Rhythm and Music: The Sequences of Notker Balbulus

Abstract

In almost every instance, Notker’s understanding of the rhythmical shape of sequence melodies governed his composition of sequence texts. Notker himself outlined the fundamental structure of the sequence: generally, the parallel stanzas of each couplet have an equal number of syllables and correspond to a single, non-melismatic melodic line. This article shows that Notker’s texts follow an additional structural guideline: the vast majority of his parallel stanzas are isotonic; that is, they share the same pattern of stress. Additionally, various smaller segments of text within stanzas that all correspond to one repeated portion of melody all follow this pattern. Even entire multiple sequences written for the same melody are isotonic. This article’s close attention to natural stress in sequences reveals another dimension of Notker’s careful and sensitive compositional technique.