Desk

A support for the partition

In the middle of the the Middle Ages, as soon as the erudite Western music systematized the use of the notation, the desk indicated a piece of furniture being used to support a partition, in order to allow the reading of it.

One can consider that the ancestor of the modern desk is the Lutrin medieval monks. It is about an imposing piece of furniture, provided with a foot massive, able to receive the bulky Manuscrit S containing the liturgical Chant S , called Antiphonaire S. Until the invention of the musical printing works (with the Renaissance), this type of partition almost always consists of a single specimen, writes approximately characters in order to facilitate the collective reading of it . The singers were thus accustomed to meeting around the lectern (or of the desk) for to interpret, together, same a left musical.

Since the birth of the instrumental literature purely , with the period baroque, the desk is obviously used to release the hands of the Musicien, normally solicited by the instrumental play . The Song or as for him, usually does without desk: indeed, if a Chorus-singer or a vocal Soliste must use a partition, this one, from now on individual , can completely be held between its hands.

In a Symphony orchestra traditional, the desks (and thus, partitions) is generally distributed at a rate of a unit for two instrumentalists. This proportion guarantees a minimum of comfort for the reading, preserves a little the vital Espace musicians, and especially, the risk an inopportune interruption of the course of the music at the time avoids when the interpreters turn simultaneously the page of their partition.

There exist desks of all sizes, of all forms: fixed desks, foldable desks, desks incorporated in the instrument itself (on a Piano, for example), or, desks being able to be fixed on the instrument and that one then calls Lyre (for example, on the instruments of a fascinating orchestra of harmony-brass band share with a procession), etc

The station of the leader

" Le" desk can métaphoriquement indicate the place of the Leader. Thus, with the radio, the commentator will call sometimes the leader by the expression: “orchestra X, with Y with the desk”.

A group of musicians

In a Together musical, a desk indicates a group of Musicien S carrying out same the left, like the Ténor S in a Chorale or the second violins in a Symphony orchestra, but it names also a whole of instruments pertaining to the same family, the wood of a Orchestre of harmony or the coppers of a Big band.

When at the end of the the Middle Ages, the erudite Western music became polyphonic, i.e., built on a voluntary simultaneity of melody S, each part to be interpreted - called voice, since at the time, this Type of music was almost exclusively of the vocal Musique - was noted on a distinct partition (often in single specimen ) laid out on a piece of furniture called desk. This one quickly became the center around from which the various interpreters were accustomed to gathering to sing the part noted on the aforementioned partition. With time, the word “desk” ended up indicating, not only the piece of furniture, but also the group of interpreters.

The concept of “musician in a desk” is thus opposed to the concept of Soliste, which by definition, only carries out its part musical. It is during the 18th century that this distinction took place. In the Instrumental music, this opposition produced, on a side, the symphonic Musique - carried out by musicians organized in desks -, other, the Chamber music - carried out by soloists. In the lyric music, or more largely, in the vocal Music, the same type of specialization was carried out, about the same time, between the singer soloist and the Choriste.

For example, in a mixed chorus, one will speak about the desk of the Soprano S, of the desk of the violas, the desk of the Ténor S and the desk of the low . In a Orchestra, one will speak about the desk of the first Violon S, of the desk of the second violins, the desk of the violas, the desk of the Violoncelle S and the desk of the Contrebasse S.

It can happen however that, in an instrumental unit, certain musicians are alone to carry out their part. It is the case for example, of a percussionnist in a Symphony orchestra. Or, in a Orchestra baroque, the case of the musicians carrying out the Basse continues - often a Clavecin and a Violoncelle. However, those are generally not regarded as Soliste S, because the musical part which is entrusted to them is not an element of foreground, but an accompaniment or a simple accessory - instruments for purpose, rhythmic instruments purely …

It can also happen that during a piece of music, the musicians of the same desk have to carry out only one part not, but two or more: in this case, it is operated a temporary division desk in as many under-desks as necessary. On such an assumption, the various under-desks are numbered since the top downwards.

For example, so in a chorus, the desk of the Ténor S must be divided into two, the first tenors will carry out the acute part more , the second tenors, the serious part more . It is under the terms of this principle that at the beginning of the 18th century, when the Violon S of the orchestra were definitively divided into two desks, those were baptized, always since the acute one towards the low register: “first violins” and “second violins”.

Related subjects

Random links: