Ars contrapunct secundum Philippum de Vieriaco
Inciptintroductio contrapunet
Prologus.
Volentibus introduet in artem contrapuneti, id est nota contra notam,
{quamplurima prenotenda sunt. Et primo et prineipaliter notandum
‘quod omnes note monaco cant aiquo itorum sex nominum,
seilcet: ut, ey mi f, So a
Ad evidentiam ergo totius musice, tam cantus mensurailis quar)
immensueabils, primo videndum est quot sunt species ju
preambula, et que sunt necessaria ad demonstrationem et
intelligentiam omnis canta
"Tredecim igitur sunt species cantus sive discantus, nec plures nee
puciores que debito modo rationem numeri tenent. Et iste tredecim
species loquuntur de numero relat ad sonos proportionatos, qi
sicut dcit Guido, sapicntssimus muse magiser, ita est de ils qui
arte canunt, scat de ils hominibus itteratis qui nunquam ltteras
Aidicerunt. Item dicit Guido: Vulgares eantors in vanum laborant qui
iferentiany unis toni vel semitoni discernere nesciunt;tamen ips in
cantando negligentes, et divinam et secularem seripruram plene
perfecte cognoscere potuissent.
que sunt
"Tractatus primus,
aput primum, De tedecim speciebus.
Sccundum etiam predictum Guidonem sapientissimum, in arte musice
excelletissimum, et secundum magistrum Johannem de Gallania,
‘quondam in studio Parisno expertissimum atque probatisimum, a¢
‘tia secundum Boetium et secundum plures alos magistrs, tredecim
sunt species quibus utimur in omni tam cantu mensurshili quam
Jmmensurail et non plures nec pauciores. ciliet:unisonus, tonus,
semitonium, dyptonus, semidytonus, dyatessaron, trtonus et
yapente, ronus eum dyapes jum eum dyapemte, dytonus
‘um dyapente,semidytonus cum dyapente et dapason. Ex sieut
The Art of Counterpoint According to Philippe de Vitry
sr, Regma
"Here begins the introduction in counterpoint.
Prologue
For those wishing to be introduced in the at of counterpoint (that i, note
against note), many things are to be afore-noted. And firstly and principally it
shouldbe noted thar ll the nots ofthe monochordare called by ane of these
six names 0 wit, ty ry mi i, sob f
Fora lear understanding of all musi, measurable song. 3s wells,
‘unmeasurable, therefore, we must frst consider how many ate its species,
‘which [of them] have preeminence, and which are necessary for the
demonstration and understanding of all song.
“There are, then, thirteen species of chant or dscant, neither more nor
fewer, which cary the ratio of number in the proper way. And those
thirteen species are expressive of number in regard to proportioned
sounds, for as that most earned magiste of musie Guido say, itis the
same with those who sing without science as iis with studious men who
have never acquired literacy. Also, Guido says: popular singers who are
‘unable to tell the difference berween atone and semitone are laboring in
‘ain; yet those who are ignorant in singing might [til] beable to Tear
both divine and worldly seriprare fully and perfectly
First
First chapter. Concerning the thirteen species
According to the aforesaid Guido, (who is] most learned and most
oustanding inthe at of musi and according 10 Magister Johannes de
Garlandia, in his day the most experienced and esteemed man in the
Parisian school, and also according to Boethius, and according to many
other magisters, thee ae thirteen species which we use inall song,
measurable as wel as unmeasurable, neither more nor fewer, namely
unison, whole tone, semitone, ditone, semiditone, diatessaron, tritone and
Jiapente, tone plus dipente, semitone plus diapent, ditone plus diapente,
semiditone plus diapente, and dispason, And just as there addition and
1auditio et compositio fit specei dyapente, ta addito et composito fit
speciel dyapason,
ima species, videicetunisomus, est quandacumgue plures note
vel voces invcem collocantur in eadem linea vel spatio. Secundum,
Aliscantum unisonus habet fri, quando discantus et eantus in eadem
linea vel spatioconveniant; et dicitue unisonus ab uns, na, unui, et
sonus, quasi unus et equals sonus, sine olla variatone, wt hie patet,
exemplum:
o Poe
composition of the species of diapente, soit there addition and
composition of the species of diapason
‘The first species, that is, the unison, is manifest whenever several
notes or pitches are placed next to one another on the same line or space.
In diseant the unison occurs when the diseantus and the chant mect on
the same line or space; and
sna, ast were one and equal sound, without any discrepancy, ass
apparent in the example here:
= Er
iscalled unison after amu, wn, amu, and
rt
retype tt
De secunds specie.
Secunda species est tonus qui, secundum Guidonem, dffinitur sic
‘onus est spatii magnitudo plenum et perfeetum sonum emittens
Secunsdum autem Boetium diffinitur sie: tonus est coherentia
‘duarum socum plenam et incegram elevationem redens sew