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recurs with certain parts of the bar must more or less interrupt the emphasis upon the words. It is not only from their importance in

national and foreign, what they understood by musical accent, and if the expression belonged to the language of the art. Some of them have answered that they could not attach any precise idea to it; others have explained it to us, but with very different acceptations. We have sought it in the best Italian works which have been written upon music; in those of ZARLINO, DONI, TARTINI, SACCHI, EXIMENO, &c. but have rarely found it employed except in opposite senses. We have therefore concluded that it is not a technical expression, the sense of which may be determined and generally acknowledged by the learned and by artists. Meanwhile it appears necessary, in many cases, to express very distinct and often essential effects. We will then endeavour to attach to this word a clear and precise idea, by tracing up its analogy to its primitive and grammatical signification: this is the only mode of avoiding the confusion and inaccuracy which are but too often introduced by the employment of words transferred from one art to another. Accent being, in discourse, a more marked modification of the voice, to give to the syllable over which it is placed a particular energy, either by the force or duration of the sound, as in the Italian and English languages; or by a perceptible, grave, or acute intonation, as in the Greek and Latin tongues; it needs only to apply to music the general ideas which this word presents in grammar. The musical accent then will be a more marked energy attached to a particular note in the measure, the rythm, or the phrase of the music, whether (1) in articulating this note more strongly, or with a gradual force; (2) in giving it a greater duration in time; (3) in detaching it from the others by a very distinct, grave, or acute intonation. These different sorts of musical accent belong to pure melody; others may be drawn from harmony. We will explain as clearly and as succinctly as we can the way in which we comprehend these different effects. First. The first species is the essence of music, in all fixed and regular measures. Let us suppose four-and-twenty successive notes of equal value, following each other; if you sing them, or play them with an instrument with an equal force of sound, as they have all an equal duration, you will have only a distinct succession of similar tones, but without any appearance of time: these will not make music. If you would wish to give them a fixed measure, you will be obliged to mark by a more forcible articulation the note which begins each bar: thus, if there are twenty-four crotchets, and you wish to give them a measure of four time, you will strike more strongly the first, the fifth, the ninth, &c. For the measure of three time, you will lean more forcibly upon the first, the fourth, the seventh, &c. For the measure of two, you will enforce every other note.-This is what every singer and player would naturally do. The notes more forcibly pressed are the strong parts of the measure, and the others are the weak parts ;--in technical language, the perfect and imperfect times of the bar. In the measure of four time, there are two strong parts and two weak; for the third is marked less strongly than the first, but more so than the second and the fourth. Here is then a constant musical accent inherent in all pieces of measured music; for it ought to exist, although by the movement of the rythm, or the effects of expression, this accent is contradicted or almost effaced by an accent of another kind. 2.-If in each bar, or in two or three following bars, &c. the same note, or a longer note than the others, returns regularly at the same part of the bar, this note would be considered as a musical accent giving a particular effect to the melody. 3.-If in the same way, at certain parts of the measure

the sentence, but their position in the bar that words become emphatic; and however the best composers have been led to consider and abate this objection in their works, such instances are so common among all masters, that they can hardly be considered exceptions to a rule, but rather a radical and necessary defect, so far as regards the matter of which we are treating, in the union of words and music. Pauses, too, continue where the sense goes on. Divisions are introduced to express passion of every kind, and which derive their effect from a particular accentuation. In these examples, therefore, we must often forego in a degree the verbal effect except we can bring ourselves to consider the musical phrase as a more protracted expression of the sense, and thus possessing ourselves at once of the entire meaning of the sentence, transfer to the melody by far the greater share of power in keeping alive the passion intended by the composition.

A singer will often find that by the judicious use of the finest notes in his compass, he can aid the effect both of the sentiment and the music. He may therefore constantly avail himself of this knowledge, to pause or swell or diminish the tone more particularly upon those notes than upon others less perfect where it does not interfere with the peculiar import of the sentence, or the time of the music. Indeed, composers have generally done this for the singer. They know the best part of the voices for which they write, and distribute those beauties accordingly. Science must, however, limit such a licence. To a perfect singer, all passages and notes should be alike.

The student ought first to consider the appropriate delivery of the words before he tries them in combination with the air. Having thus determined how the words ought to be read, he will proceed in

or the musical phrase, the melody be regularly raised or lowered by a marked interval, this intonation would also form a very distinct accent. To these methods drawn from melody let us join those which harmony furnishes. If the different instruments regularly strike more forcibly a certain part of the bar or musical pnrase, or if a larger number of instruments unite to strike this same part, there will be an accent on this note; there will be one also upon the note which, at regular intervals, is struck by a marked dissonance or by an abrupt passage of modulation. All syncopated notes also form an accent. That part of the note which is necessarily enforced to mark the strong part, has a melodious accent: this accent may be strengthened by the change of the chord which takes place upon the second part of the note. These different examples of accents are susceptible of many gradations and combinations. It is sufficient for us to have indicated their principles. Encyclopaedic Methodique.

the adaptation of them to melody. The first difficulty to be encountered is in the synchronous delivery of the words and the notes, for if the syllable expires before the termination of the note, he will be under the necessity of substituting some letter or syllable, which never fails to introduce a vitiated tone, as well as impurity of speech. The greatest attention is necessary to this point, for the tone is not alone in danger. A too sudden or too great a change in the aperture of the mouth or lips, will affect the intonation also, and there is nothing more difficult than to preserve the tone pure and tune perfect, under the various changes which the different vowels and the different motions produce.

