350:
291:, but rather a technique. The term continued to be used down to modern times with changing senses, at first for polyphony in general, then to differentiate a subcategory of polyphony (either in contrast to organum, or for improvised as distinct from written polyphony). By extension it became the name of a part that is added above the tenor, and later as the name of the highest part in a polyphonic setting (the equivalent of "cantus", "superius", and "soprano"). Finally, it was adopted as the name of the highest register of instruments such as recorders, cornets, viols, and organ stops.
509:’s late 12th-century settings. These settings are often punctuated with passages in discant style, where both the tenor and upper voice move in modal rhythms, often the tenor part in mode 5 (two long notes) and the upper part in mode 1 (a long then short note). Therefore it is easier to imagine how discant style would have sounded, and we can make a guess as to how to recreate the settings. It is suggested by scholars such as
132:
35:
538:, around 1200. The parts in these three and four past settings were not necessarily related to each other. Evidence suggests that the parts were either related to the tenor part, or composed independently. Either way, this formed the first ‘composition’, and provided a foundation for development, and a new style,
298:
is three-voice parallelism in first-inversion triads." However, because it allowed only three, four, or at most five such chords in succession, emphasizing contrary motion as the basic condition, it "did not differ from the general
European discant tradition of the time". Because English discant
524:
Current research suggests that the word 'discantus' was formed with the intention of providing a separate term for a newly developed type of polyphony. If true, then it is ironic that the newer term, "discantus", ended up being applied to the older note-against-note style, while the older word
525:"organum" was transferred to the more innovative style of florid-against-sustained-note polyphony. This may have been partly because the 12th century was an era that believed in progress, so that the more familiar "organum" was kept for the style then considered to be the most up-to-date.
500:
throughout each part. In earlier types of organum, rhythm was either not notated as in organum purum, or notated in only the upper voice part, however Notre Dame composers devised a way of notating rhythm using ligatures and six different types of rhythmic
533:
The development of modal rhythms enabled the progression from two part discant style to three and four part discant style. This is because, only voices, confined to a set rhythm can be combined effectively to make a set phrase. This was mainly related to
474:(an approximately equal rate of movement in all the voices) with between one and three notes in the upper part to every note in the tenor part. At the end of a phrase however, in discant style, the upper part may have more notes, thus producing a more
343:, who wrote "The effect is thrilling; it gives the curious impression of an ethereal choir joining in the worship below; and those who hear it for the first time often turn and look up at the roof!". An example of a descant from this collection (for
317:. A second hypothesis, that an unwritten tradition of this kind of parallel discant existed in England before 1500, "is supported neither by factual evidence nor by probability".
256:
In modern usage, especially in the context of church music, descant can also refer to a high, florid melody sung by a few sopranos as a decoration for a hymn.
328:
descants are counter-melodies, generally at a higher pitch than the main melody. Typically they are sung in the final or penultimate verse of a hymn.
382:
During the last quarter of the twentieth century, new editions of hymnals increased the number of included descants. For example, the influential
637:, fourth edition, edited by Don Michael Randel, Harvard University Press Reference Library 16 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003)
902:
663:
642:
897:, fourth edition, edited by Don Michael Randel. Harvard University Press Reference Library 16. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
887:
719:
606:
339:, served as a source of tunes for which the earliest known hymn tune descants were published. These were in collections compiled by
118:
924:
871:
753:
299:
technique has commonly been associated with such a succession of first-inversion triads, it has inevitably become confused with
56:
373:, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Several of their descants appear in what is possibly the earliest hymnal to include descants,
246:
353:
965:
842:
Der
Discantussatz im Magnus liber und seiner Nachfolge: mit Beiträgen zur Frage der sogenannten Notre-Dame-Handschriften
782:
A Collection of Faux-bourdons and
Descants for the French Ecclesiastical Melodies and Other Tunes in the English Hymnal
708:
Geschichte des englischen
Diskants und des Fauxbourdons nach den theoretischen Quellen, mit zahlreichen Notenbeispielen
856:
630:
99:
71:
171:
and a variant of discant. Throughout the Middle Ages the term was used indiscriminately with other terms, such as
45:
568:
423:
375:
370:
78:
52:
448:
305:, with which it has "no connection whatsoever". This misinterpretation was first brought forward in 1936 by
558:
402:
336:
310:
85:
960:
553:
188:
518:
67:
241:
Descant can also refer to the highest pitched of a group of instruments, particularly the descant
882:, 91–122. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Reprinted, New York: Da Capo Press, 1980.
