Voices
In 17th and 18th century, in France, female voice names are:
- dessus, noted with G-2 clef;
- bas-dessus, noted with C-1 clef (most female characters of Lully's works);
- petite haute-contre, noted with C-2 clef;
Male voices are:
- haute-contre, noted with C-3 clef;
- taille, noted with C-4 clef;
- basse-taille, noted with F-3 clef;
- basse, noted with F-4 clef.
A typical four voice chorus will be composed of dessus, haute-contre, taille and basse.
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Lully: Armide, Prologue. Ballard 1686. dessus (with a mistaken clef: read G-2 clef), haute-contre, taille, basse
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Couperin: Precatio ad Deum. Philidor, 1705. basse-tailles, basse
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Instruments
In an instrument family, instruments are distinguished by their tessitura, which can be recognized by the used clef (the instrument names are usually not written):
- dessus, noted with G-1 clef;
- haute-contre, noted with C-1 clef;
- taille, noted with C-2 clef;
- quinte, noted with C-3 clef;
- basse, noted with F-4 clef.
Intermediate parts (haute-contre, taille, quinte) are also refered to as parties.
Lully
A typical orchestral opera score by J.B. Lully consists in 5 violin parts:
- dessus;
- haute-contre. In some works by Lully, the ambitus is that of a violin, in some others it can be lower, like a viola;
- taille. Same ambitus as a viola;
- quinte. Same ambitus as a viola;
- basse.
Alternatively, the clefs used for the five violin parts may be: C-1, C-2, C-3, C-3, F-4.
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Lully: Armide, Ouverture. Ballard 1686
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Lully: Phaëton, Act I, scene III. Ballard 1683
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Oboes tessiturae encountered in Lully's works:
- dessus;
- haute-contre;
- taille;
- basse.
Flutes: G-1 and C-3 clefs.
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Lully: Atys, Entrée des Phrygiens. Ballard 1689
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Lully: Atys, Act IV, scene V. Ballard 1689
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Charpentier
M.A. Charpentier violin orchestra counts four parts:
- dessus;
- haute-contre. In David et Janothas, haute-contre has the ambitus of a violin;
- taille. Same ambitus as a viola;
- basse.
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Charpentier: David et Jonathas, Ouverture. Philidor Laisné, 1690
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Rameau
In early Rameau's works (e.g. Hippolyte et Aricie, les Indes Galantes), orchestra is composed of:
- dessus: violin, oboe, flutes;
- haute-contre. Same ambitus as a viola;
- taille. Same ambitus as a viola;
- basse.
In later works (e.g. Les Paladins), the orchestra parts are:
- premiers dessus;
- seconds dessus;
- parties (taille);
- basses.
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Rameau: Les Paladins, Ouverture. Manuscrit autographe
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