This chapter covers the final two topics of this studybefore the final synthesis in chapters 13 and 14:the use of triple meter, and the use of tempo words.The discussions of these notational practices hereare proportionally small compared to that of duplemeter, especially the allabreve meters. For triple meter, thisis mainly because:

• 1. Triple meter was usually understood assubordinate to duple meter: I suspect that oncethe speed and general usage of a simple duplemeter was understood, that knowledge would thenimmediately be applied to all of its proportionaltriple meters (see chapters 1 and 3). Thereforethese triple meters did not necessarily presentany more difficulties (in theory, anyway);

• 2. Dance music—in which triple meter plays avery large role—in general has been excluded fromthis study. The reader is invited to turn to otherstudies for a more in-depth discussion on meter indance music.

For tempo words, this is mainly because:

• 1. In the seventeenth century, the principaltempo words used were usually only adagio and allegro as the standardterms for slow and fast, with relatively fewexceptions; and

• 2. In-depth discussions on the use and relativespeed of each tempo word were not approached untilthe end of the German Baroque (see chapter 7).Certainly, authors in the seventeenth centurymentioned the use of tempo words, but theirdiscussions were very cursory in nature.

Despite constraints imposed on the scope of this studywith regard to triple meter and the limiteddiscussions of tempo words in the treatises, thereare a number of very curious compositional featuresand patterns that need to be mentioned with regardto these topics before the case studies of chapter13 can be approached.

Performer's Corner

The introduction to the triple meter section belowcovers many of the issues related to performance.However, there are a few additional issues thatshould be raised here. I would like to offer awarning for the interpretation of double measures ofand in Weckman's music, and indeed any other earlyto mid-seventeenth-century composer/copyist who usedmeasures of etc. It is imperative to look at everycase of “strange” triple meter individually toascertain what the copyist intended regardingproportion, tempo, and Affekt.