Essays on the Origins of Western Music

by
David Whitwell
Essay Nr. 105: Tinctoris on the Aesthetics of Music
Gustave Reese calls Johannes Tinctoris (1435 - 1511) very much a man of his
own time, !rimarily "ecause of the often #uote$ statement "y Tinctoris that in his view
only the com!ositions of the !ast 4% years were worth !erformin&'
1

(e that as it may, an$ for all his "rilliance an$ s)ill in o"servation of the current
musical scene, he was nevertheless a theorist of the ol$ *cholastic school' +e was, after
all, a canon of the church at ,ivelles early in his career, which !erha!s e-!lains that for
him (li)e some mo$ern musicolo&ists.) music meant /hurch music, with only to)en
reco&nition of the wi$er worl$ of music &oin& on all aroun$ him' 0urin& his tenure in
,a!les un$er 1er$inan$ 2, Tinctoris must have "een e-!ose$ not only to 2talian
humanism, "ut to a wi$e variety of secular art music of hi&h #uality' 3et he assi&ns little
s!ace to these thin&s in his treatises an$ conclu$e$ Jesus /hrist to have "een the &reatest
sin&er'

4usic, to Tinctoris, still "elon&e$ to the ol$ me$ieval $efinition of the li"eral
arts, where it resi$e$ as a "ranch of mathematics' /ontem!orary information ma)es this
association with Tinctoris irrefuta"ly clear' 5 "io&ra!hical note of 1465 calls him an
1
Gustave Reese, 4usic in the Renaissance (,ew 3or)7 ,orton, 1656), 141'
1
outstan$in& mathematician, as well as a musician of the hi&hest ran),
8
an$ in the
9rolo&ue to his own treatise /oncernin& the ,ature an$ 9ro!riety of Tones, Tinctoris
i$entifies himself as one who !rofesses the mathematical sciences'
3
2n this same wor),
in s!ea)in& of /hurch mo$es he says these were name$,
accor$in& to arithmetic, without which it is o"vious no famous musicians
esca!es'
4

+e also mentions, in this same treatise, that he has !reviously written a wor) on
!ro!ortions, calle$ 9ro!ortionale 4usices, which ha$ "een critici:e$ "y one of the most
ri$iculous of all sin&ers' 2n$ee$, he confi$es this man has not "een afrai$ to menace
me with a violent meal of this little "oo) if ever 2 shoul$ return to my native lan$' ;e
can only assume that it was a musician of more mo$ern humanistic leanin&s who ma$e
this threat' The critic may have reacte$ to this !assa&e in the earlier "oo), which "oth
seems to reco&ni:e a new style, to the e-tent that even com!osers such as <)e&hem are
"rea)in& the ol$ rules, an$ testifies once a&ain on "ehalf of a mathematical un$erstan$in&
of music'
5s a result of this tem!est, the musical a"ility of our time has un$er&one
such an increase that it seems to "e a new art''''
(ut alas. 2 won$er not only at these "ut even at many other famous
com!osers, for while they com!ose so su"tly an$ so in&eniously with
incom!rehensi"le smoothness, 2 have )nown them to i&nore entirely musical
!ro!ortions or to si&nify incorrectly those which they $o )now' 2 $o not $ou"t
that this results from a lac) of arithmetic, without which no "rilliant achievement
in music esca!es, for !ro!ortion is !ro$uce$ from its entrails'
5

2n another !lace he accounts for errors in !ro!ortions amon& com!osers he )new as "ein&
$ue to their failure in e-!ertise in arithmetic'
=

<ne fre#uently $iscusse$ to!ic of the ol$ *cholastic tra$ition which Tinctoris $i$
not acce!t was the hy!othesis of the music of the s!heres' +owever, "ecause the to!ic
was still "ein& seriously a$vance$ "y some in the 15th century, he felt com!elle$ to "e&in
his treatise, the 5rt of /ounter!oint, with a reference to, an$ re>ection of, this two
thousan$-year-ol$ notion'
2
?uote$ in 2"i$', 13@'
3
/oncernin& the ,ature an$ 9ro!riety of Tones, trans', 5l"ert *eay (/olora$o *!rin&s, 16A=), 1'
4
2"i$', 3'
5
9ro!ortionale 4usices, trans', 5l"ert *eay in Journal of 4usic Theory (165A), 2, 1, 8A'
6
2"i$', 222, ii'
2
2 unsha)a"ly a&ree with 5ristotle''', to&ether with our more recent
!hiloso!hers, who most clearly !rove that there is neither real nor !otential soun$
in the heavens'
A

