Coming as we did, from an age of flashlights and central heating, I had serious doubts about being able to see properly with a candle-lantern but now that my eyes have adapted it's quite surprising how much light it provides. My fingers are still a little sore from touching the hot lid, that's one mistake I won't make again.I would have preferred to visit the city of Strasbourg in daylight, we might have been able to visit the unfinished cathedral although Erwin von Steinbach, the architect, stonemason and engineer whose name has been credited with much of the work of building the cathedral died more than 90 years ago.
While we make our way through these narrow, dark (and sometimes astonishingly stinky) streets, stay alert for the possibility of footpads. In a later age they would be known as muggers, but their methods and motives are no different. The night is their turf and the city watchmen never seem to be around when the footpads strike. Our destination is the house of Doctor de Raeve, a flemish physician who rents rooms to students at the University of Strasbourg.
The door is opened to us by the doctor's manservant, a portly fellow with a ruddy complexion. Having explained to him that we come in search of the English student, Master Dunstaple, the servant leads us up the steep stairs through the doctor's house while explaining that Master Dunstaple is not like the typical students; when most young men spend their evenings carousing in the taverns or gambling away their inheritances, Master Dunstaple prefers the company of his books and instruments.
"At least", he says "he isn't the one that wakes up chilled to the bone on the front steps, demanding that the door be unlocked to him an hour before the sunrise".
At the top of the house, in an attic apartment, Master Dunstaple receives us with a slightly bewildered look. I explain that we are fellow students who have come to request some help with a latin translation that is proving particularly difficult. (I have a roll of parchment with an inscription partially translated, but the original text has been deliberately miscopied). Once inside Master Dunstaple's apartment it isn't hard to engage his enthusiasm by asking about the armillary sphere standing next to the desk. In an open chest there are rolls of parchment and two books, one leather-bound, the other held between stout wooden covers. On the shelves against the wall beside jars whose labels indicate that they contain various medicinal herbs and minerals are an astrolabe and an alidade, and on the desk is an ephemeris table, something that must have taken hours to copy out on parchment by hand. Clearly, John Dunstaple is a serious student of astronomy.By this time Master Dunstaple has identified the transcription error, for which I thank him. Watching his face carefully I tell him that I requested the transcription from a fellow-student, Johann Gutenberg, to provide me with more practice in translation.
The same bewildered expression that we saw before clouds his face for a moment, then "Ah! Yes, Johann Gutenberg. The University would probably expel him if they knew that he is a skilled engraver, as well as a student of the Quadrivium!". Taking the alidade from the shelf, "He engraved the scale on this for me as a personal favour. Of all my fellow students, perhaps he is the one who best understands my fascination with the music of the heavens. The Greek Pythagorus wrote that 'There is geometry in the humming of the strings... there is music in the spacing of the spheres.' and though some might call it a heresy, I can imagine no greater beauty than that pure music ordained by God himself."
This seems like a good moment to ask him about the beautiful portative organ which stands on one of the shelves in an open leather case. The portative organ is not the instrument of a casual musician. Most students of the time might strum a gittern, or at least play the rebec or lute. The portative organ suggests to me a thoughtful solitary musician.
X:16 % number
T:Descendi in ortum meum % title
C:John Dunstaple % composer
O:http://www.upv.es/coro/victoria/varios.html % origin.
M:3/2 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempO
K:C % key
V:De name="Descant" sname="D." % voice 1
V:Al name="Altus" sname="A."
V:Te name="Tenorius" sname="T."
