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De modo bene cantandi

De modo bene cantandi

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Authorsvon Zabern, Conrad Honea, Sion M.
TagsVocal technique
Published18 gen 1473
Date18 apr 2022
Languageseng
Identifiersurl: https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/comment/239941#Comment_239941, uri: https://www.uco.edu/cfad/files/music/conrad-von-zabern.pdf

Description

Conrad von Zabern [Conradus de Zabernia]

(d before 1481). German music theorist. He is presumably to be identified with Conrardus Zabern, a priest of the diocese of Speyer who received the baccalaureate and licentiate degrees at the University of Heidelberg in 1428 and 1430 respectively. He first gained a reputation as a theologian and preacher, esteemed as much for his rhetorical skill as for his personal piety. Later in life he travelled the Rhineland, visiting churches and monasteries to offer instruction in music theory and theproper execution of chant. His principal music treatise, the Novellus musicae artis tractatus (c 1460–70), unpublished during his lifetime, treats all the traditional themes of medieval music theory: intervals, staff notation, solmization, hexachords, mutation by means of the claves , the modes, and the pedagogical use of the monochord. Conrad relied most frequently on Guido and Johannes Cotto as his authorities. His teaching on the value of the monochord found fuller expression in a later treatise, the Opusculum de monochordo (Mainz, c 1462–74), that also describes in detail the construction of the instrument. Principles governing the proper employment of the voice were explored in De modo bene cantandi choralem cantum (Mainz, 1474), a treatise later translated into early New High German (Lere von Koergesanck , c 1480).

In his writings Conrad revealed himself as an engaging teacher passionately committed to the improvement of the church's choral song. His treatises draw on wide practical experience, and he declared himself prepared to travel anywhere to deliver his instruction in person. Central to Conrad's pedagogical method is the keyed monochord, an instrument that he recommended both for self-instruction in accurate singing and as a mode of correcting singers who might be unwilling to accept a teacher's admonitions. De modo bene cantandi maintains that the true art of liturgical song must give sufficient attention to refinements of vocal production and to choral discipline. Conrad proposed six essentials of choral singing: chants should be sung concorditer(with perfect ensemble), mensuraliter (with equal rhythmic values and consistent tempo), mediocriter (avoiding extremes of vocal register), differentialiter(with adjustment of tempo according to the liturgical rank of the day), devotionaliter(without embellishment) and satis urbaniter (without committing rusticitates , a series of faults including nasal singing, aspiration before the individual notes of a melisma, distortion of vowels, incorrect intervals, raucous singing and unbecoming deportment in choir).

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