<n the 9ur!ose of 4usic
Tinctoris &ives as the first !ur!ose of music that it $eli&ht the listener, a$$in& that
he a&rees with (oethius that consonances rule all the $eli&ht of music'
@
+e continues
"y e-!ressin& his feelin&s very clearly re&ar$in& music which offen$s the ear'
5n$, if 2 may refer to what 2 have hear$ an$ seen, 2 have hel$ in my han$s
at one time or another many ol$ son&s of un)nown authorshi! which are calle$
apocrypha that are so ine!t an$ stu!i$ly com!ose$ that they offen$e$ the ears
rather than !lease$ them'
6

5n a$$itional !ur!ose of music &iven "y Tinctoris is #uite interestin&' 1or the
first time since 5ristotle we rea$ of somethin& #uite similar to the famous !hiloso!herBs
ori&inal conce!t of catharsis, a term he invente$ to $escri"e the effect of Tra&e$y on the
o"server' ;ith re&ar$ to music, Tinctoris $escri"es the listener as "ein& more refreshe$
an$ wiser' +e "e&ins this !assa&e with his o"servation, mentione$ a"ove, that he
"elieve$ no com!osition more than forty years ol$ was worthy of !erformance' +e then
lists com!osers he consi$ere$ e-em!lary, inclu$in& names familiar to musicians to$ay,
such as 0ufay, 0unsta"le, (usnois, (inchois an$ <)e&hem' 5fter a$mittin& he $oes not
)now whether the source of their e-cellence is some heavenly influence or to a :eal of
constant a!!lication, he &ives the aesthetic !ur!ose we have referre$ to'
5lmost all of these menBs wor)s e-hale such sweetness, that, in my
o!inion, they shoul$ "e consi$ere$ most worthy, not only for men an$ heroes, "ut
even for the immortal &o$s' /ertainly 2 never listen to them or stu$y them
without comin& away more refreshe$ an$ wiser'
1%

Tinctoris ac)nowle$&es the effect of music on the listener, "ut here mostly in the conte-t
of rather !ractical results7 music $eli&hts Go$, it e-cites the soul to !iety, it elevates the
min$, it ma)es wor) easier an$ it increases convivial !leasures'
11

7
The 5rt of /ounter!oint, trans', 5l"ert *eay (5merican 2nstitute of 4usicolo&y, 16=1), 14'
8
2"i$'
9
2"i$'
10
2"i$', 14ff'
11
Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14='
3
(ut on the other han$, for all his care in associatin& "oth the natural sweetness of
consonance, an$ that $issonance which offen$s, with the musical materials themselves,
Tinctoris was not #uite willin& to acce!t the !osition of "oth the ancient Gree)s an$ the
mo$ern humanists that musical materials also affect character' ,o $ou"t his "eliefs, li)e
those re&ar$in& the mathematical nature of music, were con$itione$ "y his a$herence to
the ol$ /hurch $o&ma, which clearly ha$ maintaine$ for itself the role of character
formation' 5t the same time, he seeme$ to share with the Gree)s a &enuine res!ect for
the !ower of music'
5n$ how &reat was that melo$y "y whose !ower the &o$s, sha$es, $rea$
s!irits, animals, inclu$in& those ca!a"le of reason, an$ inanimate o">ects are rea$
to have "een move$. 1or (an$ this is the un"elieva"le !art) it is not far from a
mystery, since !oets woul$ not have conceive$ such thin&s a"out music unless
they ha$ seen its !ower as somethin& to "e marvele$ at, with, at times, a $ivine
invi&oration of the soul'
18

