Wie die Dur-Moll-Tonalität in die Modalität der ›Kirchentöne‹ vordrang, gehört zu den Kernfragen des 17. Jahrhunderts. Ein aufschlussreiches Beispiel dafür gibt Heinrich Schütz in seinem 1628 erschienen, 1661 überarbeiteten und komplettierten Becker-Psalter mit insgesamt 158 Sätzen, die meisten mit eigener Melodie. Nicht erst in der Dur-Moll-Tonalität, sondern bereits bei den Kirchentönen existieren jeweils 24 ›Dur‹- und ›Moll‹-Tonarten, jedoch in grundverschiedener Ausprägung, wobei die kirchentonale Ordnung die generelle Verwendung von b-durum (Tonstufe h) bzw. b-molle (b) betrifft, nicht wie im Spätbarock und später die Anzahl der b- oder Kreuz-Vorzeichen. Schütz Musik gründet sich noch gänzlich auf die 24 Modi, die in seinem Becker-Psalter nahezu vollständig vertreten sind mit deutlichem Übergewicht der dorischen und jonischen Modi. Während Schütz den äußeren Rahmen der durum- und molle-Vorzeichnung beibehält, erweitert er diesen jedoch teils mit Hilfe eingefügter Akzidentien bis as, so dass dadurch faktisch weitere Transpositionen wie c-Dorisch und B-Jonisch entstehen. Wesentliche Bedeutung zur tonalen Einordnung kommt den angestrebten Kadenzstufen zu, seit Zarlino den traditionellen ›Hauptstufen‹ I, V und III als erst-, zweit- und drittrangige regulares. Zahlreiche Sätze auch bei Schütz halten sich an diese Rangordnung. Ergänzend können als weitere Kadenzstufen die IV. und VI., ausnahmsweise auch die II. oder VII. Stufe als irregulares oder gar peregrinae (fremde) hinzukommen, wobei die hexachordale Ordnung (Hexachorde auf c und f) prinzipiell nicht überschritten wird. Eine Statistik der im Becker-Psalter angestrebten Kadenzstufen zeigt, dass sich Schütz zwar an diesen Stufen orientiert, sie aber auch um individuelle Varianten ergänzt. Wer die Sätze näher untersucht, stößt unweigerlich auf wesentliche Differenzen ›duraler‹ und ›mollarer‹ Modi, also solchen mit großer bzw. kleiner Terz über dem Modus-Grundton. Zum einen tritt in ›mollaren‹ Sätzen, vornehmlich im Dorischen und Äolischen, die III. Stufe als Kadenzziel deutlich hervor, während in den ›duralen‹ Sätzen, allen voran im Jonischen, die VI. Stufe weitaus überwiegt. Man kann, modern gesprochen, jeweils eine Präferenz der ›Paralleltonart‹ konstatieren, im späteren ›Dur‹ die VI., in ›Moll‹ die III. Stufe. Zum andern spielt im Jonischen die V. Stufe eine der I. nahezu gleichberechtigte Rolle, so dass ›durale‹ Klänge vorherrschen. In ›mollaren‹ Modi rangiert die III. Stufe (›Paralleltonart‹) weit oben. Im Jonischen existiert eine auf Dur-Stufen zentrierte Abstufung des hexachordalen Gefüges, im Dorischen und Äolischen eher eine Durchmischung der Moll- und Dur-Stufen. Überspitzt formuliert: Jonische Sätze wirken nicht selten wie reines ›Dur‹, dorische oder äolische keineswegs wie reines ›Moll‹ − sie verfügen über den größeren Reichtum an ›Klangfarben‹. Dass es auch in Schütz’ Becker-Psalter weit mehr dorische als äolische Sätze gibt, dafür dürfte vor allem die Kadenzierung zur V. Stufe verantwortlich sein, die im Dorischen problemlos über E-Dur nach a-Moll erfolgen kann, was zur äolischen V. Stufe der fehlenden H-Dur-Stufe wegen zu unterbleiben hat. Noch bei Schütz wird dieser Schritt kaum gewagt. Sein Werk befindet sich in einem Übergang, den erst das 18. Jh. hin zur geregelten Dur-Moll-Tonalität endgültig vollzieht und dabei auch die Schranken zu höherer Vorzeichnung durchbricht. / One of the key issues of the 17th century is the question of how major-minor tonality entered the system of church modes. It was not only in major-minor tonality that 24 “major” and “minor” keys came into being, but already in the church modes, albeit in a fundamentally different guise. The system of church modes revolves around the general use of b-durum (starting from B natural) and b-molle (B flat), not the number of flat or sharp accidentals used from the late Baroque onwards. Schütz’s music was still based entirely on the 24 modes, almost all of which appear in his Becker Psalter, with a clear emphasis on the Dorian and Ionian. While Schütz retains the outer framework of the durum and molle keys, however, he expands it by inserting accidentals extending to A flat, resulting in further transpositions such as C Dorian and B flat Ionian. For tonal classification, the cadential scale degrees aimed for take on central significance: since Zarlino, the traditional “main degrees” I, V and III as primary, secondary and tertiary regulares. In Schütz’s music too, many movements follow this hierarchy. These are sometimes supplemented by further cadential degrees: IV and VI, in exceptional cases also II or VII as irregulares or even peregrinae (“alien” degrees), though the hexachordal framework (hexachords on C and F) remains fundamentally in place. A statistical analysis of the cadential degrees aimed for in the Becker Psalter shows that Schütz takes these degrees as points of reference, but also adds to them with individual variants. If one examines the movements closely, one inevitably encounters considerable differences between durum and molle modes, i.e. those with major or minor thirds above the root note. Firstly, in molle movements, primarily in the Dorian and Aeolian modes, III stands out clearly as a cadential goal, whereas in the durum movements, especially the Ionian ones, VI is obviously predominant. To use modern terms, one could say that each case shows a preference for the “relative key”: in the later “major” it is VI, in “minor” it is III. Secondly, in the Ionian, the fifth degree has almost the same standing as the first, which means that durum harmonies predominate. In molle modes, the third degree (the “relative key”) is very important. In the Ionian, there is a gradation of the hexachordal structure centred on major degrees, while in the Dorian and Aeolian it is more of a mixture of minor and major degrees. To exaggerate a little, Ionian movements not infrequently seem like pure “major”, while Dorian or Aeolian ones are not at all like pure “minor”; the latter have a greater wealth of “tone colours”. The fact that there are far more Dorian than Aeolian movements in Schütz’s Becker Psalter is most likely due to cadences towards the fifth degree, which are easily carried out in the Dorian via E major to A minor, while cadences towards V in the Aeolian are impermissible on account of the missing B major degree. Even Schütz was barely bold enough to take this step. His work is located in a transition to regular major-minor tonality that would only be finally completed in the 18th century, also breaking the barrier to more complex key signatures.

