a perfect fourth — the first average would have to be 

 % of the second to do so — does not disprove the 

 theory of transposition by a fourth. In the first 

 place, a considerable variety of pitches is no doubt 

 represented in both groups since a universal pitch 

 standard did not exist in the 16th and 17th centuries. 

 Also, a margin of error of only a semitone is as good 

 as could be expected considering the small number 

 of examples on which the averages are based. 



A further possible justification for the relationship 

 of the two averages is found in Praetorius' discussion 

 of the pitch standards with which he was familiar.^ 

 He states that choir pitch was a major second lower 

 than chamber pitch and that lerliam minorem was a 

 minor third lower than chamber pitch. Praetorius 

 savs of tnliam minorem: ' 



But in Italy and in various Catholic choirs in Germany, 

 the said lower pitch is much in use. For some Italians, not 

 unjustly, take no pleasure in high singing, and maintain it 

 is not beautiful, and the words cannot be properly under- 



•i Michael Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum, VVolfcnbiittel, 1614- 

 1620, vol. 2 (Organographia), chapter 2. 



'Translation by Arthur Mendel in "Pitch in the 16th and 

 early 17th Centuries, Part II," Musical Qiiarleiiy, April 1948. 



Stood, and it sounds like crowing, yelling, singing at the 

 top of one's voice . . . 



Possibly some of the nontransposing instruments were 

 tuned to choir pitch and others to tertiam minorem, 

 while the transposing instruments were set a fourth 

 lower than choir pitch. 



Three of the instruments listed are ottavinas, small 

 instruments tuned an octave higher than usual. 

 Ottavinas correspond to a four-foot register. Mer- 

 senne * mentions that they existed in two sizes, one 

 a fifth abo\'e the usual pitch and the other an octa\e 

 above. The three ottavinas included in the table 

 are considered to he of the size sounding an octave 

 aijove the usual pitch because they ha\'e CjE to 

 c ' ' ' ranges and pilch Cstring lengths aboiU half the 

 average length of the other instrtmients in the non- 

 transposing group. Although no examples were 

 found for inclusion in this study, it is probable that 

 some ottavinas a fifth above the usual pitch — and 

 therefore an octave higher than the transposing 

 instruments in our listing — survive. Such instruments 

 would be expected to have apparent ranges of CjE 

 to f ' ' ' and pitch C strings between S'i" and (i%" in 

 length. 



' Marin Meisenne, Harmrnie Universrile, Paris, 1636, p. 101. 



106 



BULLETIN 225: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