1or Tinctoris any a"ility musical !erformance ha$ in reflectin& a !articular
emotional #uality was a characteristic not merely of the musical materials themselves, "ut
also of their !erformance or in the natural emotional ma)eu! of the listener'
To "e sure, it will "e !ossi"le for a son& in one an$ the same Cmo$eD to "e
!laintive an$ cheerful an$ stern an$ neutral, not only in re&ar$ to com!osers an$
sin&ers, "ut instruments an$ soun$-ma)ers as well' 1or what !erson s)ille$ in
this art $oes not )now how to com!ose, to sin& an$ to !erform some Cmelo$iesD
!laintively, others cheerfully, some sternly an$ others neutrally, althou&h their
com!osition, sin&in& an$ !erformance are carrie$ out in the same Cmo$eDE
5lso, certain )in$s of voices an$ instruments are ma$e or are naturally or
artificially !laintive, certain cheerful, certain stern an$ certain neutral''''
/ertain of these !articular harmonies a&ree, are fittin& an$ are useful for
various a&es an$ customs' There is not the same $eli&ht or a similar >u$&ment to
all !eo!le' 5 cheerful soul is $eli&hte$ "y cheerful harmonies an$ conversely
stern ones are acce!te$ "y a stern soul''''
13

4o$ern clinical research has !roven that Tinctoris is not #uite correct, for we
)now to$ay that emotions are universal an$ that the emotions communicate$ "y music
are also universal, at least on a &eneral level' 2t follows, from common sense if nothin&
else, that or$inary listeners woul$ not a!!reciate music as they $o, if it were necessary
for them to un$erstan$ the conce!tual as!ects of it' (ut Tinctoris returns to the ancient
12
9ro!ortionale 4usices, <!' cit', 9rolo&ue'
13
/oncernin& the ,ature an$ 9ro!riety of Tones, <!' cit', 4ff'
4
$o&ma, which followe$ the /hurch view that music was a"out mathematics an$ not
emotion' <nly musically e$ucate$ !ersons, he $eclares, can !ro!erly hear music'
5lthou&h the *!artans may have sai$ that they coul$ >u$&e without
learnin& a"out &oo$ an$ "a$ harmonies, this !osition has not "een com!letely
$efen$e$, for as the universal o!inion of all !hiloso!hers hol$s, a sense of hearin&
is too often lac)in&' 2f the truth is to "e confesse$ 2 have )nown an$ !ut to the
test many !eo!le, not $eaf, "ut e-!erts in the art of music, who, not a$mirin& the
si:e or "eauty of the voice, !refer calf-li)e "ellowin&s to mo$erate rationalities
an$, as 2 say, to an&elic son&s' 2 thin) these !eo!le worthy to have their human
faces with their stu!i$ ears chan&e$ "y $ivine intervention into those of an ass''''
<nly musicians >u$&e soun$s correctly' Tullius has therefore written this
to +ortensius7 4any thin&s esca!e us in son&F only those traine$ in this fiel$
hear !lainly' +ence, 5ristotle comes to this conclusion not uselessly in the
ei&hth "oo) of the Politics7 The youn& shoul$ &ive themselves to the !ractice of
the art of music so that, as ol$ men, they can >u$&e an$ en>oy it correctly'
14

2n another !lace, Tinctoris e-ten$s this view to the !erformer as well,
!ara!hrasin& an ol$ *cholastic i$ea first a$vance$ "y Gui$o $B5re::o'
5 musician is one who ta)es u! the metier of sin&in&, havin& o"serve$ its
!rinci!les "y means of stu$y' +ence, someone has set $own the $ifference
"etween a musician an$ a sin&er in the followin& >in&le7
There is a big difference between musicians and singers.
These know, those talk about, what music is.
And he who doesnt know what he talks about is considered
an animal.
15

1inally, in another treatise, Tinctoris mentions the im!ortance of music in
increasin& !leasures, o"servin& that,
sin&ers an$ all ty!es of instrumentalists -- shawms, $rummers, or&anists,
lutenists, recor$er an$ trum!et !layers -- a$$ to the ma&nificence of &reat
"an#uets'
1=

+e !oints to <"recht, in his only reference to this com!oser, as "ein& e-!ert in such
music' ;hile never mentione$ in &eneral music history te-ts, <"rechtBs father was the
lea$er of a civic "an$ an$ !erha!s <"recht was therefore more active in secular music
than the stu$ent woul$ ever &uess'
14
2"i$', 5'
15
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, trans', /arl 9arrish (,ew 3or)7 1ree 9ress of Glencoe, 16=3), 45'
16
?uote$ in Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14='
5
<n 4elo$y an$ +armony
The first interestin& comment which Tinctoris ma)es re&ar$in& melo$y su&&ests
that for him it still ha$ its ancient association with !oetry,
5 melo$ic interval is the imme$iate connection of one sylla"le after
another'
1A

