a (auge, augete) – significative letter used in some MSS to indicate long notes, but in others to indicate higher (altius) notes
accent – a means of emphasizing one or more notes by volume (dynamic accent), pitch (tonic accent), or duration (agogic accent); except in words of only one or two syllables, the liturgical books mark the stressed syllable with an acute accent (´), which sometimes differs from the actual accentuation of medieval Latin; in chant, Hebrew words are typically stressed on the final syllable, regardless of where the accent is marked in the text
accentualism (rhetorical or oratorical approach) – interpretive approach emphasizing speech rhythm
adiastematic neumes – neumes written without a staff “in open field” (in campo aperto)
agogic accent – the emphasis of one or more notes by means of duration; classical Latin had long and short vowel quantities, which were no longer observed in the Early Middle Ages; cf. dynamic accent, tonic accent
Aribo – eleventh-century Benedictine monk and music theorist
bar lines – editorial markings used in the Vatican edition and other editions to indicate phrasing, breathing, and rests
Biezen, Dr. Jan van (1927–2021) – proponent of mensuralism/proportionalism, author of Rhythm, Meter and Tempo in Gregorian Chant
c (celeritas or celeriter) – significative letter used in many MSS to indicate short notes
C – the St. Gall Cantatorium, Codex Sangallensis 359, from between 922 and 926; includes only graduals, alleluias, and tracts
cantilena metensis (Messine chant) – a name for what would later be known as Gregorian chant
cantus planus – see plainsong
Cardine, Dom Eugène, O.S.B. (1905–88) – author of Gregorian Semiology, founder of the “new Solesmes” style
Ch – Chartres 47, a gradual from the tenth century, destroyed in 1944
climacus (pl. climaci) – a descending neumatic element, usually three notes, high-low-lower
clivis (also clinis, flex, or flexa; pl. clives) – a neumatic sign composed of a two notes, high-low
crasis – the fusion of two or more identical vowels, e.g., suum, tuum, Kyrie eleison, filii Israel
cursive – a connected style of writing all or part of a neume, signifying short note values; just as in ordinary penmanship, the objective of cursive writing is not greater ornamentation and elegance, but rather speed and efficiency without lifting the pen more than necessary
diastematic neumes – “heightened” neumes written either on a staff or otherwise indicating pitch according to their position on the page
disaggregate neume – also called a praepunctis neume; a neume with an initial punctum (usually a tractulus or uncinus in the MSS) separated from the rest of the neume with a neumatic break; the first note is considered long not only in proportional rhythm and semiology, but also in more mature or advanced presentations of the Solesmes method
dot – see punctum mora
dynamic accent – the emphasis of one or more notes by means of volume; by the time of the earliest extant chant MSS, Latin word stress is generally considered to have been chiefly dynamic rather than quantitative (agogic) or tonic
E – the Einsiedeln Gradual (E), Codex Einsidlensis 121, from between approximately 960 and 996
episema (pl. episemata) – 1. in the St. Gall neumes, a stroke added to the top or end of a neumatic element to signify lengthening; 2. in the Solesmes and some other editions, a horizonal line, resembling a tenuto mark in modern music, indicating a relatively long note; 3. in the Solesmes editions, a vertical line indicating the placement of the ictus but also used to differentiate the salicus from the scandicus , in which case the marked note is held
equalism – style of chant assigning equal durational values to all notes except at cadences (phrase endings) or the mora vocis; cf. nuance, proportional rhythm
Euouae – abbreviation for the vowels of saeculorum amen, used to indicate which termination or conclusion of the Gloria Patri is to be used
franculus – see gutturalis
Gajard, Dom Joseph, O.S.B. (1885–1972) – longtime choirmaster of Solesmes, successor to Dom Mocquereau
golden rule – according the the preface to the Vatican edition, the “golden rule” states that “there must be no pause at the end of any neum followed immediately by a new syllable of the same word; by no means must there be a lengthening of sound still less a silent beat, for this would break up and spoil the diction”; in the English edition of the Liber Usualis, the rule is restated as, “Never take breath just before a fresh syllable of a word”; the rule is known since the late thirteenth century and is not contemporaneous with the oldest sources
