On Apr 30, 2007, at 3:36 AM, Mark D Lew wrote:
A clear example of this is the long melisma in #5 of Handel's Messiah, "and the desi-i-i-i-i-i-ire of all nations shall come". This is consistent with what basic "correct" choral diction would dictate for any diphthong.
Is this that same _Messiah_ that has "Sing ye comfortobbly to Jerusalem" and "the dead shall be raised, raised incorruptibble"?
Sorry, couldn't resist. However: my original point is that -ire is very frequently *not* treated as a diphthong in English poetry, but as two quite distinct syllables. Musically, this would not be a melisma, and IMO should not be notated as one.
--Andrew _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
