460 Mele

Glossary

Here follows a short list of terms, contained in the preceding chapter. The sign «*»
refers to synonyms or related words.

Bibliographic note. As far as the terms of liturgical music are concerned, unless other-
wise indicated, these are based on Giampaolo Mele, Glossary, in “Die ac nocte.” I codici
liturgici di Oristano dal Giudicato d’Arborea all’età spagnola (secoli XI–XVII). CD-ROM
attached (AM&D: Cagliari, 2009), pp. 385–395. Always to be kept in mind Giacomo
Baroffio, Dizionario Liturgico (in-progress), at http://www.hymnos.sardegna.it/iter/.
Some items of particular interest (i.e. Contra and Gòsos), a little more extended, consti-
tute an original draft. For the origins of the words see ever the main encyclopedic musi-
cal repertoires: MGG (Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, allgemeine Enzyklopädie
der Musik, Friedrich Blume, ed., 14 + 3 vols. [Kassel-Basel-London: Barenreiter,
1949/1951–1986]); Grove (The New Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Stanley
Sadie, ed., 29 vols. [seventh edition, London: Macmillan, 2001]); DEUMM (Dizionario
Enciclopedico Universale della Musica e dei Musicisti, Alberto Basso, ed., 22 vols. [Turin:
Utet, 1983–2005]).

...

Acatalettic iambic Meter based on the iambic (∪ −), metric foot formed by
dimeter the alternation of a short syllable (∪) and a long syllable
(−). Scheme with the accent (ictus) on the long syllable:
∪ − ∪ − ∪ − ∪ −. It is called “acataletic” because it is an
integral meter; when it lacks a final syllable, the meter is
called “cataletic.” Adopted in his hymns by Saint Ambrose,
bishop of Milan (339/40–397), it is the main meter of the
hymnody.
Adiastematic musical Musical notation in which the melodic intervals are not
notation specified; as a matter of fact, the neumes are drawn on the
parchment “in campo aperto” (in the open field), that is,
without staff-lines.
Aeterne rerum conditor Hymn in acatalettic iambic dimeter attributed to Saint
Ambrose. The scan of the first verse is as follows: Aetérne
rérum cónditór.
Ambrosian hymns Hymn attributed to Saint Ambrose. By extension, a hymn
that belongs to the Ambrosian rite.
Ambrosian rite *Milanese rite. Liturgical family whose roots are embed-
ded in fourth-century Milan at the time of Bishop Saint