Re: Church Rests

[Kurt Kroon]

On 10/19/07 9:04 AM, "Eyolf Østrem" <address@hidden> wrote:
> On 19.10.2007 (16:24), Francisco Vila wrote:
>> 2007/10/19, Trevor Daniels <address@hidden>:
>>> 
>>> In the section on multi-measure rests the manual talks about
>>> "church rests", meaning the use of increasing numbers of
>>> little rectangles to indicate how many measures are included
>>> in the multi-measure rest.  In this a generally accepted
>>> musical term, or one invented for lily?
>> 
>> They are completely usual in orchestral parts since I can remember.
>  
> The signs, yes (they go back to mensural notation in the fourteenth
> century), but the name? I've never heard it before, and Grove doesn't
> mention it...

As Eyolf pointed out, this style of rests dates back to mensural notation.

The numbers were added later because people had forgotten that the specific
size and shapes of the rectangles were more than silly decoration. (This
forgetfulness started happening at about the same time the old maxima,
longa, and breve note lengths "officially" went out of fashion. Obviously,
the two events are related.)

To corroborate Eyolf's observation, I looked in my copy of the Grove
Dictionary (the 1880 edition, which I downloaded from Archive.org, since
it's out of copyright). Toward the end of the article on notation, I found
this gem about "Measured chaunt", the accompanying illustrations of which
can only be what we now call white mensural notation.

    "The figures of these notes [used for "Measured chaunt", ca. 1370], and
their corresponding rests, given in one of the earliest works on Music ever
issued from the press -- the 'Practica musicae' of Franchinus Gafurius,
printed at Milan, in 1496 -- differed little from the forms retained in use
until the close of the 16th century."

Without the numbers, I'd be tempted to call this rest style "neo-mensural"
... although the whole and half rests are too wide (and therefore modern)
for that style, and they are no longer used to indicate the mode (the
proprortions maxima:longa and longa:brevis).

Perhaps we should just call it "old style", and be done with it.

Regards,
Kurtis