V:Ba name="Bassus" sname="B." clef=bass
%=========2===========3============4============5=========6=============
[V:De] G6 | B3 c d2 | d e2 d B2 | A2 B d c e-|e d c>A c B | A G2 c>B c |
w:De-
[V:Al] G6 | G4 F2 | G6 | A2 G F E2 | G2 A A2 G | F E C2 E2 |
w:De-
[V:Te] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
w:
[V:Ba] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
%-
%==============================8===============================9=========10==========11============12============
[V:De] [L:1/8] d2 e2 de f3 edc | [L:1/4] B c/e/ d/c/ c c/ B A/ | c6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
w:-scen-
[V:Al] F G2 F G2 | G c2 E D2 | C2 z2 E2 | E2 F A2 A | G F A>G G E | D2 z2 E F |
w:--------scen-
[V:Te] z6 | z4 z2 | c6 | c2 d2 c A | _B2 A2 =B c | d2 B c2 A |
w:De-scen-
[V:Ba] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
%-
%===============14========================15================16============17============18=============
[V:De] z6 | z6 | z2 B2 B2 | c d2 c A2 | G c d e>d c | B G2 A B d-|
w:-
[V:Al] G2 F D2 F-| [L:1/8] FG A3 G G3 ^FFE | [L:1/4] G3 E2 D | F2 A2 F2 | E2 F G E2 | D6 |
w:-
[V:Te] G2 z2 d2-| d c2 B A2 | G6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
w:-
[V:Ba] z6 | z6 | z4 G,2 | F,6 | C,6 | G,3 F, G,2 |
w:De-scen-
%-
%===================20===============21==========22==========23======24==============
[V:De] -d A B G c>B | G ^F/G/ A G2 F | G6 | z4 G2 | A4 B2 | c3 B/c/ A B |
w:------------di in or-
[V:Al] z6 | z6 | G4 G2 | G2 A G E2 | D6 | E4 E2 |
w:-di in or-----tum
[V:Te] z6 | z6 | z4 d2 | d3 B3 | A4 F2 | G2 c4-|
w:in or-
[V:Ba] D,2 G,2 F, G,-|G, B, C, G, A,2 | G,6-| G,6 | D,6 | C,6 |
w:---------di_ in or-
%-
%===============26===========27====================28=========29============30==========
[V:De] G A2 G2 c | B c d2 B c-|c/B/A/G/ G E ^F E/F/ | G6 | z4 G2 | B2 c3 B |
w:tum___ me--------------um, ut vi-
[V:Al] E3 C E F | D E D G2 A-| A F D E C2 | D2 z2 G2 | G3 F/G/ E D | D2 E4 |
w:me-------------um, ut vi-
[V:Te] c4 A2 | G2 z B2 A | F2 G C c2 | B4 G2 | C6 | z6 |
w:--tum______ um,__
[V:Ba] C,6 | G,4 G, F, | A,2 B, C A,2 | G,6-| G,6 | z6 |
w:tum me-------um,_
%-
%==============32============33============34===========35===================36========
[V:De] d3 B c d-| d B d c A B-| B e2 e d c | e2 c d c A-| A/G/ A _B F G F/G/ | A6 |
w:de----------------------------rem
[V:Al] D4 E F | G2 F A2 G | E2 G E F2 | E2 z4 | z6 | z4 A2 |
w:de------------rem
[V:Te] z6 | z6 | z6 | e3 c A2 | c2 d2 _B2 | A6 |
w:vi---de---rem
[V:Ba] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
%-
%===============38===========39==========40==========41==========42===========================
[V:De] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
w:-
[V:Al] A3 G G F | A2 G F D E-| E C2 D2 C | C2 D F2 E | F A2 G2 F | [L:1/8] E2 G2 FE E3 DDC |
w:po----ma con---val-
[V:Te] A2 d2 _B2 | A2 B d2 c | A2 F4 | A4 B c | d2 c B A2 | G E2 G F2 |
w:_ po--ma con---val-
[V:Ba] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
%-
%================44=========45=========46===========47===========48==================
[V:De] z6 | G3 A B2 | c3 B G A | G B c A2 c | B2 G B A c-| c/B/ G2 A F E |
w:con-val-li
[V:Al] [L:1/4] E6-| E4 G2 | E6 | E4 E F | G F E D2 C-| C/D/ E C A, B,2 |
w:li-
[V:Te] E2 z2 G A | B3 c B G | A2 G2 c2 | c6 | d2 B G A2 | G2 z2 F2 |
w:li-
[V:Ba] E,6-| E,6 | C,6-| C,6 | G,4 F,2 | C,2 D,4 |
w:con----val-li-um,_
%-
%===============50======51========52========53============54=============
[V:De] G6 | z6 | G4 G2 | c3 c c2 | c2 B d>c B | A A2 G G F |
w:um, Et in-spi-ce-rem si___ ru-is-
[V:Al] C4 z2 | E4 E2 | E3 E E2 | A4 A2 | F>E G F E D | D3 D B, A, |
w:um, Et in-spi-ce-rem si____ flo--ru-is-
[V:Te] E G2 A G2 | C6-| C6 | z4 c2 | c2 d2 B G | A d z2 G2 |
w:um,___ Et_ in-spi--ce--rem_ si
[V:Ba] C,6 | C6-| C6 | F,6 | A,2 G,2 E,2 | F,2 E,4 |
w:_ Et__ in---spi-
%-
%================56===========57============58===========59=========60========
[V:De] A2 d3 c | c2 B d2 c | A3 G/A/ G F | F2 E E F D | F2 z2 c2 | c4 A2 |
w:sent___ vi--------ne-----e et ger-mi-
