Glarean

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of Heinrich Glarean, a 16th-century Swiss music theorist known for his contributions to modal theory and music scholarship
2. Pertaining to the works or theories introduced by Glarean, especially in the context of Renaissance music and modal classification
3. Connected with Glarean’s expansions on musical modes and his influence on the understanding of early music theory and practice

Etymology: The adjective comes from Heinrich Loriti, a Swiss humanist born around 1488 in Mollis, in the canton of Glarus. He Latinized his name to Glareanus after his home region, and the adjective is formed from that Latinized surname, following the usual English pattern for names of people. His reputation rests on the 1547 treatise "Dodecachordon," printed in Basel. Medieval music theory recognized eight church modes, and Glarean argued that there were twelve. He added the Aeolian and Ionian modes, which had been recognized but largely ignored, and he used musical examples from the composers of his own day to show how they worked in practice. The Ionian mode in particular became the basis of the modern major scale, and the Aeolian became the basis of the natural minor, so his classification still shapes how students learn tonality.