In this essay, I discuss Telemann’s views on which note can be doubled in a sixth chord. Since Telemann advocates a generally four-part realization, he gives several guidelines as to which note can be doubled. While each note can be selected for this purpose, doubling the sixth and third is preferable, with doubling the bass […]
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Fauxbourdon is a contrapuntal technique originating in the early Renaissance, often resulting in parallel sixths, though not exclusively so. Today this term is frequently used in a broader sense to indicate any passage of parallel sixth chords, regardless of the musical period. (Very) Select Bibliography Gjerdingen, Robert O. Music in the Galant Style (New York:
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The Greek term hemidiapente is used in music as a synonym for the interval of the diminished fifth, hemi meaning “half”, dia “over”, pente “five”. See also diatessaron, diapente and diapason. (Very) Select Bibliography Mattheson, Johann. Der vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739). Walther, Johann Gottfried. Musicalisches Lexicon (Leipzig, 1732).
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The Greek term diapason has several meanings in English. One of them is used in music as a synonym for the interval of the octave, dia meaning “over”, pason “all”. See also diatessaron, hemidiapente and diapente. (Very) Select Bibliography Baragwanath, Nicholas. Note-Naming, Galant Schemata, and the “Thread” of Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins, Op. 3
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The Greek term diatessaron is used in music as a synonym for the interval of the perfect fourth, dia meaning “over”, tessaron “four”. See also hemidiapente, diapente and diapason. (Very) Select Bibliography Baragwanath, Nicholas. Note-Naming, Galant Schemata, and the “Thread” of Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins, Op. 3 No. 10 (RV 580), in: Music Theory
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The Greek term diapente is used in music as a synonym for the interval of the perfect fifth, dia meaning “over”, pente “five”. Johann Mattheson, for instance, gives the following description: “The fifth is called diapente, i.e. “over five”, because it comprises five diatonic tones, of which the two outermost, as endpoints, are principally perceived.”
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In this essay, I discuss Telemann’s views on direct fifths and octaves. Telemann takes a stricter stance on direct fifths and octaves than his 18th-century colleagues —recommending to avoid them also between the bass and an inner part— yet remains flexible, occasionally even producing outer-part progressions that are downright objectionable. The musical examples are taken
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In this essay, I will discuss Telemann’s views on parallel fifths, both within the keyboard realization and between one of its parts and the vocal part. The SSGBÜ include rules and guidelines for the succession of two perfect fifths, of a perfect to a diminished fifth and vice versa. Telemann forbids consecutive perfect fifths within
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A term coined by Robert O. Gjerdingen. A Passo Indietro (It. “a step to the rear”) is a synonym for a clausula altizans or a ⑤/④–③ cadence. Gjerdingen explains: “A descent in the bass from ④ to ③ often preceded a stronger cadence. A deflection downward before reversing into the upward stepwise ascent of the
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Contrary to what one might expect, a thoroughbass player does not always have to respect the figurings as they are indicated. In fact, as Telemann presents in his Singe-, Spiel- und General-Bass-Übungen, alternative chords and/or settings are in certain cases not only possible but even preferable. Telemann explains how and when certain expected/figured chords can
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