gradual – 1. the chant normally sung immediately after the epistle; 2. the book of chants for the Mass; which of these definitions is intended is usually clear from context
Graduale Novum – a triplex edition (ConBrio, 2011; 2nd vol. 2018) incorporating the melodic corrections published in the journal Beiträge zur Gregorianik beginning in 1996, in response to Vatican II’s call for a more critical edition; cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium
graphic(al) convention, mere(ly) – a term frequently used by Vollaerts in reference to notational characteristics that appear to be rhythmically significant but are not, e.g., always adding an episema to every virga without exception
Guido of Arezzo (ca. 991 or 992–after 1033) – music theorist and inventor of staff notation
gutturalis (franculus or virga strata) – a neumatic sign composed of virga, uncinus, or punctum, followed by an oriscus
Hakkennes, Chris (1916–2003) – editor of the Graduale Lagal
ictus (pl. ictus) – the beat in the sense of the instant when the direction of the conducting gesture changes; cf. tactus
in composition – used to describe a note used in combination with other neumatic signs rather than isolated; cf. melisma, oligotonic
initio debilis (pl. initio debiles) – literally, weak beginning; a very short note at the beginning of a neume or component, generally notated in some sources and lacking in others
isolated – used to describe the setting of a syllable to a single note; a one-note neume used by itself; cf. syllabic, in composition
isometric – variants of Reformation-era chorales and psalm tunes with mostly equal note values; analagous to equalism in chant; cf. rhythmic
jubilus (pl. jubili) – the long melisma that prolongs the last syllable of the alleluia before the gospel at Mass
Kainzbauer, Xaver – musicologist known for semiology, melodic restoration, digitalization of manuscript images, Antiphonale Synopticum, Graduale Authenticum, and Graduale Synopticum
L – the Laon Gradual, Codex Laudunensis 239, from around the year 930; the Laon municipal library website actually dates it to the ninth century
liquescent – a note used in conjunction with one or more consonants or a diphthong, which occurs only at the end of a neume or in isolation, never in the middle of a neume; in the Vatican edition and most other editions, notated as a smaller note (or more than one note, in the case of the ancus/climacus) when it represents a higher or lower pitch; in most adiastematic MSS, liquescent notes have a rounded appearance in comparison to their non-liquescent counterparts
m (mediocritas) – significative letter meaning moderately
Medicaean edition – any of the various altered editions of chant that were published beginning in the Renaissance era until they were superseded by the Vatican edition
melisma (pl. melismata; adj. melismatic) – a neume composed of multiple elements; a single syllable sung to many notes; cf. oligotonic, syllabic
mensuralism – term denoting measured rhythm and used in at least three different senses: proportional rhythm; chant with a meter or time signature; or chant with a steady beat (tactus) but including tuplets or irregular proportions (1:2:3:4:5)
Messine – adjective form of Metz (city in present-day France), birthplace of the neumatic notation used in L and elsewhere
Mocquereau, Dom André, O.S.B. (1849–1930) – founder of the Paléographie musicale, associated with the Vatican edition and the Solesmes method
mora vocis (pl. morae vocis) – literally, a prolongation of the voice; a place where a note is lengthened, indicated by a neumatic break, by a bar line, by a blank space the width of a notehead in the Vatican edition, or, in the Solesmes editions, by the punctum mora dot
Mp – Montpellier H 159, Antiphonary or Tonary of St. Benigne, eleventh century; “digraphic” alphabetical notation
MS (pl. MSS) – standard abbreviation for manuscript(s)
Murray, Dom Gregory, O.S.B. (1905–92) – proponent of mensuralism/proportionalism, author of Gregorian Chant according to the Manuscripts
neumatic break or cut – a separation of one neumatic element from another; a break in the neume, generally considered “expressive” and lengthening the preceding note unless at a melodic low point; cf. disaggregate neume
neume (or neum; adj. neumatic) – properly, all notes sung to a single syllable; commonly, a neumatic sign, element, figure, component, group, graphic, or glyph (all of these terms are used interchangeably)
Nickel, Royce – editor of the Graduale Renovatum
non-cursive – a style of writing all or part of a neume with separation between the notes, with the addition of an episema, or in an angular fashion, signifying long note values
