Metre in Unmeasured Preludes

Author(s): Richard Troeger

Source: Early Music, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul., 1983), pp. 340-345
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3138021 .
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RichardTroeger
Metre in unmeasured preludes

1Mnsiurd e Prvile nivrsit

Ann.,Preude
laBare, anusrip, Brkely, ofCalforna, 78,p.1

1A

AMrr -2 niviyo 77

The notation of the unmeasured harpsichordpreludes shorternotes in other parts).The study of unmeasured
of the French Baroque renders them both enigmatic notation centres on the contrast between its logic and
and fascinating. Some composers used semibreves consistency (despite superficial differences between
exclusively, so that in these pieces only pitch is the practices of individual composers) and the multi-
indicated. Others employed varying degrees of pre- plicity of rhythmicrealizations possible (none of them
cision in the notation of note-values: the durations of definitive) which was perhaps the motive for its use.
some notes may be indicated by slurs (liaisons)which Interest is heightened by certain quotations from
show how far a given note is to be sustained through measured music that appear in a few examples of
those that follow; in the later repertoryparticularly, unmeasured writing. This article will attempt to show
the note-values in the upper and lower parts are often the extent to which the metric flow of the unmeasured
roughly matched (a minim in the bass, for instance, style may, however approximately, be ascertained.
will accompany approximately a minim's worth of Nothing can be proved conclusively, but sufficient

340 EARLY MUSIC JULY 1983

circumstantial evidence may be adduced to support
the conclusions and suggestions given below. The
discussion will be confined to metre; the subject of
rhythmic detail in the unmeasured prelude is beyond
the scope of the present article.
To call the music under consideration here 'un-
measured'is not entirely accurate. Thatthe style is, to
a large extent, rhythmically free is obvious from both
the various forms of its notation and from other
evidence (which will be discussed below). However,
some kind of metric-rhythmic frame,whether explicit
or implicit to the player and the listener, is necessary
simply because of the length and elaboration of some
preludes- some of those by Louis Couperinand Jean-
Henri D'Anglebert,for instance. In fact, of course, any
decisions regardingrelative note-values and stresses
will, to a greater or lesser degree, imply metre in the
sense of larger groupings of rhythms.
In general terms, the secular keyboardmusic of the
Baroquemay be divided into several categories. Dance
is the most importantof these, and it accounts for the rI
majority of the output of the clavecinistes.All this
2 Jean-Henri D'Anglebert(1635-1691):frontispiece engravingfrom
music (except the slow type of allemande)derives from his Pikcesde clavecin(Paris, 1689)
the accents and beat groupings of steps and patterns
of steps; its essence is metric-rhythmic. Another tombeauxby MarinMaraisand D'Anglebert,which are
category consists of learned contrapuntalworks, and a in slow 3/2 with frequent hemiolas.) Study of the
third of grounds and variations. The fourth group unmeasured prelude in the light of these related styles
includes the music treated here, as well as the slow suggests that, insofar as it is metricallyconceived, the
allemande, the tombeauand the toccata.1This music is prelude also follows duple metre.This is not to suggest
often free in its rhythm, part-writing and formal that the prelude notation merely masks a rigid beat;
construction; in its textural variety it manipulates to but to the degree that any pulse is necessary to the
the fullest advantage the inflexible dynamic of the organizationin time of a workin unmeasurednotation,
harpsichord. Three of the types have the function of the general, underlying metre is more likely to be
an opening movement: the first of a suite of dances is duple than triple or constantly changing. Clavecin
often either an allemande or a prelude, and the toccata music in triple metre at this period is generally dance
derives its name from toccare,'to touch', as in trying music and, as such, highly accentual. Indeed, fully
out, the keyboard. measured sections in certain preludes, designed to
In this category, the unmeasured prelude is rep- contrast with the surroundingunmeasuredwriting,are
resented by the smallest number of extant examples. in triple or compound metre. Similarly in toccatas,
The most significant contributions to the genre are free-style textures in C or 4 alternatewith more strictly
those by Louis Couperin(which constitute the first, as rhythmic, often imitative sections in triple or com-
well as the largest, body of unmeasured keyboard pound metre. Duple metre is more neutral from an
preludes), Nicolas-Antoine Lebegue, Jean-Henri accentual standpoint and is therefore more suited to
D'Anglebert,Louis Marchand, Louis-Nicolas Cleram- the figural and harmonic development characteristic
bault, Gaspard Le Roux, Jean-Philippe Rameau and of the prelude.
Nicolas Siret. Support for the conclusion that the unmeasured
A significant aspect of the prelude's relationship to style is based on duple metrecan be found in a number
the other genres is the fact that the allemande, the of aspects of the repertoryof both the prelude and the
tombeauand the non-imitative portions of the toccata related genres. Prominent among these is the occur-
are all in duple metre: C or ?. (Exceptions are two rence of parallelpassages in measuredand unmeasured

