseandinconsequenceunsuitedfor
singing.Thehumanthroatisdelicateandeasilyisinjuredwhenitisstrained,whichcertainlyhappens
whenitisusedonhighnoteswithpowerfulvoice,whenthisinjuryhashappened,soonhoarseness
follows,suchaseachhasexperiencedforhimself.Butonthecontrary,whenanyonesingswitha
refinedvoiceonnotes,thevoicehasapropercorrespondencetogracefulsoundofthesmallreedsof
theorganjustasthehigherpartsofthestringsofthemonochorditself.Thensecondhesingswithout
fatigue.Thenthirdthereisnodoubthewillbeabletosingmuchhigherthanhewouldinanywaybe
38
VonZaberndosnotrefertothesinglestringmonochordusedforteachingbymeansofPythagoreanratios.Itis
akeyboardinstrument,aboutwhichhewroteashorttreatiseOpusculumdemonochordo.Hebelievedthe
instrumentwasveryusefulinteachingvoice.TheinterestedreaderwilldowelltoconsultGroveDictionaryof
MusicalInstruments,s.v.“Clavichord.”Thedistinctivecharacteristicoftheinstrumentisthatthestriking
mechanismwassuchastobeabletovarythelengthofthevibratingstringsoastoproducedifferentpitchesfrom
thesamestring.Themanuscripttreatise(ca1440)ofHenri-ArnaultdeZwollegivesanearlydetaileddescription
fromvonZabern’sowntime(moderneditionbyBärenreiter,1972).
39
Asreferredtoearlier,thisisthepointatwhichvonZabernmakesclearthanacutusandaltiormeanthesame
thing.
25
ablewithfull,strongvoice,sothatinsongsofparticularhighrangehecouldaidthechoirfaithfullyand
wellwithouttroubleandwithoutincurringhoarseness,whichcouldnotbepossiblewithstrongvoice.
Number8a.Anothercoarsenessisinthebeginningtosingthosethingswithouta
correspondencethatoughttocorrespondtoeachother,especiallywhereandwhenthe
correspondenceproperlycouldbepreservedwithouttroubletothechorus.Forexample,theKyrie
eleison,when[itand]theGloriainexcelsisarewrittenwitheachother,andalsotheEtinterra,oughtto
besungincorrespondence.FromwhatothercauseisthisKyrie[associated]withthatGloriaandother
onestootheronesinthechantbooks?WhenthefinalKyrieendedinadefinitewayandthecelebrant
beginstheGloriainamelodyirrelevanttothatsameKyrie,whenevensoitwerepossibletodoitina
correspondingwaywithouthisorthechoir’strouble,trulythatisacoarseness.40Yet,Ihaveoftenheard
withoutnumberevenamongreformedregularclergy41that,whenthefinalKyriehasended,the
celebrantoutofhisownheadasifhehadnotheardtheKyrie,beginstheGloriainexcelsiswithoutany
correspondenceofitsmelodytotheprecedingKyrieitselfandthatthecantorofthechorus,noless
undiscerning,ofhisownwillbeginstheEtinterrairrelevantlytotheGloria,asifhehadnotheardit
sungbythecelebrant,sothattrulybecauseofthismorethanonceIwashinderedintheorationand
wasmovednotinfrequentlytothinkingorsaying“whatbunglersarethesemonks!”42
Number8b.Letustakeanotherexample.Thefirstpartofanantiphon,whichispresented
beforetheintonationofthepsalmitself,andthissameintonationofthepsalmorbeginningaccording
totherequirementofthepsalmtonetobesungoughtalso,whenitcanbedoneproperly,tohavea
correspondence.Whywoulditbeorderedfromadifferentplaceinregardtothelittlepartofthefirst
40
VonZabernneverreallymakeshismeaningclear,probablybecausetoreadersofhistimethereisreallyonly
onethinghecouldmean,thefailuretosingimmediatelysuccessiveportionsofthemassincorrespondingmode.
41
VonZabernhaspreviouslyreferredtothe“reformed”regularclergy,whichofcoursecannotrefertothemuch
laterReformation.
