Gjerdingen argues that “the fluid mixing and matching of schemata would seem to exemplify perfectly the ars combinatoria [or ‘art of combinations’] … this was a philosophical tradition cited by Riepel and other eighteenth-century musicians” (Gjerdingen, 2007: 99 & 115). Select Bibliography Gjerdingen, Robert O. Music in the Galant Style (New York: Oxford University Press, […]
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A term of Robert O. Gjerdingen. A descending melodic sixth or a descending stepwise melodic progression from ➋ to ➍ as an ornament of ➍, after which the latter steps down to ➌. The High ➋ Drop is often used in the context of a Prinner. Gjerdingen has labelled this ornamental gesture the High ➋
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We speak of complementary rhythm (in a two-part setting) when two parts alternate a rhythmic motive so that a regular rhythmic pattern emerges.
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A direct octave occurs when two voices move in the same direction, the upper voice leaping, and produce a vertical octave. This voice leading is normally considered a (soft) error, although composers did accept it under certain conditions, for instance by including a suspension in an inner voice at the moment of the direct octave.
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A direct fifth occurs when two voices move in the same direction, the upper voice leaping, and produce a vertical fifth. This voice leading is normally considered a (soft) error, although composers did accept it under certain conditions, for instance by including a suspension in an inner voice at the moment of the direct fifth.
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In his influencial Abhandlung von der Fuge (1753), Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1718–1795) uses the expression per arsin et thesin “to refer to the entrance of a theme (usually a fugue subject) with displaced accents, former strong beats becoming weak and vice versa” (Walker, Arsis, thesis). (Marpurg was a German author, music critic, music theorist and
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Sine pausa (without pause) refers to the fact that several voices, which are involved in canonic or stretto constructions, produce a simultaneous start of the same motif, theme or fugal subject, whether or not at different pitch levels, in inversion or including different rhythmic proportions. See also stretto. Select Bibliography Demeyere, Ewald. Johann Sebastian Bach’s
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In music, stretto essentially means the overlapping of the same melodic idea/subject in two or more voices. Stretto can thus be considered a canonic technique, although it is usually applied only to a particular passage or passages within a piece that is not itself a canon. Stretto occurs typically in fugues. Paul Walker gives the
The term disposizione is used in the partimento tradition to refer to a fully written-out realization on as many staves as there are parts (in score) and in the Neapolitan counterpoint tradition to refer to a counterpoint exercise to be worked out in score. See also intavolatura. See also partimento. Select Bibliography Fenaroli, Fedele. METODO PER
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The term intavolatura is used in the partimento tradition to refer to a fully written-out keyboard realization (on two staves). An important collection of intavolature is the so-called Parma Manuscript. It contains 24 keyboard realizations from the third book of partimenti by Fedele Fenaroli (1730–1818). See also disposizione. See also partimento. Select Bibliography Fenaroli, Fedele. METODO
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