Author: Doni, Giovanni Battista - manuscripts of italian music theory ...

Some have believed, and among these Nicola Vicentino on the steps of Franchino
Gaffurio, that the interval of the Semiditone belongs uniquely to the chromatic genus
from the fact that it belongs to the definition of the chromatic, and, consequently, that
it cannot be used in any way in the other kinds of melodies as the pure Diatonic or the
pure Enharmonic ones. For the same reasons they believed that the Ditone is an
interval which is typical and specific of the Enharmonic genus, so that it cannot and it
must not be used in the other two genera, because were it to be used one would go
beyond their natural disposition and they would be mixed together. These conclude
that nowadays there are no Melodies which are purely Diatonic, because we see that
these intervals are used in all of them without any restriction. This is so far removed
from the truth and from every reason that anybody with a modicum of intellect can
understand it easily. It is no wonder that Don Nicola, who laboured so much to restore
the last two genera, and left also some compositions of his in print, wasted his effort
and time, since his theory was not approved and that he was found to be mistaken by
the judges who decided a certain dispute which he had with Lusitano, who was also a
professor of Music and maintained [-72-] against Vicentino that the melodies of our
day are Diatonic and not mixed, as one can see in the treatise by Vicentino himself
and in the Dialogue by Artusi on the imperfection of the music of our day. And that
Don Nicola made a blunder, or ‘picked up a crab’, as they say, I will prove in a clear
way. The Diatonic Genus came before the other tow and is common to all the nations
who have no chromatic or Enharmonic genus. Even so, said intervals are found
naturally in the Diatonic melodies and also in those which are composed naturally by
shepherds. They would have been found certainly also in the most ancient songs
which were popular before the invention of the other two genera. Therefore, they are
not specific and limited to those two, but common to all. Nor it is appropriate to say
that these intervals began to be excluded from the diatonic either by law or by habit
after these two genera were introduced and the rules of each were established, firstly
because it is fantasy without foundation and without the support of any author, nor
one can believe that a custom so useless and a law so impertinent was ever accepted
by the world, because this would be the same as if a poor musician, having tuned his
lyre diatonically, or with the natural intervals and notes of this genus which are heard
in our small harp (as I have said above the System is nothing but a series of notes laid
out one next to the other) was ordered by law [-73-] [I could also rely on Boethius’
authority, who says at chapter 23 of the first book in marg.] never to play this or that
note after having played another one, for instance, as if he were always forbidden to
move by leap from E la mi to G sol re ut and from this one to [sqb] mi, from F fa ut to
A la mi re, from Gsol re ut to [sqb] mi, from A la mi re to Csol fa ut, from [sqb] mi to
D la sol re, from C sol fa ut to E la mi and from D la sol re to F fa ut. This would
mean to tie his hands and to stop him to do what he pleases. Did they believe that this
low had ever been accepted and the ancient had been so foolish and clumsy to observe
it. Let it be established as certain and indubitable that in any disposition of notes in
any genus it has always allowed and always will be [I will not pursue this matter
further, because this opinion has been recited amply by Zarlino at chapter 75 of the
third book of the third part of the Institutioni, and anyone will be able to consult it. I
add only this, namely, that if the Tritonicon can be used in the Chromatic and
Enharmonic genus, which is a very harsh interval, one and the other interval which
are sweet and consonant are suited to each of those two genera in marg.] to use all the
intervals that can be practised feasibly from a note to another and this wil not alter the
nature of the genera. On the contrary the widening and shortening of the intervals,