Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Plural form of
melisma .
Etymologies
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Examples
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Even on CD, he conveys that sense -- bouncing silkily along until he delivers a stinging high note or devastating flurry of melismata.
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The books were written carelessly; the forms of the neums, so important for the rhythm, began to be disregarded, and shortenings of melismata became more general.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913
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Solesmes have established for it in their valuable publications, then we must admit that the melismata of the Gregorian Alleluia, even the longest of them, are much shorter than, and are different in kind from, the melismata of the jubilus to which the versus ad sequentias and the sequences proper were attached.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913
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On the contrary, by the name of "Tropi" were originally designated the interpolations of precisely those parts of the Mass which do not exhibit any long melismata, as the Introit and Offertory.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 15: Tournely-Zwirner 1840-1916 1913
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But the date when these melismata of the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, etc., were first called
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 15: Tournely-Zwirner 1840-1916 1913
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And it is an actual fact that from early times such melismata existed over a vowel of the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Sanctus, etc.; likewise there were many texts which were produced for these melismata, consequently they were interpolations.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 15: Tournely-Zwirner 1840-1916 1913
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Musically it can easily be observed that the syllabic pieces are often simpler, the ornate pieces more extended in their melismata than in the Gregorian chant.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 6: Fathers of the Church-Gregory XI 1840-1916 1913
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The melismata sustain the Virgin’s metaphors; “garden of flowering plants”, “resplended rose”, “scented rose”, “Lady of Sorrows”, “how sweet are the breasts whose drops put out the terrible flames of hell”.
Archive 2009-04-01 Lu 2009
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These "very long melodies" do not seem to have been the melismata which we find in the Gregorian Chant, and which in St. Gall were not longer than elsewhere, but special melodies probably imported about that time from Greece (Wagner, op. cit.,
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss 1840-1916 1913
chained_bear commented on the word melismata
"'Do you take delight in plainchant, sir?'
"'I do indeed, sir,' said Stephen, 'provided it be devoid of sweetness or brilliancy or striving for effect, and exactly phrased—no grace-notes, no passing-notes, no showing away.'
"'Exactly so,' cried Wray, 'and no new-fangled melismata either. Angelic simplicity—that is the heart of the matter. And these worthy monks have the secret of it.'"
--Patrick O'Brian, Treason's Harbour, 58-59
February 15, 2008