EARLY MUSIC JULY 1983 341

settings. Quotationsfromfree-style,duple-metreworks throughout. The guitar preludes of Robert de Visee8
by J. J. Froberger are found in preludes by Louis are all measured in ? except one, in a stricter style,
Couperin.One of these, a prelude in A minor entitled which is in 6/4. The preludes of Marais for viola da
in the Berkeley Parville Manuscript'Prelude a l'imit- gamba and continuo9 show strong ties with the
ation de Mr. Froberger',2quotes phrases from Fro- unmeasured style (their measured notation may have
berger's Plaintefaite a Londresand from one of his resulted from the necessity of co-ordinating the solo
toccatas, both also in A minor;3further,as Alan Curtis and the continuo); of Marais'46 preludes published
tacitly indicates by juxtaposingpassages in his edition between 1687 and 1717, 45 carrytime signatures of C,
of Couperin'sharpsichord music,4 the conclusion of ? or 2. The most importantmeasured keyboardworks
one section of Couperin'sPreludein D minorparallels in the free style areby FrancoisCouperinand Froberger.
a passage from Froberger'sTombeaude M Blancrocher Couperinpublished eight preludes in his treatise L'art
(ex.1). de toucherle clavecinof 1717, by which time unmeasured
Ex. I notation was all but extinct. Five of these are in C or ?
(a) L. Couperin, Prelude in D minor, Bauyn Manuscript, Paris, time (the remaining three are in 6/4, 3/8 and 6/8, in a
Bibliotheque Nationale, Res.475, f.l stricter style, to be played mesure). The composer
explains that they have been measured for ease of
comprehension and that, despite the notation, they
must be played according to the performing style
customary for the prelude, 'd'une maniere aisee sans
trop s'attachera la precision des mouvemens'.10These
Tombeau
(b) J. J. Froberger, de M Blancrocher,
Vienna,Minoriten- five preludes include the features common to the
konvent, Mus.MSXIV743, C75v
genre in the early 18th century:use of sequence (much
more frequent than in the 17th-century repertory),
upbeat figures in small note-values, slow bass motion,
and greater use of dotted rhythms, arpeggios and
linear discontinuity than in other areas of the clavecin
literature. (Froberger'sfree-style works will be dis-
Time signatures, of course, constitute cogent cussed below.)
evidence. In the works of Couperin'scontemporaries The unmeasured keyboardrepertoryitself presents
and the ensuing generations I have been unable to both internal and external evidence for duple-metre
find any markingsimplying triple metre as a basis for interpretation.Fourbrief, simple preludesby Dandrieu,
unmeasured preludes. However, in the unmeasured published c1703,1 are in four-note units throughout
repertory for lute and viola da gamba, duple time and suggest duple metre almost automatically. Dan-
signatures occur occasionally. Of two preludes by drieu's preludes are unusual for the early 18th century
Jacques Bittnerappearingin a lute tablatureof 1682,5 in using exclusively the semibreve (though they scar-
the first opens with a ? signature, though there are no cely warrantmore complex notation, for they are very
bar-lines:the other has no time signaturebut includes simple). The more explicit notation used by other
bar-lines and rhythms indicating duple metre. The composers often presents a fair degree of rhythmic
latter procedure is also used, with scant rhythmic exactitude,particularlyat cadences, and such passages
variety, in a lute prelude by Charles Bocquet;6again, reinforce the concept of an underlying duple metre.
the result is clear duple metre. Like Bittner's first Exx.2-4 are typical.
prelude, the preludes for viola da gambaby de Machy7
all bear (1signatures, as well as detailed indications of
rhythm, but there are no bar-lines. The use of either Ex.2N.-A Lebegue, Prelude in F,Piecesde clavessin(Paris,1677),p.81
time signatures or barring(but not both) suggests that A * [
the metre is approximate,in the nature of a guideline,
rather than a prescription to be followed strictly ~k-4 L
throughout. ~t.
In that partof the measuredprelude repertorywhich
has elements of free style, duple metre prevailsalmost 7LPr -.
342 EARLY MUSIC JULY 1983
Ex3 N. Clerambault,Prelude in C, Premierlivrede pikcesde clavecin deaths of FerdinandIII and FerdinandIV, the Plainte
(Paris, 1704), p.2 and the TombeaudeM Blancrocher; several of these bear
aA the direction that they should be played 'lentement,
-" avec discretion'. In addition, Froberger's25 toccatas
and some of his capriccios are in the unmeasured
1 TI/ style. The idiom of all these works is strikinglysimilar
to that of the unmeasuredprelude,and the relationship
is emphasized by the performing direction to the
tombeau,'sans observer aucune mesure'.
Ex.4 J.-P. Rameau, Prelude in A minor, Premierlivre de pieces de
clavecin(Paris, 1706), p.l
It may be suggested that Froberger'sphrase 'sans
observer aucune mesure' actually invites the player to
vary the time by the emphasis of strong beats and the
passing over of weak beats, to such an extent that the
notated metre is in fact often obscured, if not lost
entirely. The rhythmicand metriclevels become vague
not because they are ignored but because they are
exaggerated; of course, discretion-le bon goztt--is
The Parville Manuscript contains a 'Prelude de requiredto make such exaggerationboth effective and
Monsieur de la Barre' (see illus.1). Several of the convincing. C and a were a logical choice for works in
notational features of this piece are remarkable,and this style, as they are accentually the most neutral
their combination is unique in the unmeasured metres. Froberger'snotation is one solution to the
repertory.The composition employs bar-lines and a ? problem of prescribing an unmeasured performance;
time signature, but the opening chords are written in another is notation that, to some degree, dispenses
the 'arpeggiated'slant usual in unmeasured preludes. with the attemptto show rhythm accurately.The latter
Everymeasure contains one or two semibreves in the was the solution selected by the French.
bass, co- ordinatedwith irregularquantities of what are I do not intend to insist dogmatically on constant
notated as quavers; the written values of other notes duple metre in the realizationof unmeasuredpreludes.
appear to represent more or less accurately the It would appear,from the evidence shown above, to be
durations required in performance.This notation is as the point of departurefor this music, but more diverse
significant as it is unusual. The quaver is used in the beat groupings are possible. It is unlikely, however,
way employed by Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la that these could occur with sufficient frequency to
Guerre, D'Anglebertand others to indicate melodic parallel, say, the metric flux of Lullian recitative, with
notes as opposed to sustained harmonic ones, the its constant changes of time signature. In such
latter being shown here by crotchets, minims and recitative, the word stress is the unifying, focal
semibreves. (Even in the rhythmically more precise element and the music is merely supportive. The
prelude notation of the early 18th century, semibreves preludes have no such strong focus; in general, their
and quavers remained the most flexible values.) texture is uniform and the melodic element either
Apparently,then, the irregulargroups of what look like weak or, often, lacking altogether.
quavers above the regular duple pulse of the bass In this repertory, harmonic change is usually a
should emerge as rubato flourishes in an underlying j strong factor in initiating a group of beats because it
metre. marks an accent. Although a perpetual flux of beat
As I have already mentioned, the measured free- groups within a neutral texture could not easily be
style works of Frobergerprovide importantclues to an articulated by inherent harmonic stresses alone, I
understanding of the unmeasured notation used by believe that the basic chord changes should generate
the Frenchfor music of the same type. Frobergerwrote 'bar-lines'in any realization of a prelude;this approach
his 'unmeasured' pieces in precise rhythmic values is supported by the related styles of allemande,
and then required the player to disregardsuch metric tombeauand toccata, in which a chord is almost never
and rhythmic exactitude and play with 'discretion'. held over a bar-line(except in cases of pedal harmony).
The works in question are all in C or ? metre and Therefore, beyond the problem of underlying metre,
include several allemandes,12 the laments on the the player must find the rhythm appropriateto the

