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Thursday 30 January 2020

The ladder, part 3/5, coming down from the subdominant

Describing the ladder is long, so I have divided it into five parts.
Returning to the tonic is generally simpler than getting to the subdominant. We have seen the table for two notes returning to the tonic. Now the three note sequences from A to e, the subdominant to the tonic, atnah to silluq:
SequenceAccentsFreq(Ref)
A f e A-atn f-mer e-sil1429the 3 books except for
Jeremiah 42:8, Micah 6:3
A g e A-atn g-tif e-sil1306the 21 books only
A B e A-atn B-mun e-sil388the 3 books only
A C e A-atn C-mph e-sil25the 3 books only
A g B A-atn g-tif B-mun6the 3 books only
A e g A-atn e-sil g-tif2Genesis 32:24, Isaiah 13:16
A f g A-atn f-mer g-tif2Numbers 27:9, Isaiah 13:7
A C g A-atn C-mph g-tif1Leviticus 26:28
A e f A-atn e-sil f-mer1Proverbs 24:15
A g f A-atn g-tif f-mer1Hosea 11:7

Here are four note sequences actually used in the scriptures to return to the tonic. Note, when the last two notes are B e, these only occur in the Psalms, with the exception of 4 verses in the Decalogue, Exodus 20:4, 10, Deuteronomy 5:8, 12.
SequenceAccentsFreq(Ref)
A f g e A-atn f-mer g-tif e-sil1579...
A g f e A-atn g-tif f-mer e-sil1215...
A g B e A-atn g-tif B-mun e-sil893...
A B g e A-atn B-mun g-tif e-sil736...
A e f e A-atn e-sil f-mer e-sil339...
A C g e A-atn C-mph g-tif e-sil246...
A f B e A-atn f-mer B-mun e-sil225...
A e g e A-atn e-sil g-tif e-sil211...
A e B e A-atn e-sil B-mun e-sil46...
A d g e A-atn d-gal g-tif e-sil4...
A f C e A-atn f-mer C-mph e-sil4the 3 books only
A B f e A-atn B-mun f-mer e-sil3Jeremiah 7:3, Qohelet 9:18, Psalms 60:3
A C f e A-atn C-mph f-mer e-sil1Proverbs 27:1
A e C e A-atn e-sil C-mph e-sil1Proverbs 19:10

Here are the five note sequences (all possible books):
SequenceAccentsFreq(Ref)
A f g f e A-atn f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil1012...
A B g f e A-atn B-mun g-tif f-mer e-sil759...
A B f g e A-atn B-mun f-mer g-tif e-sil554...
A d f g e A-atn d-gal f-mer g-tif e-sil428...
A C g f e A-atn C-mph g-tif f-mer e-sil297...
A C f g e A-atn C-mph f-mer g-tif e-sil281...
A C B g e A-atn C-mph B-mun g-tif e-sil275...
A e f g e A-atn e-sil f-mer g-tif e-sil242...
A e g f e A-atn e-sil g-tif f-mer e-sil182...
A c d g e A-atn c-dar d-gal g-tif e-sil162...
A f e g e A-atn f-mer e-sil g-tif e-sil127...
A B e g e A-atn B-mun e-sil g-tif e-sil108...
A C e g e A-atn C-mph e-sil g-tif e-sil100...
A f d g e A-atn f-mer d-gal g-tif e-sil95...
A e B g e A-atn e-sil B-mun g-tif e-sil92...
A e g B e A-atn e-sil g-tif B-mun e-sil86...
A B C g e A-atn B-mun C-mph g-tif e-sil56...
A g e f e A-atn g-tif e-sil f-mer e-sil39...
A C g B e A-atn C-mph g-tif B-mun e-sil37...
A e C g e A-atn e-sil C-mph g-tif e-sil34...
A e f B e A-atn e-sil f-mer B-mun e-sil26...
A f e f e A-atn f-mer e-sil f-mer e-sil26...
A g e B e A-atn g-tif e-sil B-mun e-sil15...
A f B g e A-atn f-mer B-mun g-tif e-sil8...
A f e B e A-atn f-mer e-sil B-mun e-sil7...
A d g f e A-atn d-gal g-tif f-mer e-sil4...
A B d g e A-atn B-mun d-gal g-tif e-sil3...
A C e f e A-atn C-mph e-sil f-mer e-sil2...
A c B g e A-atn c-dar B-mun g-tif e-sil2...
A f g B e A-atn f-mer g-tif B-mun e-sil2...
A B d g f A-atn B-mun d-gal g-tif f-mer1Deuteronomy 10:15
A C e g f A-atn C-mph e-sil g-tif f-mer1Deuteronomy 12:2
A e d g e A-atn e-sil d-gal g-tif e-sil11 Chronicles 10:9
A e f g f A-atn e-sil f-mer g-tif f-mer1Deuteronomy 23:18
A f e C e A-atn f-mer e-sil C-mph e-sil1Psalms 127:1