[V:Al] D2 F G A2-| A F2 G E D | F4 z2 | z6 | z2 A3 G | G2 E4-|
w:---------sent et_ ger-
[V:Te] F A2 _B A2 | c2 d2 B2 | c2 d2 e c | c3 B B A | c6-| c6 |
w:flo---ru-is---sent_______ et_
[V:Ba] D,4 F,2 | A,2 G,4 | F,4 E,2 | F,2 G,4 | F,6 | C,6 |
w:_ ce-rem_ si flo-ru-
%-
%===============62===========63==============64=========65==========66==========67================
[V:De] G2 A c2 A | B c d2 B d | c A2 G G F/G/ | A2 z2 c2 | d f2 e d2 | c A2 G2 c-| c/B/ c d2 B A |
w:nas---------------sent ma-la___ pu---ni-
[V:Al] E2 F2 F E | G2 D E2 D | F E E D2 C | E4 z2 | A6 | E6 | D4 D2 |
w:__mi--nas---------sent ma-la pu-ni-
[V:Te] C2 F3 c | d3 B2 G | c2 G2 z2 | c4 A2-| A2 F4 | C6 | G6 |
w:ger-mi--nas__ ma--la___ pu-ni-
[V:Ba] C6 | G,6 | A,2 _B,4 | A,6 | F,4 F,2 | C6 | D6 |
w:is--sent_ et ger-mi-nas-
%-
%========68======69==========70===========71=========72==========73================
[V:De] c6 | z4 c2 | c2 c2 c2 | A6 | G4 G2 | A4 A2 | c2 d c B c/B/ |
w:ca; re-ver-te-re,_ su-na-mi-
[V:Al] E6 | G4 z2 | A2 A A A2 | E2 E3 E | E2 E2 E2 | F3 E C2-| C F2 D F G |
w:ca_ re-ver-te-re, re-ver-te-re, su-na-mi-
[V:Te] C6-| C6 | z4 A2 | c3 c c2 | c4 c2 | c2 d c2 A | A2 F2 A B |
w:ca;_ re-ver-te-re su-na-mi-
[V:Ba] C6-| C6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | F,4 F,2 | F,4 F,2 |
w:sent_ su-na-mi-
%-
%===========75======76=========77======78=========79======80============
[V:De] G2 G4 | A4 c2 | c2 B4 | A6 | z6 | z4 d2 | d3 ^c c B |
w:tis; re-ver-te---re, ut in-
[V:Al] E2 E4 | F6 | A3 A ^G2 | A6 | F2 E4 | D6 | z6 |
w:-tis; re-ver-te-re, re-ver-te-re,
[V:Te] c6 | z6 | z6 | z4 d2 | d2 ^c3 B | d4 d2 | d2 e4 |
w:tis; re-ver-te--re, ut in-
[V:Ba] C,6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
w:
%-
%===============82===========83============84============85=======86==========87==============
[V:De] d3 c _B A | A2 G E F G | B c>B A>F E | F G>F F2 E | F6 | z6 | z6 |
w:tu---------e-----------a-
[V:Al] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z4 F2 | G2 E A2 G-| G F E C D E-|
w:ut in---tu-
[V:Te] d6 | c4 A B | G>F G A2 G | A _B c A G2 | F6 | z6 | z6 |
w:tu----e----------a-
[V:Ba] z6 | z6 | z6 | z6 | z4 F,2 | C,6-| C,4 F, G, |
w:ut in--tu-
%-
%===================90===============91==============92=========93==============94=========95==============
[V:De] z6 | z6 | z6 | z4 A2 | A3 B c2 | d3 c A B | A d2 ^c c B |
w:mur-
[V:Al]EF G2 F G-| G/F/E/D/ C2 D2 | E F2 D2 ^C | D6 | z6 | z6 | z6 |
w:------------a---mur-
[V:Te] z6 | z6 | z6 | z2 A2 A2-| A F2 G G F | A4 A G | A2 F2 E2 |
w:mur-
[V:Ba] A,2 B, G, A,2 | G, C,2 E, F,2 | G, D, F,2 E,2 | D,6 | F,2 A, G, E,2 | D,2 z4 | z6 |
w:----------a--mur-
%-
%==
[V:De] d4-d B | A A2 c d2 | e3 c d c | A G B c d2 |c A2 B c2-|c B G G2 ^F | G6 |]
w:-------------------------te.
[V:Al] z4 D2 | D3 E F2 | G2 A3 F | F2 E3 D | F3 E C D | E3 C B, A,/B,/ | C6 |]
w:-------------------te.
[V:Te] D6-| D2 A2 B2 | c4 A2 | c2 B3 G | A B c2 A F | A G2 E F D | G6 |]
w:-------------------te.
[V:Ba] z4 D,2 | D,6 | C,4 F,2-| F,2 G,4 | F,6 | C,2 E,2 D,2 | C,6 |]
w:----------te.To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].
The song reproduced above, is Dunstaple's Descendi in Ortum Meum. I have an odd feeling that we will be meeting Master Dunstaple again.
2 comments:
It looks a tad difficult.. to this unmusical eye! lol. The other thing to remember about the times.. no LIGHT pollution! Can you imagine how clean the air was back then.. once you got away from those that didn't bathe! lol
Certainly it's not an easy song to sing with some syllables being held for quite a long melodic line. Add to that the fact that I didn't allow myself as much time as I should have for transcription and there may be transcription errors. The song by Dunstaple that I would like to transcribe is "Albanus roseo rutilat" written for a visit by the Duke of Bedford to the Abbey of St.Albans, but I will have to find a printed source (which means I may also have opportunity to recheck my transcription), but that is a long-term project. I don't read the old notation too fluently @'.'@
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