,e-t he ma)es two statements which may seem startlin& to the mo$ern rea$er'
4elo$y is the same as harmony'
4elos is the same as harmony'
1@

Tinctoris, unfortunately, $oes not e-!lain what he meant "y this, "ut these statements
ma)e much sense in view of mo$ern clinical research' 5lthou&h in mo$ern music
schools melo$y an$ harmony are treate$ as if se!arate, "ut e#ual, elements of music,
clinical research clearly $emonstrates that melo$ic !atterns have a stron& &enetic
universality' 5ll melo$y has harmonic character, of course' (ut "eyon$ this fact,
harmony !ro"a"ly has little im!act on the listener, even with re&ar$ to feelin&' The ol$
ma>or is ha!!y an$ minor is sa$ clichG is not "orne out in either clinical research or in
actual !ractice "y com!osers' 4elo$y communicates ha!!y or sa$ feelin&s, "ut harmony
!ro"a"ly contri"utes !rimarily to the effect of motion'
2n one other !lace, Tinctoris says +armony is a certain !leasantness cause$ "y an
a&reea"le soun$'
16
Tonality (mo$e) he associates only with a sin&le line, a"ove all with
the tenor, of a !oly!honic wor)' 2n$ee$, in one !lace he su&&ests that if one tries to sin&
a !oly!honic wor) with the tenor !art left out,
the other !arts woul$ soun$ im!ro!erly $iscor$ant to each other an$ woul$
"itterly offen$ our ears'
8%

<n Time in 4usic
1or the smallest element of time, the sin&le note, Tinctoris #uite correctly remin$s
the rea$er that notation is only a sym"ol of the real music'
17
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, <!' cit', 1A'
18
2"i$', 41'
19
2"i$', 6'
20
9ro!ortionale 4usices, <!' cit', 222, iv'
6
5 note is the sym"ol of a soun$, an$ is of either $efinite or in$efinite time
value'
81

9erha!s the most im!ressive of all the treatises "y Tinctoris is the 9ro!ortionale
4usices, an e-traor$inarily com!le- e-!osition of the !ossi"ilities of this system of
!ro&ressive metric chan&es in the in$ivi$ual line' Reese o"serves,
;e fin$ him here a musical mathematician, at times e-!lainin&
!ro!ortions that can have ha$ little to $o with actual !ractice, thou&h they may
have "een stu$ie$ for !ur!oses of e-ercise'
88

;e woul$ &o further an$ $eclare it im!ossi"le to ima&ine that any sin&er, then or now,
coul$ mana&e much of these a"stract !otentialities' Tinctoris himself seems to reco&ni:e
this when he recommen$s a sim!le metho$ of a!!roach to !ro!ortions in /hurch music
to eliminate $elay an$ $ou"t in !erformance, for,
;hen any com!ositions have "een "rou&ht to a !erformin& &rou!, they
ou&ht to "e !erforme$ without the sli&htest hesitation'
83

,evertheless, here Tinctoris was clearly on home &roun$ an$ he is very
outs!o)en re&ar$in& the errors he fin$s in even &ifte$ com!osers' +e $oes this, he says,
not from arro&ance, "ut for the !ur!ose of fi&htin& for truth'
84
2n various !laces he
critici:es the ine-cusa"le error of <)e&hem,
85
a "a$ use "y 0ufay
8=
(in another !lace,
since he a$mire$ 0ufay, he says the com!oser has most won$erfully erre$
8A
) an$ with a
ri$iculous !ractice "y 9as#uin, lac)in& in all art an$ melo$y'
8@

<n 1orm in 4usic
5mon& TinctorisBs o"servations re&ar$in& form, we fin$ the followin& the most
interestin&' The rea$er will notice the su&&estion here of im!rovisation, a to!ic we are
much in$e"te$ to Tinctoris for, for his many insi&htful comments'
21
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, <!' cit', 4A'
22
Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14='
23
9ro!ortionale 4usices, <!' cit', 2, ii'
24
2"i$', 9rolo&ue'
25
2"i$', 2, iii'
26
2"i$'
27
2"i$', 222, vi'
28
2"i$', 2, vi'
7
5 canon is a rule showin& the !ur!ose of the com!oser "ehin$ a certain
o"scurity'
86

