Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In medieval musical notation, a sign or neume denoting a shake or trill.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Yes, I knew that Cistercian and Dominican Chant have much in common, especially in regards the quilisma and the re-ordering of melodies to fit modal theories, but didn't want my post to be too long!

    Archive 2008-05-18 papabear 2008

  • In Cistercian Chant, one usually first notices the absence of the quilisma as well as the elimination of some of the repetitious melismas in the Graduals and Alleluias.

    Archive 2008-05-18 papabear 2008

  • We Dominicans don't have the quilisma either; and a number of our chants were rewritten to "correct" the modality.

    Archive 2008-05-18 papabear 2008

  • The quilisma there is followed by a climacus in which the three signs, acutus and two graves are joined together:

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • Of interest is the disappearance of the quilisma at the end of the final neuma, also the substitution of c for b on florebit at the end of the group on per

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • The quilisma is generally written as a number of hooks open to the right and joined together (10765b17. gif, 10765b18. gif).

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • The oriscus is found after the podatus on agatha and the quilisma, consisting of two hooks, on the second syllable of domino, the second of angeli and the first of dei, in each case a porrectus being joined to it.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • The normal one is a recitative on do falling to la four syllables before the end of each phrase, with the cadence si, la, si, si-do for questions, and a scandicus la, si (quilisma), do before the end.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 6: Fathers of the Church-Gregory XI 1840-1916 1913

  • The quilisma is shown on the second syllable of celsa, where we first have a punctum, serving as the starting-point, then the triple curve of the quilisma itself, to which the virga stroke, representing the highest note, is attached.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • Thus we have a clivis on the second syllable of omnes, the second (before the quilisma) and the third of domino, the third of angeli (where the lower one got attached to the l), etc.; a climacus on angeli, preceding the quilisma.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

Comments

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  • I beg of some expert a favor:

    How signal in music a quaver?

    Can I use a quilisma

    To suggest melisma,

    That haunting melodious waver?

    March 5, 2015