Subject: RE: Modal Music - How to tell?
From:
GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 04 Jul 04 - 06:01 AM
Perhaps the most graphic definition of modes to the modern mind would be:- overlapping portions of the C major scale: or successive octave-stretches along the white keys of the pianoforte. Ecclesiastical modes were the Middle Age perversion of the Greek modes. While overthrown by Nineteenth Century scales and tonality, traces of their influence persevere, and many of the old chants will in use in the Roman Catholic and Anglican services are more or less exact specimens of the capabilities of the modes. The Twenty-first Century will probably qualify and develop our own system of keys our of shape and recognition. The complete overthrow of the ideas of tonality and modulation of the earlier part of the Twentieth Century is indeed even now beginning. We are already over the doorsill of the nullitonis or omnitonic harmonies, and the multitude of accidental sharps and flats and naturals required to notate the highly chromatic music of our day renders inevitable some radical change in the highly chromatic music of our day renders inevitable some radical change the system of keys: meanwhile, the obsolete modal systems have at least a keen historical interest and importance. There is place here for only an allusion to a few of the salient points. Full statement of the details and controversies on them would fill a large library.
Though the Greeks properly gave music a very high place in their educational system, they were to much engrossed in theories, rules and restrictions to build up large material. Their musical resources were of the slenderest. While their noble tragedies were Wagner's idea of opera, the music to which they were set seems to have been of the most limited range and variety; and furthermore, absolutely lacking in harmony even in the Middle Age sense.
The Greek system differs from ours in being all of a minor tendency, in having the notes named down-wards and in paying attention only to melody and not at all to chords. The white piano keys from e' (just above middle C) to the E and octave below represent their oldest and central mode, the Dorian. By remember that all these steps are whole tone except the two semitone from c' to b and F to E, and by representing a whole step by a (+) and a half step by a (-), it will be seen that this Dorian mode descends by the following steps, ++-++-tetrachords. The word chord with them meant "string" not "harmony," for their whole music took its rise from their lyre, a stiff and limited, unfretted instrument of many poetical associations but stinted in practical possibilities called the Dorian tetrachord. The superimposed on the top note e' a similarly tetrachod of the tones a', g', f', e, and added below another e,d,c,B. To those they added the low A as a supplementary (in Greek ,prslambanomenos). The outer couples of tetrachords overlap. Between the middle two is an imaginary lime of separation (diazeuxix), Each of these was therefore a "dijunct" (diazengmon) tetrachord. The "complete system" (systema teleion) of two octave (a' down to A) was divided thus into four tetrachords, each of them given the name which (with its English translation) is shown in the chart here overlapping of "conjunct" (<>I>synemmenon tetrachord in which the b was flat toned d',c',bb, a (++-)
The octave from e' down to E was, as already stated, called the Dorian mode Other portions of the systema were given other names d to D being called the Phrygian c' to C the Lydian and b to B the Mixo-Lydian
They conceived a way of extending these octaves by duplicating one of the tetrachords below (in Greek "hyp",. Thus, if the upper tetrachord ('e to a) of the Dorian mode be transferred and octave below, and fastened to the lower tetrachord, we shall no longer have e',d',c',b,a,g,f,e, (++-++-) but a,g,f,e,d,c,B,A, which also is ++-++-, with the added step + proslambanomenos). This is call the Hypo-Dorian mode.
The Phrygian, Lydian and Miso-Lydian modes do not descend by the same whole and half steps as the Dorian, but as follow: Phrygian (+-+++-+, Lydian (-++-++-, Mixo-Lydian (+++-++-). It will be found, however, that these modes are capable of the same hypo treatment, thus making two more modes, Hypo-Phrygian and Hypo-Lydian - for the Mixo-Lydian (b to B) being too low to add a tetrachord beneath, it is added above, giving e' to e, which is identical with the Dorian. The principal note ionic of the regular modes was the top note. Each hypo-mode kept for its chief note the chief note of the original )or its octave). The names and ranges of these seven modes with two others added later are shown in the chart, which shows also the names and the translation given each note and each tetrachord.
With this system as a foundation and with the use of the conjunct tetrachord and its b flat as an entering wedge, the Greeks gradually added several notes above and below their systema, and inserted half steps between the full steps until they acquired a complete chromatic scale on which they transposed their scales with much melodic freedom. Harmony, or course, they did not have. These transposed scales were not named like the original modes from the chief notes, but were given the name of the scale whose steps they resembled. By making use of the + and - or other sign of indication half or whole steps, it is easy to plot out the steps of any scale and find it prototype and its name in the original modes.
The Greek notation was by letter and symbols. It is too complicated to explain here.
A method of manipulating their scale melodically may be mentioned. The tetrachords as described were call diatonic but in the Dorian e,d,c,b if the d were omitted, the tetrachord became e-c,b, and was called the older enharmonic A later plan was to keep the d, but lower it by half a tone (that is, to tune the d string to csharp), later plans, called the newer enharmonic was to tune the d to a pure third with the e making the tetrachord e,c,c,b; the two c strings differing slightly in tone
This group of three tones, c,c,b, or C#,c,b, was the pyknon (plural pykna Other variation in the treatment were called chroai )colorings). Definite melodies were given definite names, a melody being a nomos (i.e. arrangement, order, or settyin).
Upon this false, but elaborate, system enormous ingenuity was spent, and appalling complexity and scholarship of a kind were made possible to the delight the typical theorist. In respect of melody, the Greek modes offered far more freedom than the church modes, which however, possessed the modern invention of harmony.
Written By the editor Robert Hughes Music Lover's Encyclopedia Garden City Publishing, New York, 1903 p.763.
Sincerely,
Gargoyle
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