EARLY MUSIC JULY 1983 343

figurations found between 'downbeat'chord changes. values is rare in even the most exact unmeasured
However,that topic is beyond the range of this article. notation. The inaccuracies in this passage are only
Ternarygroupings of beats occur in preludes as well those typical at this periodfor smallvalues in flourished
as in the related repertory,but explicit examples are and dotted figures.) Ex.9 appears to include a 5/4 bar;
rare. Two instances are found in allemandes by Louis the 'extra'crotchet could, however, be regarded as a
Couperin:in C meter, groupings of quavers occur in 'stretching'of the trill on d", and be compensated for
patterns of 3 + 3 + 2, determined by both chord by acceleratingthroughthe ensuing notes. Thepassage
changes and surface rhythm (exx.5 and 6). More would then constitute a written-out ritardando-the
striking and more subtle is the underlying 3/2 meter, type of nuance Frobergerwould leave to the performer.
determined primarily by harmonic change, in ex.7. Except for one other instance of an 'extra' crotchet
(The workfrom which this example is taken is, among beat, the remainderof this prelude seems clearly to be
Couperin'smeasuredcompositions, the one that comes in ? meter.
closest to the unmeasured style.)
Ex.5 L. Couperin, Allemande in E minor, Bauyn Manuscript, f40v, Ex.8 N. Siret, Prelude in G minor, Secondlivre de pikcesde clavecin
bar7 (Paris, 1719), pp.1-2

t e .
tilln .1
1 0 oI 1
ns!a
1 L

Ex.6 L. Couperin, Allemande in A minor, Bauyn Manuscript, f64,

bar6

CIPF F

Ex.9 Siret, Prelude in G minor, p.2

I I t
I i
11I
Ex.7L Couperin,TombeaudeM Blancrocher,
BauynManuscript,f.49v,
bars 37-41

