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A Conductor’s Guide to the Music of Hildegard von Bingen

6 David Hiley, Western Plainchant: A Handbook (Clarendon Press, 14 Nathaniel Campbell, Beverly Lomer, and Xenia Sand-
1993), 345–46. In medieval treatises, the term “neume” strom-McGuire, “Music: The Symphonia and Ordo
referred to the melody, not the written notation; however, Virtutum of Hildegard von Bingen,” International
as Hiley notes: “The term neume, meaning a notational Society of Hildegard von Bingen Studies (1983, 2008,
sign, has become so embedded in the musical literature 2014), http://www.hildegard-society.org/p/music.html.
that it would be pointless to try to restrict its meaning to The Hildegard Society website is an amazing resource
the other medieval sense of the word” (346). In Western that includes translations, pitch content, discrepancies
Plainchant, Hiley avoids using the term neume when re- between manuscript sources, recordings, analysis, and
ferring to notation. This paper will use the term neume hyperlinks directly to the manuscript pages.
as it is used in contemporary literature—in reference to 15 Honey Meconi, “The Unknown Hildegard,” 286–87. Me-
the notational signs and symbols that represent the mel- coni specifically cites errors in Pfau’s edition of O Virga ac
ody. Diadema but also notes that any of Pfau’s editions contain
7 Hildegard, Symphonia: A Critical Edition, ed. and trans. New- a similar number of errors.
man, “List of Manuscripts,” 64: Dendermonde, Bel- 16 Willi Apel, Gregorian Chant (Bloomington: Indiana Univer-
gium, St.-Pieters&-Paulusabdij Cod. 9 (Rupertsberg, c. sity Press, 1958), 135, and Mahrt, “Essential Theory for
1175); Wiesbaden, Landesbibliothek Hs. 2, “Reisenco- Performers,” 486. Students in Renaissance music cours-
dex” (Rupertsberg, 1180–1190); Stuttgart, Landesbiblio- es are typically taught the Greek modal names dorian,
thek Cod. Theol. Phil. 253 (Rupertsberg, St. Disibod and phrygian, lydian, and mixolydian, with finals on D, E,
Zwiefalten, Ms. S, 1154–1170); Vienna, Nationalbiblio- F, and G, respectively. Their hypo- (plagal) counterparts
thek Cod. 881 (Rupertsberg, 1164–1170), V ; Vienna, share the same final but encompass a range a fourth be-
1
Nationalbibliothek Cod. 963 (St. Maria in Rommers- low to a fifth above the final. The mode numbers, which
2
dorf, 13th century), V ; Vienna, Nationalbibliothek Cod. have been in use since the 10th century, are classified as
3
1016 (13th century), V . follows: Mode 1, dorian (general range of D-D, D final);
8 Peter van Poucke, introduction to Hildegard, Symphonia Har- Mode 2, hypodorian (A-A, D final); Mode 3, phrygian
moniae Caelestium Revelationum: Dendermonde, St.-Pieters & (E-E, E final); Mode 4, hypophrygian (B-B, E final);
Paulusabdij, Ms. Cod. 9, ed. Peter van Poucke (Peer, Bel- Mode 5, lydian (F-F, F final); Mode 6, hypolydian (C-
gium: Alamire, 1991), 6. Van Poucke notes that it is un- C, F final); Mode 7, mixolydian (G-G, G final); Mode 8,
likely that the manuscript was copied by Hildegard her- hypomixolydian (D-D, G final).
self, but it was likely copied “under her supervision.” 17 Willi Apel, Gregorian Chant,136. For melodic analysis of
9 Hildegard, Lorenz Welker, and Michael Klaper, Lieder: Fak- Hildegard’s Symphonia by mode, see Pfau’s dissertation,
simile Riesencodex (hs. 2) Der Hessischen Landesbibliothek Wies- Hildegard von Bingen’s Symphonia: Armonie Celestium Revelatio-
baden, ff. 466–81v (Wiesbaden: L. Reichert Verlag, 1998), num, 128–212.
23. 18 For further reading on ficta, see Margaret Bent, “Musica
10 Peter van Poucke, introduction to Hildegard, Symphonia, 11. Recta and Musica Ficta,” Musica Disciplina 26 (1972):
The text used in these manuscripts is referred to as “Car- 73–100. http://www.jstor.org.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/sta-
olingian miniscule.” ble/20532145; Nicholas Routley, “A Practical Guide to
11 Hildegard von Bingen, Lieder: Symphoniae, translated by Bar- ‘Musica Ficta’.” Early Music 13, no. 1 (1985): 59-71, www.
bara Stühlmeyer, Beuroner Kunstverlag, 2012. jstor.org.proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/stable/3127407. While
12 Honey Meconi, “The Unknown Hildegard: Editing, Perfor- these articles present discussion of 15th-century reper-
mance, and Reception (An Ordo Virtutum in Five Acts)” toire, the authors provide unique insight into decisions
in Music in Print and Beyond: Hildegard Von Bingen to The regarding ficta the modern editor of early music must
Beatles, ed. Craig A. Monson and Roberta M. Montem- confront.
orra, 258–306 (Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell & Brewer, 19 Marianne Pfau, “Hildegard von Bingen’s Symphonia,” 177–
2013), 281. 78. Pfau describes the instances in her transcriptions
13 Grove Music Online, s.v. “Liber usualis,” accessed 20 Jan. 2001. where she has added an editorial flat sign.

30 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2025 Volume 65 Number 8