normal syllabic value (Lat. valor syllabicus medius, It. tempo sillabico normale, Fr. temps syllabique moyen) – the normal duration of a syllable set to a single note; in proportional rhythm, the normal syllabic value is relatively long, of one beat; short neumes of half a beat are the exception, not the rule; in semiology, the normal syllabic value is also relatively long, but may be augmented or diminished on account of the text, independent of the neumes themselves; in the Solesmes method, the normal syllabic value is short and indivisible, with long or doubled isolated syllables being the exception
nuance – according to the theory of Mocquereau, the “long” neumatic signs indicate interpretive nuances, not quantitative proportions; cf. equalism, proportional rhythm
officium – another name for the introit, used in the Dominican and some other rites
oligotonic – used to describe a chant characterized by several notes per syllable for the most part; the word is uncommon in English but more accurate than the alternative neumatic; cf. syllabic, melisma
oral tradition – the transmission of music “by mouth” and “by ear” (aural) without notation
Ordinary – the chants that are repeated at Masses throughout the year: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Ite missa est; note that the Gregorian Credo chants are numbered separately from the rest of the Ordinary; in polyphony, the Benedictus is a separate movement, and the Ite missa est-Deo gratias is generally not included; many prayers said by the priest are non-choral parts of the Ordinary
organum, parallel (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, órganum) – a medieval style of singing in parallel intervals of perfect fourths and fifths, not to be confused with more developed forms of organum
oriscus (pl. orisci) – in the MSS, a neumatic sign with a wavy (not jagged or serrated!) appearance, which is never followed by a unison note
ornamental note – a note sung lightly and shorter than the normal short value; in some interpretations, may include the quilisma, an auxiliary note in conjuction with the oriscus, initio debiles (weak beginning) notes, and passing tones within otherwise long neumatic elements
pes (pl. pedes) or podatus (pl. podati) – a neumatic sign composed of a two notes, low-high
plainsong (or plainchant; Lat. cantus planus) – a name used to differentiate chant (sometimes called cantus firmus in Church documents) from harmonized (“figured”) music
porrectus (pl. porrecti) – a neumatic sign composed of a three notes, high-low-high
porrectus subbipunctis – a neumatic sign composed of a five notes, high-low-high-low-lower; in the Vatican edition, notated as a porrectus followed by two puncta inclinata
praepunctis – see disaggregate neume
pressus major – a neumatic sign comprised of two unison notes followed by a lower note, the second note being an oriscus; in the Vatican edition, printed as punctum+clivis
Proper – the chants that vary from one Mass to another: introit, gradual, alleluia, tract, sequence, offertory, communion; also the collect, epistle, gospel, secret, and postcommunion, although the latter are chanted according to a formula and therefore of lesser musical importance
proportional rhythm – the interpretation of the long and short neumatic signs in 2:1 proportion; cf. equalism, nuance
psalm tone – a melodic formula for chanting psalm verses or similar liturgical texts
punctum (pl. puncta) – literally, a point; a neumatic sign indicating a short note; the former practice of referring to the tractulus also as a punctum is now nonstandard
punctum inclinatum – a diamond- or rhombus-shaped punctum; in the Vatican edition, used only for two or more descending notes
punctum mora (pl. puncta morae) – an augmentation dot; in the Solesmes edition, an editorial addition (supposedly), which doubles the preceding note
quilisma (or tremula) – a neumatic sign with a jagged or serrated appearance, probably indicating a rising portamento or slide between notes; there is also a descending version in Mp and other notations
recitative – term used in classical music for a style of singing a text more or less in speech rhythm, with the notation indicating relatively long and short notes, not exact rhythmic proportions; liturgically, the chants for the the prayers of the celebrant, the readings, and the psalmody of the Divine Office are recited on pitch according to a formula; the most basic form of liturgical recitative is recto tono
recto tono – the recitation of text on a single pitch (monotone); cf. recitative
repercussion – the rearticulation of repeated pitches sung on the same syllable