Whenever a syllable is prolonged through a division, the greatest attention should be paid to the vowel upon which the pronunciation of the syllable depends. The slightest deviation is felt. The e is always liable to degenerate into a, the a into o, and the i into e. A very minute change in the mouth effects this. The master (or in his absence the student) must watch the syllable most carefully, and stop the pupil on the instant. The evil consequences of a bad habit in this or any other respect is rarely eradicated, as is to be perceived most strongly in an English singer accustomed to sing Italian. 1 could quote several of the most highly esteemed who were accustomed to introduce a vowel between words ending and beginning with consonants in English songs as well as in Italian, where it is often not only allowed but enjoined.

The quantity of breath inspired, and the times when it is properly to be taken, must also be an object of previous remark. This branch of the subject comes more properly, and will be treated more at large in the chapter on the formation and management of the voice, but it is mentioned here because it forms a part of the considerations necessary to a forcible elocution in singing. The singer should ascertain by experiment where the breath may be most easily drawn, without injury to the general sustentation of the tone, and should mark it upon the song. This will remove the uncertainty of mind, and ensure facility of execution; for nothing more effectually supports the performer than the confidence that he has full power at command.

I have thus brought before the eyes of the student most of the general circumstances concerned with this branch of my subject, but it will be necessary to elucidate more fully by instances, the several

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particulars. Pause, emphasis, accent, change of passages, either by the abbreviation or the prolongation of notes, even the addition of ornament, should seem to require analysis and example. The licences which belong especially to recitative and to the several divisions of the air, all present subjects for a particular exposition, and these will form the points to be discussed in the next essay of

TIMOTHEUS.

ON THE ACQUIREMENT OF A PERFECT TASTE
IN MUSIC.

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR.

I Have observed that many persons, really fond of music, are

anxious to improve themselves in that interesting science by attending concerts, and other public amusements in which music forms a considerable part; but not being possessed of a professional friend to point out to them the various beauties that occur in the compositions they hear performed, are very often at a loss to know how they shall judge of many pieces, and, from the indefinite and obscure effect produced upon their ears, they sometimes imagine a composition (either song, glee, or instrumental piece,) dull and unpleasing, simply because they do not understand it. While thinking of this circumstance, I was agreeably surprized some time ago in finding in a work where I least expected to see them, some very excellent observations upon the subject; and as they appear to me so well calculated to effect improvement in the acquisition of a perfect taste in music in such persons as are willing to follow the advice they contain, I shall without further apology introduce them. In a work not long published, "Select Pieces in Prose and Verse, by J. Bowdler, jun." that excellent young man, speaking of the acquirement of taste in the arts, says→→→

*

Perhaps the process by which taste is originally formed, may be rendered more intelligible by considering how any one acquires what is called a perfect ear in music. Suppose a concerto of Mozart, or of Corelli, to be performed, some natural sensibility to the beauty of musical sounds being supposed (as it is found in fact to exist in a great majority of instances,) the general impression which is made upon the hearer will be gratifying. But upon a single experiment, probably no person, entirely unpractised in music, could say more than that he had received on the whole considerable pleasure. Suppose the same piece to be frequently repeated: he will perceive that he receives different degrees of pleasure, and pleasures also of different kinds, from distinct parts of the piece. Let the same person hear a great variety of other musical compositions, and if he is vigilant in observing his impressions, and compares the parts of the several pieces which afford him the greatest or the least gratification, he will gradually acquire considerable correctness and delicacy in perceiving the excellencies and the blemishes of the various passages to which he listens. Then comes the musical philosopher, (RAMEAU would doubtless claim this dignity for his favorite science,) and ex- plains many of the causes of those perceptions which the amateur has experienced. He tells him that in such a part, his ear was offended by the introduction of too many discords into the harmony; that in another, it was wearied by too monotonous a system of concords; that here the cadences are finely managed, explaining the principles; there the transition into a different key is too sudden, and he talks earnestly to him about sharp sevenths and fundamental basses. If the amateur has the fortune to have a tolerable head as well as an ear, he understands a good deal of what is taught him, and finds that by the help of this new knowledge, the experi ments which he makes are much more profitable than they had been, that is, he observes many slight impressions which had before escaped him, and has a more perfect knowledge of those which he had already noticed. His judgment also receives great assistance from the opinions which he hears from others who have made a progress in his art, and from the rules adopted or favored by the most celebrated masters, and by degrees with nothing but an ordinarily good car and plain understanding to begin with, may any person become a very skilful connoiseur in every species of composition, and acquire so critical a nicety in his perception of sounds as to be able to detect a single false note in the midst of the most noisy and complicated performance. The process by which taste is acquired in any of the sister arts certainly is not very different. If the account which has been given of the manner in which our taste is formed, be tolerably correct, it follows that justness and comprehension of understanding are more indispensably requisite for the enjoy ment of that power in great perfection, than a superior delicacy in our original perceptions.'

* The author here undoubtedly meant "succession of concords."

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