356:
20:
802:, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
682:, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).
915:
Spiess, Lincoln B. 1955. "Discant, Descant, Diaphony, and
Organum: a Problem in Definitions".
898:
883:
795:
715:
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638:
618:
602:
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439:
344:
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844:. Wiener musikwissenschaftliche Beiträge 8. Vienna, Cologne, and Graz: H. Böhlaus Nachfolger.
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16:
Music that features a fixed vocal melody set to improvisations, often in counterpoint
288:
284:
235:
219:
621:, "Discant ", §I. Discant in France, Spain and Germany, 1. Etymology, Definition,
335:
of 1906 did not include descants, this influential hymnal, whose music editor was
780:
847:
Flotzinger, Rudolf, Ernest H. Sanders, and Peter M. Lefferts. 2001. "Discant ".
431:
301:
231:
34:
175:. In the 17th century it took on special connotations in instrumental practice.
159:, depending on the period in question; etymologically, the word means a voice (
862:
Hughes, Andrew. 1966. "Mensural
Polyphony for Choir in 15th-Century England",
592:
535:
419:
415:
269:
908:
Scott, Ann Besser. 1970. "The
Performance of the Old Hall Descant Settings".
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481:
Throughout the discant passages, the two parts interchange between consonant
563:
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945:
698:
45, no. 1 (January 1959): pp. 26–48. Citation on pp. 26 and 41.
678:
Ernest H. Sanders and Peter M. Lefferts, "Discant: II. English
Discant",
379:(London: Oxford University Press, 1925, enlarged, 1931, reprinted 1971).
215:
had specific rules governing the improvisation of the additional voices.
163:) above or removed from others. The Harvard Dictionary of Music states:
514:
475:
276:
265:
223:
470:
Both the tenor and upper parts move at about the same rate, using the
486:
184:
732:
283:, in either case with a "note against note" upper voice, moving in
414:(GIA Publications, 1994) offers 254 descants by composers such as
272:
156:
869:
Hughes, Andrew. 1967. "The Old Hall Manuscript: a Re-appraisal".
833:
Crocker, Richard L. 1962. "Discant, Counterpoint, and Harmony".
633:. (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001); Janet Knapp, "Discant",
250:
242:
878:
Kenney, Sylvia W. 1964. "The Theory of Discant". Chapter 5 of
694:
Sylvia W. Kenney, "'English Discant' and Discant in England",
28:
826:
Clark Kimberling, "Hymn Tune Descants, Part 2: 1935–2001",
815:
Clark Kimberling, "Hymn Tune Descants, Part 1: 1915–1934",
798:, "Organum, §6: ‘Organum’ and ‘Discant’: New Terminology".
451:" has contributed to the enduring popularity of the genre.
658:(Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1976), p. 128.
544:
was developed from the three and four part discant ideas.
466:, and can be identified by the following characteristics:
386:(Episcopal) contains no descants, whereas its successor,
355:
Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can
779:
Riley, Athelstan (1916). "No. 560 The National Anthem".
238:. Nowadays the counterpoint meaning is the most common.
740:
Musikwissenschaftliches Seminar der Universität München
279:
in the chant) or is used without a plainchant basis in
203:
in which only the melody is notated but an improvised
365:
Among composers of descants during 1915 to 1934 were
931:
Waite, William. 1952. "Discantus, Copula, Organum".
249:. Similarly, it can also be applied to the soprano
392:, contains 32. Among other currently used hymnals,
59:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
922:Trowell, Brian. 1959. "Faburden and Fauxbourdon".
447:and others to well known Christmas tunes such as "
819:54 (no. 3) July 2003, pages 20–27. (Reprinted in
751:"Cantilena and Discant in 14th-Century England".
674:
672:
712:Sammlung musikwissenschaftlicher Abhandlungen 21
309:, but has been proved invalid, first in 1937 by
849:The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
800:The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
680:The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
623:The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
165:
459:This style was dominant in early 12th century
933:Journal of the American Musicological Society
917:Journal of the American Musicological Society
864:Journal of the American Musicological Society
835:Journal of the American Musicological Society
821:Journal of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society
690:
688:
496:Discant style is characterised by the use of
226:singer in any group of voices, or the higher
199:(descant "above the book"), and is a form of
191:. The word in this sense comes from the term
8:
209:
193:
149:
880:Walter Frye and the "Contenance Angloise"
710:(Strasbourg: Heitz); Reprint edition, in
517:style in order to mirror the grandeur of
505:Examples of this can be found in some of
437:In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, the
119:Learn how and when to remove this message
768:http://www.servicemusic.org.uk/descants/
130:
585:
443:collection, which features descants by
155:is any of several different things in
830:55 (no. 1) January 2004, pages 17–22.