'''''
5 cantilena is a small !iece which is set to a te-t on any )in$ of su">ect, "ut more
often to an amatory one'
3%

'''''
5 !art-son& is one which is !ro$uce$ "y the relationshi! of the notes of one !art
to those of another in various ways, an$ which is commonly calle$ com!ose$
Cwritten outD'
31

'''''
5 cantus ut jacet Cthe !iece as it liesD is a !iece which is sun& entirely as it is
written, without any im!rovisation C$iminutionD'
38

'''''
5 hymn is the !raise of Go$ in son&'
33

<n /onsonance an$ 0issonance
The careful attention Tinctoris &ives to consonant an$ $issonant intervals is
limite$ to his !rinci!al interest in /hurch music an$ his conclusions unfortunately $o not
reflect the "roa$er worl$ of secular music "ein& !erforme$ all aroun$ him'
34
,evertheless, one $efinition of consonance which he offers, in his 0ictionary, woul$
have "een acce!ta"le to all musicians, for he $efines it as a "len$in& of $ifferent !itches,
which stri)es !leasantly on the ear''''
35
2n another treatise, he constantly !refers the
sim!le $efinition, sweet, "ut a$$s an im!ortant new insi&ht' +ere he clearly associates
"oth consonance an$ $issonance with feeling, an$ not mathematical ratios' 2t is a truth
almost com!letely for&otten in to$ayBs music theory classroom'
5 concor$ is the mi-ture of two !itches, soun$in& sweetly to our ears "y
its natural virtueF 2 thin) that the wor$, concor$, is $erive$ meta!horically from
con an$ cor, for >ust as a sweet frien$shi! is "rou&ht a"out from the comin&
to&ether of two hearts that are in mutual a&reement, so is a smooth concor$ ma$e
from a mi-ture of two !itches that are mutually a&reea"le'
3=

29
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, <!' cit', 13'
30
2"i$', 13'
31
2"i$', 13' This a!!ears to "e a $istinction to a melo$y with im!rovise$ !arts'
32
2"i$'
33
2"i$', 3A'
34
Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 145'
35
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, <!' cit', 15' 2n the (russels manuscri!t of this "oo), an a$$itional
$efinition is foun$7 *ym!hony is the same as consonance' C2"i$', AAD
36
The 5rt of /ounter!oint, <!' cit', 1A'
8
;ith re&ar$ to the $iscussion "y Tinctoris of the various intervals, we a&ain focus
only on those comments which carry aesthetic clues' 5mon& the intervals which he
consi$ers, in &eneral, concor$s, he "e&ins with the unison'
The unison, "ecause of its tem!erate sweetness is most carefully to "e
avoi$e$, e-ce!t when a com!osition is "e&un with it, or, for the sa)e of its
charm''''
3A

The intervals of the fifteenth an$ twenty-secon$, he fin$s most sonorous, sweet an$
!erfect''''
3@

(oth the thir$ an$ the seventeenth has the hi&hest sweetness, whereas the
octave an$ a thir$ he merely calls suave'
36

Re&ar$in& the fourth, Tinctoris a$mits this was favore$ "y our ancestors, "ut
for his &eneration he says it !ro$uces an intolera"le $iscor$' +ere, also, he #uotes
/icero as sayin& that learne$ ears cannot !ut u! with a $iscor$ant harmony'
4%
The
interval of the eleventh he fin$s intolera"ly harsh to learne$ ears'
41
The ei&hteenth he
fin$s somewhat more interestin&, for it offen$s learne$ ears in a won$erful way' +ence
in counter!oint it is not allowe$'''' <n the other han$, he notes that it is !ermissi"le if
either a thir$ or a fifth, "y which it is ma$e sweeter, will "e !lace$ "eneath it'
48

2nterestin&ly enou&h, Tinctoris was not #uite comforta"le in callin& the si-th a
consonance' +is reason, once a&ain, was that, rather than sweetness, for his ears it
!ro$uce$ rather as!erity'
43
*imilarly, the thirteenth he states "rin&s to the senses
more as!erity than suavity, an$ in another !lace he calls it harsh,
44
an$ the interval of
the twentieth he calls more of a $iscor$ than a concor$'
45

