The climacus in the Breviarium notatum Strigoniense and the Gregorian modality

Abstract

There are two forms of climacus in the Breviarium notatum Strigoniense (compiled at the end of the 13th century in Esztergom): normally, the first note of the sign is given by way of a double punctum, but sporadically there appears also a form in which instead of two puncta there is just one. Both varieties function as independent signs as well as constituent parts of the compound neumes. The climacus with the double first note is found especially on the pivotal notes of the modes; this applies to the climacus with the single first note as well, yet not to the same extent. From this observation it follows that there is a slight distinction between the signs, and that in the double-first-note climacus the first note might be prolonged or emphasised in some other way. However, it seems that the distinction was not strictly observed by the scribe, who used the form with the double punctum also for simple downward motion, without any prolongation of the first note.