Mensural_MEI_Score_to_CMN_MEI_Score

This tool converts a Mensural MEI file encoding a scored-up version of a mensural piece¹ into a CMN MEI file encoding this score in modern values. The Mensural MEI score used as input contains all the rhythmic information for all the voices; in other words, it encodes the exact duration of every note by using the attributes @dur, for note shape, and @num and @numbase, to encode the perfect / imperfect / altered quality of that particular note. The Mensural MEI Score to CMN MEI Score Translator divides the notes into <measure> elements according to the time signature provided by the user.

Usage

To run the script, one needs four parameters. Two of them are related to the files:

• <input_file> is the path of the Mensural MEI file to be converted into CMN.
• <output_file> is the path of the resulting (CMN MEI) file.

And the other two are related to the time signature:

• count corresponds to the number of beats per measure.
• unit corresponds to the beat unit (e.g., '4' for quarter note and '2' for half note).

The parameters are expected to be entered as follows:

$ python mensural_to_cmn.py <input_file> <output_file> count unit

Example

An example of the performance of the Mensural MEI Score to CMN MEI Score Translator is given by the files Example_mensural.mei and Example_CMNed_6-1.mei. The Example_mensural.mei file encodes an excerpt of a piece in mensural notation and score format obtained from the Measuring Polyphony Project. The piece from which this excerpt comes from is the motet Se paour d'umble astinence / Diex, tan desir / [TENOR]. The following command translates the mensural score encoded in Example_mensural.mei into modern values using a 6/1 time signature (i.e., 6 semibreves—whole notes—per measure), and encodes the resulting CMN score into the Example_CMNed_6-1.mei file:

$ python mensural_to_cmn.py Example_mensural.mei Example_CMNed_6-1.mei 6 1

Notes:

1: Music in mensural notation is normally written in separate parts. MEI allows to encode this music in its original (mensural) values, but one can encode it both in a <parts> representation or a <score> representation. For the latter, it is necessary to encode the duration of the notes as well (this includes encoding the note shape as well as the perfect / imperfect / altered quality of a note). Scripts to pass from a separate-parts representation to a score representation, still preserving the original notation, have been developed (see: Automatic Mensural Scoring-up Tool).