While the study of complete sources is very valuable, and has contributed greatly to what is understood of music history, the perspective they contribute is limited because they cannot reveal information about how music and music sources were most often used. The study of functional sources, more probably created for use, allows for more insight into how music was performed and understood, and how such sources were created, used and valued. This study examines twelve fragmentary early sixteenth-century English sources from the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music (DIAMM) database, constituting a sample of functional music sources in this period. The study of this sampling reveals information about how functional manuscripts were created, used and valued in England during this time period. Some of the fragments contain works with concordances. These concordances are compared using variant comparison, where differences in the versions of the work are considered and weighed. The comparative study of concordances provides insight into the transmission of the versions, scribal and performance culture, as well as into music culture in general. Overall, the study of this sampling of early sixteenth-century functional English sources provides a clearer understanding of the use of accidentals, scribes and scribal culture, performers, performance practice and music culture in England at this time, contributing to the understanding of music history.

While the study of complete sources is very valuable, and has contributed greatly to what is understood of music history, the perspective they contribute is limited because they cannot reveal information about how music and music sources were most often used. The study of functional sources, more probably created for use, allows for more insight into how music was performed and understood, and how such sources were created, used and valued. This study examines twelve fragmentary early sixteenth-century English sources from the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music (DIAMM) database, constituting a sample of functional music sources in this period. The study of this sampling reveals information about how functional manuscripts were created, used and valued in England during this time period. Some of the fragments contain works with concordances. These concordances are compared using variant comparison, where differences in the versions of the work are considered and weighed. The comparative study of concordances provides insight into the transmission of the versions, scribal and performance culture, as well as into music culture in general. Overall, the study of this sampling of early sixteenth-century functional English sources provides a clearer understanding of the use of accidentals, scribes and scribal culture, performers, performance practice and music culture in England at this time, contributing to the understanding of music history.

While the study of complete sources is very valuable, and has contributed greatly to what is understood of music history, the perspective they contribute is limited because they cannot reveal information about how music and music sources were most often used. The study of functional sources, more probably created for use, allows for more insight into how music was performed and understood, and how such sources were created, used and valued. This study examines twelve fragmentary early sixteenth-century English sources from the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music (DIAMM) database, constituting a sample of functional music sources in this period. The study of this sampling reveals information about how functional manuscripts were created, used and valued in England during this time period. Some of the fragments contain works with concordances. These concordances are compared using variant comparison, where differences in the versions of the work are considered and weighed. The comparative study of concordances provides insight into the transmission of the versions, scribal and performance culture, as well as into music culture in general. Overall, the study of this sampling of early sixteenth-century functional English sources provides a clearer understanding of the use of accidentals, scribes and scribal culture, performers, performance practice and music culture in England at this time, contributing to the understanding of music history.

While the study of complete sources is very valuable, and has contributed greatly to what is understood of music history, the perspective they contribute is limited because they cannot reveal information about how music and music sources were most often used. The study of functional sources, more probably created for use, allows for more insight into how music was performed and understood, and how such sources were created, used and valued. This study examines twelve fragmentary early sixteenth-century English sources from the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music (DIAMM) database, constituting a sample of functional music sources in this period. The study of this sampling reveals information about how functional manuscripts were created, used and valued in England during this time period. Some of the fragments contain works with concordances. These concordances are compared using variant comparison, where differences in the versions of the work are considered and weighed. The comparative study of concordances provides insight into the transmission of the versions, scribal and performance culture, as well as into music culture in general. Overall, the study of this sampling of early sixteenth-century functional English sources provides a clearer understanding of the use of accidentals, scribes and scribal culture, performers, performance practice and music culture in England at this time, contributing to the understanding of music history.