2n his 0ictionary, Tinctoris $efines $issonance as a com"ination of $ifferent
soun$s which "y nature is $is!leasin& to the ears'
4=
2n another !lace, usin& his same
analo&y a"ove, in which this term is a meta!hor for feelin&, Tinctoris calls a $issonance
that which is,
37
2"i$', 88'
38
2"i$', =%, @%'
39
2"i$', 85, 43, =5'
40
2"i$', 86'
41
2"i$', 4@'
42
2"i$', A%'
43
2"i$', 34'
44
2"i$', 55ff'
45
2"i$', A='
46
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, <!' cit', 85'
9
a mi-ture of two !itches naturally offen$in& the ears' 5n$ it is calle$ $iscor$
meta!horically from $is an$ cor$e, for, >ust as the "itterness of enmity arises
from the se!aration of two hearts from a mutual uniformity of sentiment, so the
harshness of a $iscor$ is !ro$uce$ from two !itches not a&reein& with each
other'
4A

<ne shoul$ never, he cautions, thin) of a $issonance as sim!ly a "a$ consonance' +e
reserves his most aesthetically $escri!tive lan&ua&e for the tritone, which he $eclares is
so unfrien$ly to nature that it not only offen$s the ears, "ut also, in$ee$, is
im!ossi"le''''
4@

The !sycholo&ical states of tension an$ release familiar to the use of $issonance
an$ its resolution in music of the !erio$ of functional harmony, an$ later, was an
aesthetic conce!t not !ermissi"le for Tinctoris'
There are some who a!!rove the intro$uction of an inte&ral $iscor$ for the
reason that an imme$iately followin& concor$ woul$ a!!ear more suave, since it
has "een alle&e$ that one #uality !lace$ "esi$e its antithesis &leams forth more
"ri&htly' < most vali$ reasonin&. ,ever ou&ht any vice "e committe$ "y a man
of commen$a"le virtue so that his virtue may shine more clearlyF never ou&ht any
ine!t i$eas "e inserte$ into a $istin&uishe$ oration so that the other !arts may
seem more ele&ant' 5n$ which one of our learne$ !ainters strivin& to $eli&ht the
si&ht, 2 as), has consi$ere$ intro$ucin& some )in$ of $eformity into any lovely
form so that the other mem"ers may a!!ear more "eautifulE
46

+e #uotes /icero as !ointin& out that the traine$ listener hears even the most minute
$iscre!ancies in intonation in lyres or flutes' Tinctoris, therefore, conclu$es that such an
intentional $iscor$ woul$ have the result,
that the soul of the eru$ite listener falls into &rief, contrary to the intention of
music, which 5ristotle claims to contain a natural $eli&ht within itself'
5%

2nterestin&ly enou&h, he then seems to !ermit small $iscor$s, !resuma"ly if
they are what we call to$ay !assin& tones' The most im!ortant !rinci!le, for Tinctoris,
seems to "e that the $issonance is not hear$ at the "e&innin& of a !rinci!al tone' This
corres!on$s with some mo$ern research which has su&&este$ that it is the attac), an$ not
the tone itself, which often influences listeners to $eci$e if a &iven tone #uality is &oo$ or
"a$'
47
The 5rt of /ounter!oint, <!' cit', @5'
48
2"i$', @@'
49
2"i$',18A'
50
2"i$'
10
,evertheless, small $iscor$s'''are at times allowe$ to "e use$ "y
musicians, >ust as reasona"le fi&ures Cof s!eechD "y &rammarians, for the sa)e of
ornament an$ necessity' 1or a son& is ornamente$ when an ascent or $escent is
ma$e from one concor$ to another "y com!ati"le means an$ "y synco!ations
which cannot occasionally "e ma$e without $iscor$s' These !articular small
$iscor$s, therefore, $o not re!resent themselves so vehemently to the hearin&,
since they are !lace$ a"ove the last !arts of notes, as if they were use$ a"ove the
first C!arts of notesD' 4usical soun$s, to "e sure, are ma$e from a violent motionF
hence, if violent motion is their nature, so it is a"ate$ near the en$' The
conse#uence is that the secon$ !arts of notes are not of as violent Cnot as lou$D a
soun$ as the first'
51

51
2"i$',18Aff'
11
<n 9erformance 9ractice
/ontrary to the view which has ca!ture$ some university music !rofessors in the
Hnite$ *tates $urin& the 8%th century, Tinctoris correctly an$ cate&orically states7 4usic
is 9erformance.
4usic is that s)ill consistin& of !erformance in sin&in& an$ !layin&, an$ it
is threefol$, namely harmonic CvoiceD, or&anal CinstrumentsD, an$ rhythmical'
58