Here are the five note sequences (the three books)
SequenceAccentsFreq(Ref)
A e g B e A-atn e-sil g-tif B-mun e-sil86...
A C g B e A-atn C-mph g-tif B-mun e-sil37...
A e f B e A-atn e-sil f-mer B-mun e-sil26...
A f e f e A-atn f-mer e-sil f-mer e-sil26...
A g e B e A-atn g-tif e-sil B-mun e-sil15...
A f e B e A-atn f-mer e-sil B-mun e-sil7...
A d f g e A-atn d-gal f-mer g-tif e-sil3...
A C e f e A-atn C-mph e-sil f-mer e-sil2...
A f g B e A-atn f-mer g-tif B-mun e-sil2...
A f g f e A-atn f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil2...
A B g f e A-atn B-mun g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 2:4
A C B g e A-atn C-mph B-mun g-tif e-sil1Job 2:2
A C e g e A-atn C-mph e-sil g-tif e-sil1Job 2:1
A C g f e A-atn C-mph g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 1:10
A e f g e A-atn e-sil f-mer g-tif e-sil1Job 1:9
A f e C e A-atn f-mer e-sil C-mph e-sil1Psalms 127:1
A f e g e A-atn f-mer e-sil g-tif e-sil1Job 1:6

Of the remaining rungs up and down the ladder, there are 33 sequences greater than 5 notes in length for the three books. (Some of these are in the prose portions of Job of course).
SequenceAccentsFreq(Ref)
A C e g B e A-atn C-mph e-sil g-tif B-mun e-sil11...
A C f g B e A-atn C-mph f-mer g-tif B-mun e-sil4...
A c d g f e A-atn c-dar d-gal g-tif f-mer e-sil4...
A e f e f e A-atn e-sil f-mer e-sil f-mer e-sil3...
A C e B g f e A-atn C-mph e-sil B-mun g-tif f-mer e-sil2...
A f e g B e A-atn f-mer e-sil g-tif B-mun e-sil2...
A B C B c d f g f e A-atn B-mun C-mph B-mun c-dar d-gal f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 1:8
A B c d f g f e A-atn B-mun c-dar d-gal f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 1:1
A B e C B f d g f e A-atn B-mun e-sil C-mph B-mun f-mer d-gal g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 42:7
A B e f g e A-atn B-mun e-sil f-mer g-tif e-sil1Job 1:4
A B e g f e A-atn B-mun e-sil g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 1:14
A B f e g e A-atn B-mun f-mer e-sil g-tif e-sil1Job 2:11
A B f g f e A-atn B-mun f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 2:3
A C B e f g e A-atn C-mph B-mun e-sil f-mer g-tif e-sil1Job 2:13
A C B e g e A-atn C-mph B-mun e-sil g-tif e-sil1Job 1:7
A C B f g e A-atn C-mph B-mun f-mer g-tif e-sil1Job 42:11
A C B f g f e A-atn C-mph B-mun f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 2:7
A C g e B e A-atn C-mph g-tif e-sil B-mun e-sil1Psalms 127:2
A c B C B f d g f e A-atn c-dar B-mun C-mph B-mun f-mer d-gal g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 42:8
A c d f g e A-atn c-dar d-gal f-mer g-tif e-sil1Job 42:10
A e B f d g e A-atn e-sil B-mun f-mer d-gal g-tif e-sil1Job 2:12
A e C e f g f e A-atn e-sil C-mph e-sil f-mer g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 42:12
A e c d g f e A-atn e-sil c-dar d-gal g-tif f-mer e-sil1Job 1:15
A e f e B ^A f e A-atn e-sil f-mer e-sil B-mun ^A-atn f-mer e-sil1Psalms 145:13
A e f e B e A-atn e-sil f-mer e-sil B-mun e-sil1Psalms 94:9
A e g e B e A-atn e-sil g-tif e-sil B-mun e-sil1Psalms 83:5
A f e f B e A-atn f-mer e-sil f-mer B-mun e-sil1Proverbs 26:2
A f e f e f e A-atn f-mer e-sil f-mer e-sil f-mer e-sil1Psalms 27:12
A g f e B e A-atn g-tif f-mer e-sil B-mun e-sil1Psalms 52:11
A g f e g B e A-atn g-tif f-mer e-sil g-tif B-mun e-sil1Job 32:6
A g f g B e A-atn g-tif f-mer g-tif B-mun e-sil1Job 37:12

I imagine Haïk-Vantoura experimented and chose sequences of reciting notes that made musical sense.
  • The tonic (e) for the sense of home, 
  • the subdominant (A) for the sense of rest, 
  • the supertonic (f) for a briefer rest, (in the 3 books only) and always prior to the subdominant if both are in the verse,
  • the dominant (B) for proclamation, 
  • the submediant (C) for emotional appeal.
  • It is rare to have much recitation below the tonic (low c, 21 books only, or d, all books).
  • Recitation above the submediant is non-existent.
The above list is one rationale for why the breakthrough of variable reciting note should be considered as a suitable reconstruction of the original music. It is the observable fact that accents below the text occur in every verse and therefore may be different in function from those above the text that gives rise to this idea of a tonus peregrinus, a defined variable reciting tone. Now it is observable that the analysis from and to the atnah can be explained and heard with Haïk-Vantoura's reconstruction.

Next: Verses without a rest on the subdominant

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