Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Score (music)
(861 words)

1. Concept

A score is a way of notating music to show all parts that play simultaneously (“partiture,” from the Latin partire, “to divide,” “to separate”). The concept of the partitura originated in Italy in the 16th century and spread across Europe. Compared to aural transmission or improvisation, the score made it easier to repeat, disseminate, and study long and complicated musical combinations. Symbolic notation (Notation, musical) depicts the progression of the parts horizontally along t…

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Tischer, Matthias, “Score (music)”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 10 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_025298>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20210601



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