5s a /hurch official "y trainin&, music !erformance to Tinctoris meant first an$
foremost sin&in&' 5mon& the $efinitions in his 0ictionary re&ar$in& sin&in&, the
followin& are the most interestin& from an aesthetic !oint of view'
5 jubilus is a melo$y $elivere$ with a certain hi&h e-u"erance'
53

'''''
9ronunciation is the ele&ant $elivery of the voice'
54

'''''
There is also another semitone which is calle$ the chromatic CCromaticumD' 2t is
use$ when, in sin&in&, some note is raise$ for the !ur!ose of a "eautiful
$elivery'
55

2n &eneral, Tinctoris says a &oo$ sin&er must have ars, mensura, modus, pronunciatio,
et vo bona'
5=

5mon& TinctorisBs various $iscussions of /hurch sin&in&, no $ou"t the most
sur!risin& to!ic for the mo$ern rea$er is his rather fre#uent reference to im!rovisation
Csuper librumD' (ut this is not only re!resentative of the most ancient !erformance of
music, "ut, as Reese o"serves the !rominent role it !laye$ in the musical life of the time
Cof TinctorisD'
5A
2n one of his more e-!licit references to this, Tinctoris su&&ests the
im!rovisation was !rimarily $one a&ainst the tenor an$ su&&est some !re-a&reement
amon& the sin&ers has a more !rofita"le result'
(ut, with two or three, four or many, harmoni:in& super librum, one is not
su">ect to the other, for, in$ee$, it suffices that each of them ma)e consonances
with the tenor with those thin& that !ertain to the law an$ arran&ement of
concor$s' 2 $o not, however, thin) it $is&raceful, "ut rather most lau$a"le, if,
52
0ictionary of 4usical Terms, <!' cit', 43'
53
2"i$', 3A'
54
2"i$', 46'
55
2"i$', 5A'
56
?uote$ in Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14A'
57
2"i$',143' Reese also su&&ests that much of the i$ioms of later style were first wor)e$ out in
im!rovisation'
12
a&reein& amon& themselves on a similarity of assum!tion an$ arran&ement of
concor$s, they sin& !ru$ently, or thus they ma)e of their harmoni:in& a fuller an$
more suave CeffectD'
5@

Iater in this same treatise, Tinctoris, seems to su&&est variety in performance as a
!rimary virtue of im!rovisation'
Jariety must "e most accurately sou&ht for in all counter!oint, for, as
+orace says in his Poetics7 <ne who sin&s to the )ithara is lau&he$ at if he
always wan$ers over the same strin&' ;herefore, accor$in& to the o!inion of
/icero, as a variety in the art of s!ea)in& most $eli&hts the hearer, so also in
music a $iversity of harmonies vehemently !rovo)es the souls of listeners into
$eli&htF hence 5ristotle, in his !thics, $oes not hesitate to state that variety is a
most !leasant thin& an$ human nature in nee$ of it'
5lso, any com!oser or im!roviser of the &reatest &enius may achieve this
$iversity if he either com!oses or im!rovises now "y one #uantity, then "y
another, now "y one !erfection, then "y another, now "y one !ro!ortion, then "y
another, now "y one con>unction, then "y another, now with synco!ations, then
without synco!ations, now with fugae, then without fugae, now with !auses, now
without !auses, now $iminishe$, now as written' ,evertheless, the hi&hest reason
must "e a$here$ to in all these, althou&h 2 have )e!t silent a"out im!rovisation
Csuper librumD, which can "e $iversifie$ "y the will of those im!rovisin&F nor $o
so many an$ such varieties enter into one chanson as so many an$ such in a
motet, nor so many an$ such in one motet as so many an$ such in one mass'
56

2n his treatise, 0e 2nventione et Hsu 4usicae, Tinctoris actually !oints to a tra$ition,
calle$ cantus regalis, in which some im!rovisation was $one to !lain chant'
=%

1inally, he su&&ests that the most successful musician is the one who com!oses
with constant effort or sin&s super librum' +e conclu$es this $iscussion with the
interestin& o"servation that he has never )nown one successful com!oser or im!roviser
who "e&an his !ractice after the a&e of 8%'
=1

