2.8.5 Working with ancient music—scenarios and solutions

Incipits
Mensurstriche layout
Transcribing Gregorian chant
Ancient and modern from one source
Editorial markings

Working with ancient music frequently involves particular tasks which differ considerably from the modern notation for which Lilypond is designed. In the rest of this section, a number of typical scenarios are outlined, with suggestions of solutions. These involve:

• how to make incipits (i.e. prefatory material to indicate what the original has looked like) to modern transcriptions of mensural music;
• how to achieve the Mensurstriche layout frequently used for modern transcriptions of polyphonic music;
• how to transcribe Gregorian chant in modern notation;
• how to generate both ancient and modern notation from the same source.

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Incipits

TBC

See also

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Mensurstriche layout

Mensurstriche (‘mensuration lines’) is the accepted term for bar lines that are drawn between the staves of a system but not through the staves themselves. It is a common way to preserve the rhythmic appearance of the original, i.e. not having to break syncopated notes at bar lines, while still providing the orientation aids that bar lines give.

The mensurstriche-layout where the bar lines do not show on the staves but between staves can be achieved with a StaffGroup instead of a ChoirStaff. The bar line on staves is blanked out by setting the transparent property.

global = {
  \override Staff.BarLine #'transparent = ##t
  s1 s
  % the final bar line is not interrupted
  \revert Staff.BarLine #'transparent
  \bar "|."
}
\new StaffGroup \relative c'' {
  <<
    \new Staff { << \global { c1 c } >> }
    \new Staff { << \global { c c } >> }
  >>
}

TBC

See also

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Transcribing Gregorian chant

TBC

See also

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Ancient and modern from one source

TBC

See also

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Editorial markings

TBC

See also

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Other languages: español.
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