responsorium – as far as the chants of the Mass are concerned, another name for the gradual, used in the Dominican and some other rites
rhythmic – in reference to Reformation-era chorales and psalm tunes, the version of the melody retaining the original rhythm; analagous to proportional rhythm in chant; cf. isometric
Romanian letter – see significative letter
Sacrosanctum Concilium – Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy mandating, among other things, liturgical “pride of place” for Gregorian chant and the preparation of a “more critical edition” of the chant books in use since the restoration by St. Pius X
St. Gall – the largest family of chant MSS, named after the abbey of St. Gall (or St. Gallen), Switzerland, or the neumatic notation used in them; outstanding among which, for the chants of the Mass, are C and E
salicus (pl. salici) – an ascending neumatic element including an oriscus in at least one of the MSS; in the Vatican edition, usually notated as punctum+pes with a vertical episema under the second note, or pes+virga with a vertical episema over the second note; cf. scandicus
scandicus (pl. scandicus) – an ascending neumatic element; in the Vatican edition, usually notated as punctum+pes or pes+virga; cf. salicus
semiology – the “new Solesmes” style inaugurated by Dom Cardine, based on a nuanced, non-proportional interpretation of the oldest extant sources
significative letter – a letter or combination of letters used in some MSS to signify melody, rhythm, volume, tone, etc.; also called Romanian letters after the deacon Romanus, who established the choir school (schola cantorum) at St. Gall in the early ninth century; cf. a, c, m, t
Solesmes – Benedictine monastery reestablished by Dom Prosper Guéranger after the French Revolution; pivotal in the 19th- and 20th-century restoration of chant; as an adjective, Dom Mocquereau’s style of interpretation (which is now known to be based upon a misinterpretation of some of the oldest MS evidence) as revised and codified in the Solesmes chant books, including the Liber Usualis, and further developed under Dom Gajard
special torculus – Cardine’s alternative name for the torculus initio debilis written with a rounded form in L
staff (pl. staves or staffs) – a set of lines used for notating music; the four-line staff still used in Gregorian notation was invented by Guido; a fifth line was added in the thirteenth century
Stingl, Anton jun. (b. 1940) – editor of the Gregor und Taube website, Graduale Restitutum, and Offertoriale Restitutum
stress – see accent
subpunctis – adjective added to the name of a neumatic element to signify that it’s followed by lower notes; subbipunctis indicates two descending notes and subtripunctis, three
syllabic – used to describe a chant characterized by one note per syllable for the most part; cf. melisma, oligotonic
syncopation – in chant, the placement of one or more long notes between two short notes resulting in the rhythm short-long-(long-long-etc.)-short, such that the ictus and tactus do not coincide
t (tarditas, tene, tenere, tenete, or trahere) – significative letter used in many MSS to indicate long notes
tactus – the beat in the sense of the rhythmic pulse, not necessarily the conducting gesture; cf. ictus
tonic accent – the primary stressed syllable of a Latin word, often marked in liturgical books with an acute accent (´); historically, the emphasis of the accented syllable by means of one or more notes of higher pitch than the neighboring syllables of the same word; in addition to vowel quantity, classical Latin (at least in formal rhetoric) also had the latter kind of a tonic accent, which, like vowel quantity, disappeared in the Early Middle Ages; cf. agogic accent, dynamic accent
torculus – a neumatic sign composed of a three notes, low-high-low
torculus resupinus – a neumatic sign composed of a four notes, low-high-low-high
tractulus (pl. tractuli) – in the MSS, a neumatic sign indicating a long note; cf. punctum, uncinus
triplex edition – a chant edition with three notations, typically L, square, and either E or C
uncinus (pl. uncini) – a neumatic sign indicating a long note, regarded as the Messine equivalent of the tractulus; cf. punctum
Van Biezen – see Biezen
Vatican edition (Vat) – the still-official chant edition for the Roman rite, published in the first decade of the 20th century
virga (pl. virgae) – a neumatic sign signifying a higher note; frequently modified by an episema in St. Gall
virga strata – see gutturalis
Vollaerts, Fr. Jan W. A., S.J. (1901–56) – proponent of mensuralism/proportionalism, author of Rhythmic Proportions in Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Chant
weak beginning note – see initio debilis
