Skip to main content

fol. 21r

Book two, chapter one: On the art of counterpoint

…y en esto se deve esmerar el contra- [f. 21]puntante.

Exemplo

…seek elegance, which is what the contrapuntist must take care of doing. [f. 21]

Example

…rechercher l’élégance, ce que le contrapuntiste doit s’appliquer à faire.

Exemple

15 Ex. 8a

15 Example 8a, p. I-9 – labeled, with ficta. Notes grouped in repeated patterns. Lusitano refers here to grace and elegance in counterpoint
15 Example 8a, p. I-9 – labeled, with ficta. Notes grouped in repeated patterns. Lusitano refers here to grace and elegance in counterpoint
15 Example 8a, p. I-9 (MP3). MIDI
15 Example 8a, p. I-9 (MP3). Ensemble Les Sacqueboutiers
15 Example 8a (MP3). Recorders (VP)

16 Ex. 8b

16 Example 8b, p. I-9 – labeled, with note groups. See ex. 08a
16 Example 8b, p. I-9 – labeled, with note groups. See ex. 08a
16 Example 8b, p. I-9 (MP3). MIDI
16 Example 8b (MP3). Recorders (VP)

17 Ex. 8c

17 Example 8c, p. I-9 – labeled, with ficta and note groups. See ex. 08a
17 Example 8c, p. I-9 – labeled, with ficta and note groups. See ex. 08a
17 Example 8c, p. I-9 (MP3). MIDI
17 Example 8c (MP3). Recorders (VP)

18 Ex. 8d

18 Example 8d, p. I-9 – labeled, with ficta and note groups. See ex. 08a
18 Example 8d, p. I-9 – labeled, with ficta and note groups. See ex. 08a
18 Example 8d, p. I-9 (MP3). MIDI
18 Example 8d (MP3). Recorders (VP)

Puedense echar tanbien ocho seminimas sobre un breve paro, lo qual es de saber que no todas pueden ser buenas, scilicet perfetas y inperfetas, mas muchas dellas an de ser de las inconpasibles segun que atras esta dicho, sin las quales la solfa perderia la gracia que con ellas tiene. [Mas nota que depues de 4ª, 7ª, o 9ª, o sus conpuestas, no daremos 8ª, ni aon dando y daremos luego 5ª, por que en las primeras seran dos 8as y en esta dos 5as].

Exemplo

We can also do eight semiminims for each binary breve, in which case they cannot all be consonances, that is, perfect and imperfect [consonances], but many of them must be dissonant, as we said before, for without them the melody would lose the grace that comes with them.

[Marg. note, [unreadable]ile:] [but note that from a fourth, seventh, or ninth, or their compounds, we will never leap to an octave, nor will we leap to a fifth after a fourth or fifth, for in the first case there would be two octaves, and in the second, two fifths].[^*]

Example

On peut aussi faire huit semi-minimes sur une brève binaire. À ce propos, il faut savoir qu’elles ne peuvent pas toutes être consonantes, c’est-à-dire parfaites et imparfaites, mais beaucoup d’entre elles doivent être dissonantes comme on l’a dit auparavant, car sans elles, la mélodie perdrait la grâce qu’elles lui confèrent ; [mais notez qu’après une quarte, une septième ou une neuvième, ou leurs redoublements, on ne chantera pas d’octave, pas plus qu’après une quarte ou une quinte on ne chantera de quinte, car pour les premières, il y aurait deux octaves, et pour les secondes, deux quintes].

Exemple

19 Ex. 9

19 Example 9, p. I-11 – labeled
19 Example 9, p. I-11 – labeled
19 Example 9, p. I-11 (MP3). MIDI
19 Example 9 (MP3). Recorders (VP)

[Estas ultimas son juzgadas dos 8as, mas son tanto en uso que an perdido el nombre].

[The last two are considered as two octaves, but they are so often used that they have lost their name.]

[Ces deux dernières sont considérées comme deux octaves, mais elles sont si souvent utilisées qu’elles en ont perdu le nom].


[^*]: [This note, which includes a musical example (ex. 9), is placed at the bottom margin of the page. As with some previous notes, differences regarding ink and some letter shapes suggest it must be a later revision. Intervals remain written in the same way as before: ·4ª·,·7ª·,·9ª·, et cetera.—Tr.]