42
Thewordtranslatedhereas“bunglers”is“grobiani”whichisnotfoundineitherclassicalorecclesiasticalLatin
dictionaries.Thisisapureconjecturebutonethatseemsentirelyconsistentwiththecontext.
26
antiphonbeforethebeginningofthepsalm?Whenbeginningthepsalminawayindifferenttothe
consequencethismakes,withoutcorrespondencetothepreliminarypartoftheantiphonortoits
melody,itisacoarsenessworthytobescorned.43
Number9.Anothercoarsenessistosingdrowsilyandlesslivelyandwithoutemotionlikean
oldwomanneardeath,whichdeprivesthesongitselfofitsproperagreeablenessandmakesitless
heardandsothatithasthemannerofagroanratherthanasong.Againstsingingthustheblessed
BernardsaysinthesermonSupercantica,44wherehespeaksaboutecclesiasticalsong:“Reverently
suchasattendingupontheLordwithalacrity,notreluctantly,notdrowsily,notyawning,notsparingof
voice.”Thenalittlefurtheron:“butvirileasitdeserves,bothinsoundandfeelingbringingforthvoices
oftheholyspirit.”Thusdidhesay.Truly,onemustsinginawaythatislively,withfeelingandfully
agreeablelestitfallupontheotherextreme,sothatitistoodistractingforsomewhoaresingingout,as
hasbeensaid,andotherswhosingasbarelytobeheard.Andsotheoldadageisproven:“Zulutzelund
zuvilverderbtalspil”[Toolittleandtoomuchspoilallpleasure.]Itisblessedtoholdthemean.
Number10.Thislastcoarsenessnowtobeenumeratedistohaveinappropriatemannersin
singing,asforexamplenotstandingstillbuttomovehereandthere,ortoraisetheheadtoohighor
conspicuouslytoinclineittotheonesideortopropitupwithyourhandortodeformthemouthtothe
otherjaw,45oropenthesamefartoowide.Andthesamewithmanyotherinappropriatemanners,
whichitwouldbefartootedioustoenumerateall,theseareforthisreasontobeavoidedlestthey
provoketolaughterthosewhoarewatching,whooughttobemovedtodevotionbymeansofthesong.
43
VonZabernappearstobedescribingtheopeningpartialstatementoftheantiphonfollowedbythepsalmtone;
thus,thiscannotbetheissueofthechoiceofdifferentiaeleadingbackintothefinalstatementoftheantiphon.
Thematterhereseemstobethechoiceofanantiphonandpsalmtonefortherecitationofpsalmthatmatcheach
other.GroveDictionarys.v.“Antiphon”offerswhatisprobablytheexplanationofvonZabern’spoint.“The
antiphonendswithaclearcadenceonafinalnote,whichthendeterminesthechoiceoftherecitingnoteforthe
psalm....Thepsalmtoneending(differentia,diffinitio,orvarietas)canbechosenwiththefirstnotesofthe
antiphoninmindtoensureasmoothprogressionbetweenthepsalmandtherecurringantiphon.”
44
Perhapsthisreferstooneoftheeighty-sixsermonsonTheSongofSongs.
45
Theimageseemstobetoleanorproptheheadtoonesideandsoopenthemouthastoshiftthejawoutof
placeintheotherdirection.
27
Butsomuchforthesecoarsenesses,whichherebymeansofthesixthandlastofthepreceptsfor
singingwelldoIwanttoexcludeandkeepexcluded.
Sonowcompletely,therefore,arepresentedinorderwhatfromthebeginningItookuptobe
dealtwithandexplained.Wouldthattheyshouldbetakentoheartbythosereadingthiscompendium,
sothattheymaytakecaredailytosingbetterthanpreviously.Evensonowtheyhavebeeninstructed
bythesepresentwritingsmoreandmorefullythaneveruptonowtheyhavebeenconcerningthetrue
methodofsingingwell,whichbynosmalllaborIhavegatheredintothisarrangementandfor
simplicity’ssakeinaclearstyle,desiringacommonecclesiasticalpurpose,inorderthatformysake,
ConradvonZabern,theymayallentreatthehighestone,theywhowillprofitfrommylaborsinthe
future.