'j;-

3 I I
2

A case of 'mixed' notation, reminiscent of that in

illus. 1, occurs in the prelude transcribed as ex.10.
Again there is a ? signature. Perhaps this signature
suggests the basis of the entire prelude,which eschews
The relatively explicit notation of 18th-century bar-lines and precise rhythmic notation aftertwo bars.
preludes offers very few groupings that are clearly The piece can, generally, be accommodated by duple
non-duple. The passages shown in exx.8 and 9 come metre, with a written-out concluding ritardandobegin-
from the Prelude in G minor by Nicolas Siret. In ex.8 ning at D. However, as in the examples from Siret,
the notation of the bass and the almost exact matching some triple groupingsmay be implied (they are marked
to it of the values in the top line imply the metre in the example).Anotherpossibility, since the notation
indicated below the lower staff. (Precise matching of represents the true note-values only approximately,is

344 EARLY MUSIC JULY 1983

Ex.1OAnon.,Preludein G, Paris,BibliothequeSte Genevieve,2374, f16v

AaI
I CD3'

do I

rII I

*F -w7

that the implied'third'beats (on which there are no that their metric point of departure is duple, though
changes of harmony)are written-outritardandos in realization in this metreis open to occasional increase
duple metre:the long embellishmentroundf, the or reductionof the numberof beats and is characterized
anticipatoryc" beforethe chordon A minor(thereis by exaggeration through duration of strong and weak
no crotchetrest in the 'tenor'--complexarpeggios beats, so that the underlying pulse is often more
suchas this arefrequentin the unmeasuredrepertory), implicit than explicit.
and the rapiddescendingnotes fromc" could all be
interpretedin this way.Notethatthe bassnotesin the 'DavittMoroneymentions the relationshipbetweenthe allemande,
last two instances,A andf sharp,are not dotted to tombeau,toccata and unmeasured prelude in his excellent article
'The performance of unmeasured harpsichord preludes,' Early
matchthe sopranorhythms.14 Music, 4/2 (April 1976), pp.143-51.
2Bauyn Manuscript, Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, Res.475, f.9;
Tosumup. In the unmeasuredpreludesof the French Parville Manuscript, Berkeley, University of California,778, p.79
3Vienna, Minoritenkonvent, Mus.MS XIV 743, f.61; Vienna,
harpsichordcomposersof the Baroque,duple metre Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek, 18706
appears,forthe mostpart,to be implicit,judgingfrom 4A.Curtis,ed., L CouperinPi~cesde clavecin,Le pupitre, 18 (Paris,
bothinternalandexternalevidence.It offersa metric 1970), p.xvii
5J. Bittner,Pieces de lut (Paris, 1682), pp.1, 14
framethat,in contrastto the generallydance-orientated 6C BocquetOeuvres,ed. A. Souris and M. Rollin(Paris, 1972), p.64.
triplemetreof the period,is not inherentlyaccentual; 7De Machy, Piecesde violle (Paris, 1685/R1973)
it is also the metreof the compositionalgenresmost 8R.de Visee, Livrede guittarre(Paris, 1682/R1973);Livrede pieces
pour la guittarre(Paris, 1686/R1973)
closelyrelatedto the prelude,allemande,tombeauand 9M. Marais, Pitces de violle, books 1-5 (Paris, 1686-9, 1701, 1711,
toccata.Quotationsfromthe measured,duple-metre 1714, 1717)
repertoryas well as timesignaturesand/orbar-linesin IoF.Couperin,L'artde toucherle clavecin(Paris, 1717), p.60
"See P. Brunold, 'Trois livres de pieces de clavecin de J. F.
certain unmeasuredpreludes furtherreinforcethe
Dandrieu',Revuede musicologie,16 (1934), p.148.
postulationthat C and ? are fundamentalto these "2Allemandesbelonging to Suites 14, 16, 17, 18 and 20 in J. J
works.Finally,the stylisticallysimilarpreludesand FrobergerOrgel-und Klavierwerke,ed. G. Adler, DTO 13, Jg. vi/2
free-styleworksof FranCoisCouperinand J. J. Fro- (1899/R1959)
131 am indebted to Bruce Gustafson for providing me with a copy
bergerare all writtenin duple metre.Exceptionsto a of this prelude.
uniformduplepulse do occur,as Siret'sPreludein G '4This kind of notation may be related to the superfluous notes
and beats of the type discussed and illustrated by Frederick
minorexemplifies.However,the overallimpression Neumann in Ornamentationin Baroque and
Post-BaroqueMusic
conveyedbythe preludesandtheirrelatedrepertory is (Princeton, NJ, 1978), p.34.

EARLY MUSIC JULY 1983 345