7:
410:, 21. The Vocal Descant Edition for
218:Later on, the term came to mean the
57:adding citations to reliable sources
601:, p.228. Harvard University Press.
230:line in a song. Eventually, by the
14:
785:. A.R. Mowbray. pp. 104–105.
455:12th-century Aquitanian polyphony
264:In origin, discant is a style of
183:in which one singer sang a fixed
714:(Baden-Baden: V. Koerner, 1973)
313:, and then by Sylvia Kenney and
234:, descant referred generally to
33:
893:Knapp, Janet. 2003. "Discant".
859:. London: Macmillan Publishers.
529:Discant in three or four voices
44:needs additional citations for
19:For the literary magazine, see
187:, and others accompanied with
1:
946:Selection of hymnal descants
851:, second edition, edited by
625:, second edition, edited by
513:, that Léonin used this non-
352:
919:8, no. 2 (Summer):, 144–47.
912:56, no. 1 (January): 14–26.
895:Harvard Dictionary of Music
635:Harvard Dictionary of Music
598:Harvard Dictionary of Music
345:the British national anthem
982:
840:Flotzinger, Rudolf. 1969.
823:29 (February 2004) 17–20.)
18:
935:5, no. 2 (Summer): 77–87.
866:19, no. 3 (Fall): 352–69.
569:Last verse harmonisation
449:O come, all ye faithful
398:The Presbyterian Hymnal
357:download the audio file
268:that either includes a
179:A descant is a form of
559:Congregational singing
412:Worship, Third Edition
403:The New Century Hymnal
396:contains 29 descants;
337:Ralph Vaughan Williams
311:Thrasybulos Georgiades
260:Origin and development
211:discantus supra librum
210:
195:discantus supra librum
194:
177:
167:Anglicized form of L.
150:
136:
656:The Analysis of Music
554:Anglican church music
478:passage at a cadence.
394:The Worshiping Church
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519:Notre Dame Cathedral
207:is understood. The
53:improve this article
966:Musical terminology
472:equalitas punctorum
347:) goes as follows:
275:part (usually on a
137:
925:Musica Disciplina
910:Musical Quarterly
903:978-0-674-01163-2
872:Musica Disciplina
796:Rudolf Flotzinger
757:, 19 (1965):7–52.
754:Musica Disciplina
696:Musical Quarterly
666:. Emphasis added.
664:978-0-13-033233-2
643:978-0-674-01163-2
619:Rudolf Flotzinger
440:Carols for Choirs
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315:Ernest H. Sanders
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135:Soprano clef
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109:January 2009
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51:Please help
46:verification
43:
21:
593:Apel, Willi
432:Carl Schalk
384:Hymnal 1940
302:fauxbourdon
232:Renaissance
955:Categories
580:References
564:Hymn tunes
515:melismatic
476:melismatic
461:Aquitanian
420:David Hurd
416:Hal Hopson
270:plainchant
79:newspapers
24:(magazine)
875:21:97–129
738:(Munich:
541:conductus
483:intervals
464:polyphony
367:Alan Gray
326:Hymn tune
281:conductus
205:polyphony
169:discantus
151:discantus
68:"Descant"
928:8:43–78.
828:The Hymn
817:The Hymn
595:(1969).
548:See also
521:itself.
321:In hymns
247:recorder
536:Pérotin
487:octaves
277:melisma
266:organum
228:pitched
224:soprano
173:descant
145:discant
141:descant
93:scholar
22:Descant
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886:
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507:Léonin
501:modes.
491:fifths
430:, and
406:, 10;
400:, 19;
220:treble
185:melody
161:cantus
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88:
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574:Organ
511:Grout
273:tenor
157:music
147:, or
100:JSTOR
86:books
899:ISBN
884:ISBN
855:and
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660:ISBN
639:ISBN
629:and
603:ISBN
251:clef
243:viol
72:news
253:.
245:or
222:or
55:by
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