AppendixI
OnPerformingPsalmodyBlamelessly
Sinceitdoesnotsufficeforthegoodregimenofthechoirinsongthatitsingsaccordingtothe
sixpreceptsforsingingwell,whichinthisspecificlittleworkareexplainedlucidly,ifthepsalmodyitself
isnotsungwellandblamelessly,whereasthegreatestpartofthesevencanonicalhoursareperformed
inthis.ForthisreasonIhavedecidedheretoaddsomethingbywhichtheyseemsufficientlylackingin
largepart.
Thesethings,then,follow,whichcomeinpsalmodytobediligentlyobserved.
•
Letnotthefollowingversebeginbeforetheendoftheprecedingone.
•
Donotomitmakingtheaccompanyingrestinthemiddleoftheverse.
•
Donotreadbywordbutbysyllable.
•
Neveratallabstainfromtheclosinginthemiddleandendoftheverse.
•
Preservethemeasureuniformlythroughout,
•
Exceptingthefirstsyllableoftheverse,whichisslightlyextended.
28
•
Donotsingtoofastortooslow.
•
Nevertheless,proceedinvariedwayaccordingtothedemandsofthetime.
•
Neverneglectthecorrespondenceofchoirtochoir.
•
Guardagainstaperceptibledecline[inintonation]inallintervals
•
Lettheworkneverbemadesoastobegintoohigh.
•
Themannerofintoningmustbeprovidedforcorrectly.
Hewhodesirestohaveabroadandclearexplanationofthesehereenumerated,letthemnot
besluggishtogotothelecturesofConradvonZabern,whichtothegloryofGodheisalwaysreadyto
doonthissubject,whenasupplyofauditorsisnotlackingforhim.
AppendixII
OntheMannerofBlamelessLectioninChoir
WhateverisAssignedtobeReadbyOneOnly
Sinceforthegoodorderofachoirinsinging,everythinguptothispointisnotsufficient,since
byobservationofthesixpreceptsforsingingwellthepsalmodymaybesungwell,accordingtothe
methodtreatedabove,exceptthisthirdalsobetakencareof,thatspecificallyallsuchthingsasare
assignedtobereadbyonlyonepersoninthechoirshouldbereadblamelessly,lestwhenitisdone
otherwiseitwouldbringignominyuponallthechoir.ForthisreasonhereIappendthissummaryand
quitespecificinstructiononthesubject.
Thus,somepreceptsforthisfollow.
•
Preservewellasinglepitchthroughout,apartfromtheplacesforrests.
•
Makebreathsappropriatelyinsuitableplaceswheretherearenotruerests.
•
Readwordscompletely,distinctly,clearlyandsyllabicallyandwithouthaste.
•
Separatetheclosesonrestsandattheendcompletely.
29
•
Donotascendtoohighnortendtoolowbutmaintainintheproperrangeofthevoice.
•
Performallthisinafullvoicebutevensonottooclamorous.
•
Readneithertooslownortoofast.
•
Donotviolatethemeasurenoticeablyeitherinrestsorbeyondthem.
•
Donotutterrestsmorestronglynorwithanyemphasisthantheothers.46
Bytheseninewellpreservedinnumerableoneswillavoidconfusioninthechoir.
Ifanyonedesirestobeinformedmorefullyabouttheseenumerated,letthemcometothe
collector,ConradvonZabern,whowillbefoundmorereadyforexplainingsufficientlybroadlyand
clearlywhatanyonemaybefounddesiringofthiskind.
46
Iamuncertainofthemeaningofthisphrase,orhowitispossibletoutterarest,thewordsbeingpausas
vociferare.Thewordvociferareclearlyindicatessomethingaudible.HadvonZabernusedtheverbpronuntiare,
whichbythistimehadcometomean“perform,”itwouldhavebeenmorenearlyunderstandable.Insteadhehas
chosentheverbmorecloselyrelatedwiththeproductionofanactualsound.
30