Transcribing Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant can be transcribed into modern notation with a number of simple tweaks.

Stems. The GregorianTranscriptionVoice context does not create stems. You can extend this behavior to other contexts by removing Stem_engraver:

\layout {
  …
  \context {
    \Voice
    \remove Stem_engraver
  }
}

Timing. For unmetered chant, there are several alternatives.

The Time_signature_engraver can be removed from the Staff context without any negative side effects. The alternative, to make it transparent, will leave an empty space in the score, since the invisible signature will still take up space.

In many cases, \set Score.timing = ##f will give good results. An alternative is to use \cadenzaOn and \cadenzaOff.

The predefined staff contexts for ancient music do not create measure bar lines. You can extend this behavior to all other contexts with \set Score.measureBarType = #'() or to particular staves with \set Staff.measureBarType = #'().

The predefined staff contexts for ancient music allow line breaks without bar lines. You can extend this behavior to all other contexts with \set Score.forbidBreakBetweenBarLines = ##f or to particular staves with \set Staff.forbidBreakBetweenBarLines = ##f.

A common type of transcription is recitativic chant where the repeated notes are indicated with a single breve. The text to the recitation tone can be dealt with in two different ways: either set as a single, left-aligned syllable:

chant = \relative {
  \clef "G_8"
  c'\breve c4 b4 a c2 c4 \divisioMaior
  c\breve c4 c f, f \finalis
}

verba = \lyricmode {
  \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = -1
  "Noctem quietam et" fi -- nem per -- fec -- tum
  \once \override LyricText.self-alignment-X = -1
  "concedat nobis Dominus" om -- ni -- po -- tens.
}
\score {
  \new GregorianTranscriptionStaff <<
    \new GregorianTranscriptionVoice = "melody" {
      \chant
    }
    \new GregorianTranscriptionLyrics = "one" {
      \lyricsto "melody" \verba
    }
  >>
}

This works fine, as long as the text doesn’t span a line break. If that is the case, an alternative is to add hidden notes to the score, as below.

In some transcription styles, stems are used occasionally, for example to indicate the transition from a single-tone recitative to a fixed melodic gesture. In these cases, one can use the Stem_engraver and manually \omit Stem and \undo \omit Stem.

chant = \relative {
  \clef "G_8"
  \set Score.timing = ##f
  \omit Stem
  \omit Flag
  c'\breve*1/16 \hide NoteHead c8 c c c c
  \undo \hide NoteHead
  \undo \omit Stem \stemUp c4 b4 a
  \omit Stem c2 c4 \divisioMaior
  c\breve*1/16 \hide NoteHead c8 c c c c c c
  \undo \hide NoteHead c4 c f, f \finalis
}

verba = \lyricmode {
  No -- ctem qui -- e -- tam et fi -- nem per -- fec -- tum
  con -- ce -- dat no -- bis Do -- mi -- nus om -- ni -- po -- tens.
}

\score {
  \new GregorianTranscriptionStaff <<
    \new GregorianTranscriptionVoice = "melody" {
      \chant
    }
    \new GregorianTranscriptionLyrics = "one" {
      \lyricsto "melody" \verba
    }
  >>
  \layout {
    \context {
      \GregorianTranscriptionVoice
      \consists Stem_engraver
    }
  }
}

Another common situation is transcription of neumatic or melismatic chants, i.e., chants with a varying number of notes to each syllable. In this case, one would want to set the syllable groups clearly apart, usually also the subdivisions of a longer melisma. One way to achieve this is to use a fixed \time, e.g., 1/4, and let each syllable or note group fill one of these measures, with the help of tuplets or shorter durations. If the bar lines and all other rhythmical indications are made transparent, and the space around the bar lines is increased, this will give a fairly good representation in modern notation of the original.

To avoid that syllables of different width (such as “-ri” and “-rum”) spread the syllable note groups unevenly apart, the X-extent property of the LyricText object may be set to a fixed value. Another, more cumbersome way would be to add the syllables as \markup elements. If further adjustments are necessary, this can be easily done with s ‘notes’.

spiritus = \relative {
  \time 1/4
  d'4 \tuplet 3/2 { f8 a g } g a a4 g f8 e
  d4 f8 g g8 d f g a g f4 g8 a a4 s
  \tuplet 3/2 { g8 f d } e f g a g4
}

spirLyr = \lyricmode {
  \override Lyrics.LyricText.X-extent  = #'(0 . 3)
  Spi -- ri -- _ _ tus _ Do -- mi -- ni _
  re -- ple -- _ vit _ or -- _ bem _ ter -- ra -- _ rum,
  al -- _ _ le -- _ lu -- _ ia.
}
\score {
  \new GregorianTranscriptionStaff <<
    \new GregorianTranscriptionVoice = "chant" {
      \spiritus
    }
    \new GregorianTranscriptionLyrics = "one" {
      \lyricsto "chant" \spirLyr
    }
  >>
  \layout {
    \context {
      \GregorianTranscriptionStaff
      measureBarType = ""
      \override BarLine.X-extent = #'(-1 . 1)
      \hide Beam
      \hide TupletNumber
      \hide TupletBracket
    }
  }
}

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LilyPond Notation Reference v2.25.14 (development-branch).