Unmeasured prelude
Encyclopedia
Unmeasured or non-measured prelude is a prelude
in which the duration of each note
is left to the performer. Typically the term is used for 17th century harpsichord
compositions that are written without rhythm
or metre indications, although various composers of the Classical music era were composing small preludes for woodwind instruments using non-measured notation
well into the 19th century.
era. They were short improvised compositions for lute
, usually performed as an introduction to another piece of music or to test the instrument. Later unmeasured lute preludes retained the improvisatory character of the genre but became more complex and lengthy. Unmeasured preludes flourished into full-fledged compositions by the middle of the 17th century. However the development of lute music had already stopped by that time and the last surviving unmeasured lute preludes date from the end of the same century.
Important lute composers who contributed to the development of the unmeasured prelude include Pierre Gaultier
, René Mesangeau
and Germain Pinel.
Unmeasured preludes for harpsichord started appearing around 1650. Louis Couperin
is usually credited as the first composer to embrace the genre. Couperin wrote unmeasured preludes using long groups of whole note
s, and these groups were connected by long curves. This kind of notation
is found in Couperin's unmeasured preludes and was also done by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Another important contribution to the development of the genre was made by Nicolas Lebègue
, who used diverse note value
s in his unmeasured preludes. The first ever published unmeasured preludes appeared in Lebègue's Le pieces de clavessin in 1677.
Unmeasured harpsichord prelude became a typical French
genre, used by many famous composers including Jean-Philippe Rameau
, Jean-Henri d'Anglebert
, Louis Marchand
and Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre
. Unmeasured preludes were also present in the works of German composers who were influenced by French style. Of these, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
was one of the first to use unmeasured preludes in harpsichord suites.
François Couperin
's didactic L'art de toucher le clavecin
(1716) contained eight preludes that, while unmeasured and improvisatory in nature, were measured for teaching purposes. These pieces, along with several preludes from Nicolas Siret
's Second Livre de Pieces de Clavecin (1719), were among the last unmeasured harpsichord preludes written.
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
in which the duration of each note
Note
In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....
is left to the performer. Typically the term is used for 17th century harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
compositions that are written without rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
or metre indications, although various composers of the Classical music era were composing small preludes for woodwind instruments using non-measured notation
Musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
well into the 19th century.
Unmeasured preludes for lute
The first unmeasured preludes appeared during the RenaissanceRenaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
era. They were short improvised compositions for lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
, usually performed as an introduction to another piece of music or to test the instrument. Later unmeasured lute preludes retained the improvisatory character of the genre but became more complex and lengthy. Unmeasured preludes flourished into full-fledged compositions by the middle of the 17th century. However the development of lute music had already stopped by that time and the last surviving unmeasured lute preludes date from the end of the same century.
Important lute composers who contributed to the development of the unmeasured prelude include Pierre Gaultier
Pierre Gaultier
Pierre Gaultier was a French scholar, lutenist and composer....
, René Mesangeau
René Mesangeau
René Mésangeau was a French composer and lutenist. He is considered to be one of the finest lutenists of the 17th century.In 1619, he settled in France and married the daughter of the spinet maker Jean Jacquet...
and Germain Pinel.
Unmeasured preludes for harpsichord
Louis Couperin
Louis Couperin was a French Baroque composer and performer. He was born in Chaumes-en-Brie and moved to Paris in 1650–51 with the help of Jacques Champion de Chambonnières. Couperin worked as organist of the Church of St. Gervais in Paris and as musician at the court...
is usually credited as the first composer to embrace the genre. Couperin wrote unmeasured preludes using long groups of whole note
Whole note
thumb|right|250px|Figure 1. A whole note and a whole rest.In music, a whole note or semibreve is a note represented by a hollow oval note head, like a half note , and no note stem . Its length is equal to four beats in 4/4 time...
s, and these groups were connected by long curves. This kind of notation
Musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
is found in Couperin's unmeasured preludes and was also done by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. Another important contribution to the development of the genre was made by Nicolas Lebègue
Nicolas Lebègue
Nicolas Lebègue was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was born in Laon and in 1650s settled in Paris, quickly establishing himself as one of the best organists of the country. He lived and worked in Paris until his death, but frequently made trips to other cities to...
, who used diverse note value
Note value
In music notation, a note value indicates the relative duration of a note, using the color or shape of the note head, the presence or absence of a stem, and the presence or absence of flags/beams/hooks/tails....
s in his unmeasured preludes. The first ever published unmeasured preludes appeared in Lebègue's Le pieces de clavessin in 1677.
Unmeasured harpsichord prelude became a typical French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
genre, used by many famous composers including Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau was one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the Baroque era. He replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera and is also considered the leading French composer for the harpsichord of his time, alongside François...
, Jean-Henri d'Anglebert
Jean-Henri d'Anglebert
Jean-Henri d'Anglebert was a French composer, harpsichordist and organist. He was one of the foremost keyboard composers of his day.-Life:...
, Louis Marchand
Louis Marchand
Louis Marchand was a French Baroque organist, harpsichordist, and composer. Born into an organist's family, Marchand was a child prodigy and quickly established himself as one of the best known French virtuosi of his time. He worked as organist of numerous churches and, for a few years, at the...
and Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was a French musician, harpsichordist and composer.-Life and works:...
. Unmeasured preludes were also present in the works of German composers who were influenced by French style. Of these, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer was a German Baroque composer...
was one of the first to use unmeasured preludes in harpsichord suites.
François Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
's didactic L'art de toucher le clavecin
L'Art de toucher le Clavecin
L'art de toucher le clavecin is a didactic treatise by the French composer François Couperin...
(1716) contained eight preludes that, while unmeasured and improvisatory in nature, were measured for teaching purposes. These pieces, along with several preludes from Nicolas Siret
Nicolas Siret
Nicolas Siret was a French baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was born and died in Troyes, France, where he worked as organist in the Church of Saint Jean and the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul...
's Second Livre de Pieces de Clavecin (1719), were among the last unmeasured harpsichord preludes written.
External links
- The History and Pedagogy of Jacques-François Gallay’s Non-Measured Preludes for Horn, Op. 27, Nos. 21-40 A dissertation by Dr. Scott Russell
- Louis Couperin's Unmeasured Prelude #9 performed by Andrys Basten, includes scores with Couperin's highly original unmeasured prelude notation