2M. L. West2. P. Hibeh 231 (British Library Pap. 2996)These small fragments, which include some vocal notation, were published (after a fashion) byE.G. Turner in 1955,1 but they were overlooked by Pöhlmann and have received no attention.They date from the mid third century BC, and apparently come from some treatise on music withexamples in notation. Here is a transcription made from the original. The papyrus has of course noaccents, and no other lectional signs.Fr. 1 1 The Hibeh Papyri, II 152.
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Analecta Musica3Fr. 1.3 If the letters are correctly read, perhaps some case of cãlthw orcaltÆrion. 4-6 The marginal note (supplemented by Turner) may relate to the precedingcolumn. (4-) 5 Possibly me]gãlou 6 Possibly -m°[n]a gumn[Fr. 2.These note-series, and that in fr. 3. 5, are evidently melodic sequences, notmere extracts from scales. 1 ]`: the lower part of an upright. G[ : P[ is also possible,though in fr. 3 P has a top extending further to the left and hooked over. The notes BG (or BP) areat home in the Dorian/Hyperdorian and Hyperphrygian systems. The superior and inferior tie-marks linking notes here and below presumably had some significance for phrasing. In later textsan inferior tie (hyphen) is commonly used to link notes in a divided time-unit; it is not found,however, where the notes are the same, other signs being employed in such cases (kompismÒw,melismÒw, or teretismÒw). 2 ]K : the tips of the arms are visible. Turner read ]%, but thelower trace seems almost diagonal. Musically, % is awkward in a scale containing U and M,whereas K sits easily beside them: Hyperphrygian chromatic lichanos - parhypate hypaton -hypate, or Hypodorian chromatic paranete hyperbolaion - trite - nete. The small circle above U maybe intended for a stigme marking the arsis.Fr. 3The column of paired notes (1-4) is in smaller writing than line 5. Thepositioning of the brackets to the left in 2-4 is notional; I can not tell how much is blank writingsurface and how much is abraded. It is not easy to explain the significance of the pairs of notes,and the readings cannot be guaranteed; I have particular misgivings about the R. G might be acursive N. If the readings are correct, it may be observed that the three preserved pairs, A O, J(recumbent phi, not theta), and G R, yield successively the intervals falling fifth, rising sixth, fallingfifth. The second note of each pair taken with the first of the succeeding one, % A, O J,
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4M. L. WestG, gives successively a rising sixth, a rising semitone, and a falling major third. It cannot be atuning sequence, as the notes do not all belong to the same key. Possibly they represent a series ofmodulations:% AAeolian parhypate - paranete = Hypoaeol. paranete hyperb.A OHypoaeol. paranete hyperb. - trite = Ionian meseO JIonian mese - trite synemmenon = Hyperionian parhypateJHyperionian parhypate - paranete = Hyperlyd. parameseGHyperlyd. paramese - lichanos = Lyd. paranete synemmenonG RLydian paranete synemmenon - parhypate.In modern notation: a - f #Ä - b - cÄ - aÄ - f΄ - b b.
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