58
The 5rt of /ounter!oint, <!' cit', 1%5'
59
2"i$', 136'
60
Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14A'
61
The 5rt of /ounter!oint, <!' cit', 14%ff'
13
<n 2nstrumental 4usic
2n his treatise, 0e 2nventione et Hsu 4usicae, Tinctoris writes at len&th of the
!rinci!al instruments, as well as the "est !erformers )nown to him'
2n (oo) 222 he $iscusses the history of the early shawm, )nown first as tibiae, an$
in his time as celimela' 2nterestin&ly enou&h he mentions the continue$ e-istence of the
$ou"le shawm Cduplici tibiaD, which is surely the ancient aulos, "ut he calls this
instrument the least !erfect' The shawm he &ives in three si:es, so!rano, tenor
CbombardaD an$ contratenor, the latter of which mi&ht "e su"stitute$ "y the trom"one'
=8
To&ether the ensem"le is calle$ alta Cwin$ "an$D' The "est !layer of the shawm he )new
was Go$efri$us, a musician of 1re$eric) 222'
=3

(oo) 2J an$ J Tinctoris $evotes to a very $etaile$ $iscussion of the wi$e variety
of strin& instruments familiar to the Renaissance' The only strin& instrument he fin$s
$isa&reea"le is the Tur)ish tambura, which he calls a misera"le an$ !uny instrument
which the Tur)s with their even more misera"le an$ !uny in&enuity, have evolve$ from
the lyra'
=4
+e later mentions that he hear$ this instrument in ,a!les !laye$ "y Tur)s in
ca!tivity, to console themselves' To the ears of Tinctoris,
The e-trava&ance an$ rusticity of these !ieces were such as only to
em!hasi:e the "ar"arity of those who !laye$ them'
=5

5ll of the strin&s he !oints out can !lay music in four !arts an$ the lute, in
!articular, is use$ at feasts, $ances an$ !u"lic an$ !rivate entertainments' 5mon& the
most &ifte$ !layers of the lute he !oints to 9ietro (ono of 1errara an$ +einrich, a
German in the service of /harles the (ol$' The Germans, in !articular, Tinctoris says
im!rovise marvelously u!on a tre"le !art with such taste that the !erformance cannot "e
rivale$'
==

+e s!ea)s of the viola CviolD as "ein& use$ in *!ain an$ 2taly to accom!any the
recitation of e!ic !oetry an$ mentions the musicianshi! of two 1lemish "rothers, /harles
an$ Jean <r"us'
62
5nthony (aines, 1ifteenth-century 2nstruments in TinctorisBs "e #nventine et $su %usicae, in The
Gal!in *ociety Journal (165%), 222, 8%ff'
63
Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14Aff'
64
5nthony (aines, <!' cit', 2J, 83'
65
2"i$', 2J, 85'
66
2"i$', 84'
14
5t (ru&es, 2 hear$ /harles ta)e the tre"le an$ Jean the tenor in many
son&s, !layin& this )in$ of viola so e-!ertly an$ with such charm that the viola
has never !lease$ me so well'
=A

The viol an$ re"ec were clearly the favorite instruments of Tinctoris'
2 am similarly !lease$ "y the re"ec, my !re$ilection for which 2 will not
conceal, !rovi$e$ that it is !laye$ "y a s)illful artist, since its strains are very
much li)e those of the viola' 5ccor$in&ly, the viola an$ the re"ec are my two
instrumentsF 2 re!eat, my chosen instruments, those that in$uce !iety an$ stir my
heart most ar$ently to the contem!lation of heavenly >oys' 1or these reasons 2
woul$ rather reserve them solely for sacre$ music an$ the secret consolations of
the soul, than have them sometimes use$ for !rofane occasions an$ !u"lic
festivities'
=@

Gustave Reese em!hasi:es the im!ortance of this reference "y Tinctoris to the use of
these instruments in sacre$ music as valua"le su!!lementary evi$ence that instruments
were use$ in the !erformance of /hurch music'
=6

1inally, Tinctoris mentions the new &uitar of *!ain an$ foun$ it !laye$ !rimarily
"y women to accom!any love son&s'
67
2"i$'
68
2"i$', 84ff'
69
Gustave Reese, <!' cit', 14@'
15