Sunday, 15 December 2024

Typical ends of verses (and envelopes)

You will recognize some old friends in this list: the shophar psalms, and the verse which only has an end phrase, 

First note(s) Patterns Verses Sample verse Music Pattern
e 18Psalms 36:1e ill,e ill,e
f e 2852009Psalms 1:2C f# f# rev,ole,f# e f# rev,f# e
g e 1112Psalms 4:7e f# tsi,e d ole,f# e g qad,ill,e
B e 3751792Psalms 4:5e rev,e ole,f# B g e rev,B e
A e 120607Psalms 36:1e ill,e ill,e
C e 2237Psalms 3:3e tsi,d ole,f# C e shl,ill,e ill,e


First note(s) Patterns Verses Sample verse Music Pattern
d f e 34Psalms 5:7e tsi,d ole,f# f# rev,zar,f# e
e 18Psalms 36:1e ill,e ill,e
e f e 103438Psalms 1:2C f# f# rev,ole,f# e f# rev,f# e
e g e 33Psalms 4:7e f# tsi,e d ole,f# e g qad,ill,e
e A e 1428Psalms 2:2f# qad,rev,f# e ^A ger,e
e B e 3866Psalms 4:5e rev,e ole,f# B g e rev,B e
e C e 34Psalms 34:8e C shl,zar,C e rev,e
f e 14Psalms 40:1ger-rev,f# e
f g e 11Psalms 125:3C d paz,C rev,tsi,d e ole,f# paz,g qad,ill,e
f A e 27113Psalms 4:6e f# ^A ger-rev,e
f B e 75279Psalms 1:1f# e rev,C f# tsi,d ole,f# B g f# ^A f# ger-rev,B e
f C e 77Psalms 3:3e tsi,d ole,f# C e shl,ill,e ill,e
g f e 28101Psalms 7:10e ill,qad,tsi,d ole,f# B g rev,rev,f# e
g A e 1696Psalms 2:8e C rev,B g ^A ger-rev,e
g B e 1891055Psalms 1:6e B g B ^A g B e
A f e 1441454Psalms 1:5e C B g ^A ger-rev,f# e
A g e 11Psalms 119:42e B B ^A g ger,e
A B e 72391Psalms 2:10g B ^A ger-rev,B e
A C e 1125Psalms 3:1e f# ^A ger-rev,C ill,e
B f e 22Psalms 40:1ger-rev,f# e
B g e 67Psalms 106:37e B g e rev,e
B A e 62369Psalms 2:1g B ^A ger-rev,e
C e 11Psalms 135:21zar,C qad,rev,zar,C e rev,e
C f e 46Psalms 18:51e tsi,d ole,f# C qad,rev,f# rev,e
C A e 11Proverbs 1:9C C shl,ill,^A ger-rev,e
C B e 11Proverbs 7:7e C rev,zar,C rev,B e

Now I am wondering how many verses use the accents in circular structures, enclosing the verse in an envelope. Only verses beginning on the tonic will be possibilities for this exercise. 

There seems to be a few as shown in the following table. First 2 notes at a time, then three, then 4. But note that some verses are only 3 notes long. Note also that I remove repeated sequential accents below the text to ascertain the melodic shape.

First Notes  End Notes  Verses  Sample verse
C e C e 2Job 21:28C e rev,f# ^A ger-rev,C ill,e
f e f e 221 Kings 1:19t-g,f e tsi,seg,pas,B z-q,pas,z-q,g# B ^A f g# f e
B e B e 5Deuteronomy 5:8B e f f B B pas,pas,z-q,paz,C B B pas,pas,z-q,paz,f t-q,g# qad,^A azl,f g# B f B e rev,
g e g e 1Hosea 8:12qad,z-q,g# e ^A g# e
e B g g B e 214Job 10:17e B g B ^A g B e
e f e e f e 70Job 12:1e f# rev,e
e B e e B e 1Psalms 94:9e B e g B ^A e f# e ger-rev,B e
e C e e C e 3Psalms 116:19e C shl,zar,C e rev,e
e f d d f e 1Psalms 124:7e rev,f# tsi,d ole,f# f# rev,f# e
e f g g f e 10371 Chronicles 11:17e f g# ^A g# f e
e g B B g e 621 Chronicles 21:4e g# B ^A pas,B z-q,g# e
e g e e g e 871 Chronicles 11:27e pas,z-q,g# e
e B g B B g B e 1Job 14:4e B g rev,B e
e B g e e g B e 2Psalms 41:12e B g e B ^A C e g B e
e f d f f d f e 1Psalms 124:7e rev,f# tsi,d ole,f# f# rev,f# e
e f g e e g f e 71 Samuel 25:24e pas,z-q,z-g,f g# e ^A e C e pas,z-q,z-g,g# f e
e g B e e B g e 2Nahum 2:8e g# B e ^A rev,e pas,B z-q,g# e
e f e f f e f e 9Psalms 121:6e f# e rev,f# e
e f e g g e f e 2Joshua 5:10e f e g# ^A B paz,t-q,qad,f d g# e f e
e f g f f g f e 1991 Chronicles 12:27e f g# f e
e C e C C e C e 1Psalms 116:19e C C rev,e zar,C e rev,e
e f g B B g f e 771 Chronicles 2:24e f g# B ^A C pas,z-q,B z-q,g# f e

If we combined these results with the post on melodic shapes we begin to have some abstract grasp of basic shapes. Can they be associated with any hermeneutical intent on the part of the composer?

I suspect you can see that this is music and only subject to such phrase by phrase analysis because it is in a fixed canon. It is music dedicated to a particular text. It is not punctuation. Some identification of sense with pitch is possible but one can hardly be definitive about it. I summarized my thoughts 4 years ago in the series I called 'the ladder'. I would change the supertonic to a sense of pending.

The tonic (e) for the sense of home, the subdominant (A) for the sense of rest, the supertonic (f) for a briefer rest sense of pending, (in the 3 books only) and always prior to the subdominant if both are in the verse, the dominant (B) for proclamation [and stories], the sub-mediant (C) for emotional appeal, the lower notes as preparation for the phrase, sometimes leaping a seventh or an octave for joy.


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