Melisma

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The melisma (from Greek melos "song, song, song") describes a sequence of notes or melody that is sung on one syllable . In melismatic singing there are several notes on a vowel . One example is the setting of Gloria , in which numerous different tones are intoned on the vowel  o (Gloooo-oooo-oooo-oooo-oooo-oooo-ooo-ria). In contrast, in the syllabic, each syllable is assigned only one note.

The musical genre of melismatic chant, which was of great importance in the early and high Middle Ages, for example in Gregorian chant and in orthodox cult chant , is called melismatics . In Gregorian chant, melismatic parts are often set in group or multi-group neumes , while single tonums predominate in the syllabic parts .

The term melisma is also the name for the composition technique of a melismatic passage within z. B. a motet or a madrigal .

literature

  • Melismatic . In: Brockhaus Conversations-Lexikon Vol. 3. Amsterdam 1809, p. 114 ( online at Zeno.org .).

Web links

Wiktionary: Melisma  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. Melisma . In: Brockhaus' Kleines Konversations-Lexikon . 5th edition. Volume 2, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig 1911, p.  162 .