Up to this point in this study, most of the main topicsdiscussed in the treatises relating to theproportional and “non-proportional” relationshipsamong the most common signatures have been covered.Nonetheless, there are two more fairly commonlydiscussed time signatures and notational practicesnot represented in figures 3.4 and 3.8 that fallunder this category: (1) the “2” signature; and (2)blackened and whitened/voided notation. Both ofthese notations could be used as (tempo) variants tomore common meters. Unlike the more usual notationalpractices examined in chapters 2 and 3, thesevariant meters are rarely employed in German Baroqueorgan music. Nevertheless, they are included herebecause treatise authors considered them fairlyimportant topics, and because they will surfaceagain in certain case studies in chapters 10 and12.

Performer's Corner

Of particular importance for the performer are thefollowing points:

• • Because the typically French meter “2” had somany differing practices in both French and Germantreatises, each instance of “2” occurring inmusical scores should be carefully examined todetermine its relative tempo.

• • However, by the late German Baroque, a fairlyconsistent meaning of “2” seems to have beenreached: 2 or was generally understood as asubstitute for the small allabreve's ¢.

• • Blackened notation can only be ascertained inGerman treatises as meaning “faster than thenormal notation” for blackened tripla. However, it may bethat blackened sesquialtera was also faster than itsparent meter.

• • Whitened notation (or voided notation) wasdescribed in France as being both slower andfaster than the parent notation. There is nodirect speed indication in the German treatisesdiscussed here, but from the text underlay in oneof the examples provided by Georg Falck, we canhypothesize that whitened notation could mean atempo decrease, as at least one of its meanings inGerman-speaking territories.

• • Whitened and blackened notation was not justfor tempo purposes, i.e., they were used for “eyemusic” (e.g., blackened notes were used alongsidethe word “black,” whitened notes alongside theword “light,” etc.).

The Time Signature “2,” Introduction

Besides the duple meters discussed extensively inchapter 2, there is one more signature that appearedquite regularly in German Baroque treatises:“2.”