Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Latin term or phrase:
passus duriusculus
English translation:
a series (which is) a little bit louder
Added to glossary by
Joseph Brazauskas
Nov 30, 2006 07:39
17 yrs ago
Latin term
Chris Rowson (X)
passus duriusculus
Latin to English
Art/Literary
Music
My interest in this phrase is in the usage in musical contexts in the 17th to 21st centuries, in various languages. I don´t have a Latin sentence in which it occurs.
Google references mostly indicate that it refers to a falling chromatic passage, or sometimes to a falling or rising chromatic passage. Perhaps I should be content to accept the modern usage as found, but I would appreciate it if someone could illuminate for me the meaning of the Latin from which it derives.
Google references mostly indicate that it refers to a falling chromatic passage, or sometimes to a falling or rising chromatic passage. Perhaps I should be content to accept the modern usage as found, but I would appreciate it if someone could illuminate for me the meaning of the Latin from which it derives.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | a series (which is) a little bit louder |
Joseph Brazauskas
|
| 1 +1 | Chromatic series? |
David Moore (X)
|
| 2 | a moderately more difficult passage |
Rebecca Garber
|
Proposed translations
7 hrs
Joseph Brazauskas
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
United States
When You Want It Done Right
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
, Spanish (Variant: Standard-Spain)
Works in: Latin to English, English to Latin, Greek (Ancient) to English, and 23 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
a series (which is) a little bit louder
Not being a musician, I venture upon this answer gingerly. But literally it means 'a step which is a bit harder', 'durius' being the comparative of 'durus' and '-culus' a diminutive suffix.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you all. It turned out that the musical use of this term is essentially in a single 17th C treatise, which is less than lucid, together with a few late 20th C trawlers after obscurity. The meaning remains unclear.
But what I wanted was to know what the Latin might mean, in order to help me to understand what the musicians might be intending. You all helped, but it was Joseph who brought me closest to what I think is the best glossary entry."
+1
1 hr
Chromatic series?
I didn't want to post this as an answer as it is not in English, and hence my "confidence(?)" but it wouldn't fit up there...
Have a look at the following site, to see if it helps:
Passus duriusculus - Wikipedia- [ Translate this page ]
Ein Passus duriusculus (lat. "der harte/schwere Gang") ist eine Kette von chromatisch abwärts absteigenden Sekunden. Die chromatische Tonleiter wird dabei ...
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passus_duriusculus
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Note added at 1 hr (2006-11-30 08:43:42 GMT)
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And it looks rather as if it goes up or down...
[DOC] Lecture 7: Harmony III: Obscuring HarmonyFile Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
... Bars 5 to 6 build a harmonic cliché, a passus duriusculus, the chromatic descent in the bass from i to V. This can be partly explained as an intervallic ...
www.sussex.ac.uk/music/documents/session
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Note added at 4 hrs (2006-11-30 12:30:28 GMT)
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Could this refer to a transition passage from one key i.e. major or minor to the other - or to a diiferent key? Only because the German "major" or sharp is generally "dur"...
Have a look at the following site, to see if it helps:
Passus duriusculus - Wikipedia- [ Translate this page ]
Ein Passus duriusculus (lat. "der harte/schwere Gang") ist eine Kette von chromatisch abwärts absteigenden Sekunden. Die chromatische Tonleiter wird dabei ...
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passus_duriusculus
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2006-11-30 08:43:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
And it looks rather as if it goes up or down...
[DOC] Lecture 7: Harmony III: Obscuring HarmonyFile Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
... Bars 5 to 6 build a harmonic cliché, a passus duriusculus, the chromatic descent in the bass from i to V. This can be partly explained as an intervallic ...
www.sussex.ac.uk/music/documents/session
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2006-11-30 12:30:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Could this refer to a transition passage from one key i.e. major or minor to the other - or to a diiferent key? Only because the German "major" or sharp is generally "dur"...
7 hrs
Rebecca Garber
Native in English
fluency in engineering
Native in: English 
Works in: German to English, Latin to English, German Middle High (ca.1050-1500) to English, and 2 more.
a moderately more difficult passage
The literal meaning of the Latin. I can't comment on musical application, though, as one would expect an ascending or decending chromatic passage to be rather easier. Thus the confidence level.
Discussion
I am afraid I can't comment on the use of the expression in a musical context.
duriusculus - a bit stiff
But "duriusculus" is derived from "durus" which can also mean "difficult", "hard to do" or "rough".
"passus" means a step or a certain distance (about 1.5 m), in your context probably