Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

be made distinctly audible-as in the toll of a great bell,where, amid the vibrations of the primary or fundamental note, its 12th and 17th are distinctly heard-i. e, the note with its 3d and 5th composing the full harmony, are generated by the vibrations of what appears to inattentive ears to be only a simple sound. These accompaniments or harmonies, as they are called, may be heard also by striking any of the low notes of an open piano-forté-or, what shows the experiment with more effect, by sounding the lowest string of a violincello-in this case, it is adviseable to untune the other strings, so that they may not accord with the string to be sounded, and, by causing them to vibrate, hinder the real harmonies from being heard. † Now it seems highly improbable that this natural existence of according sounds should have escaped the penetration of the Greeks-and if they did discover it, it is absurd to imagine that they would not adopt it in their music. By far the most rational explanation appears to be, that their music has shared the fate of their other perishable possessions, which were swallowed up in the dark ages of barbarism: At all events it is a consolation to think, that, whether invented, or only revived by the moderns, it has been carried, as well as its sister art, to as great perfection as it probably ever attained during the best times of ancient Greece.

But though we are of opinion that the Greeks possessed a knowledge of the scientific part of music, we are inclined to think that they had the good taste to prefer the light and unadorned beauties of a simple melody, to music groaning under the weight of full accompaniments,-which, according to the vitiated taste of modern times, are the great criteria of excellence. The opinion of Rousseau, who was against the counterpoint of the Greeks (Dict. de Musique, Art. Harmonie), that Perhaps all our harmony, of which we are so vain, is only a Gothic and barbarous invention, which we should never have thought of, if we had been more alive to the real beauties of the art, and to music that is • truly natural and affecting'-is not so much a paradox, as

6

brations of different sonorous bodies. The whole of Mr Jones's remarks on this subject are original and entertaining, and well worth the perusal of such persons as care about such subjects.

Perhaps the instrument known by the name of the Æolian Harp, exhibits the effects of natural harmony in the most perfect and at the same time most pleasing way. The strings are all tuned in unison; and as the wind plays upon them, the combinations of natural concords which are perpetually varying as the intensity of the wind changes, produce a variety and sweetness of harmony, which, heard in the stillness of evening, may almost be mistaken for an unearthly music.

many people may suppose. We have always thought that the gratification excited by a simple air, well sung, is far higher than any pleasure arising from the most learned concerto, performed with all the noise and vehemence which the combined force of the most accomplished musicians in the world is capable of producing. The skilful adjustment of the different parts -the happy arrangement of concords and discords, producing by contrast the most striking effects the appropriate combination of instruments, according to the species of the music, the passion to be excited, or the feeling to be expressed ;-all this undoubtedly will afford to the man of musical science, a treat of a very high relish :-but it is only the man of skill who can duly appreciate it-it is only he, who can hear all those combinations, and without being bewildered and distracted, that can attend to their relative bearings one upon the other. Upon the generality of listeners, very much of this is thrown away:They feel much as a modern assembly would do if an orator were to address them in Greek; they would be sensible that his periods flow very smoothly, and in language that appears poetical and sonorous-but they would understand mighty little of his argument. And so it is in a concert ;-to the most part of the audience there is too much learning-the music probably sounds very smooth and very agreeable there is nothing harsh or grating to the ear;-but it is Greek to them;-they do not enter into its merits; and after compelling themselves to listen for a reasonable time, they, with one consent, begin to waver and yawn. But, in the midst of this universal languor, let all the instruments, but one, be hushed-let that one play a simple, well known melody-it is instantly recognised-the slumbering hearers start again into life-they shout-they applaud-they understand what they hear.

Why are the Italians the most musical people in the world? Because theirs is a music of melody, rather than of harmony. From the peculiar structure of their language (of which we shall speak more at large hereafter), their music is more vocal than instrumental; they pay little regard to laboured accompaniments; the instruments are for the most part in unison with the voice; and the full orchestra is only used in the symphonies, or to fill up the intervals between the songs. Now, from the specimens that have come down to us, of the vocal music of the Greeks, it appears that their accompaniments were very often of this nature-(it is on the two rows of notes being in some instances the same, and in others totally different from each other, that we chiefly rest our opinion of the Greeks having possessed harmony, when they chose to use it)—name

ly, the singer accompanying his voice, either by unisons or octaves: In such cases, no sound was admitted which could interrupt the measure of the verse, or break the unity and simplicity of the melody. Their music might be of a nature as refined as their poetry-as exquisitely finished as their sculpture -as dignified as their architecture-without such a thing as a chord or a discord entering into its composition.-But we must quit this question of ancient music, on which we have little but conjectures to offer, and which will probably ever remain a matter of conjecture, or a subject of curious speculation, *-in order to consider that ancient music, of which we do know something certain.

It is to Pythagoras that music first owes its title to the appellation of a Science: We do not allude to the ridiculous story which is mentioned by Stillingfleet + and others, of his finding out the principles of harmony by accidentally hearing the music produced by four hammers in a blacksmith's shop;-but to his discovery of musical ratios in the invention of the Harmonical Canon, or Monochord. If we consider the air as the vehicle of sound,the agitation in the parts of a sonorous body will cause a motion or undulation in the particles of air which are in immediate contact with it. These undulations spreading, as it were, in concentric circles, round the body in every direction, strike upon the ear, and produce the sensation of sound. This explanation of the manner in which sound is generated, is best illustrated by observing what takes place in another fluid, when its particles are put in motion. When a stone is dropped into a pool of water, every one has observed the peculiar motion which it communicates:-the surface is thrown into waves, which form in concentric circles, rapidly succeeding one another round the point of percussion; these circles spread in every direction, becoming, as they extend, fainter and more faint, till at last they are no longer distinguishable from the smooth surface on which they are encroach

* Some light has been thrown upon the Instruments of the Ancients, by the discovery of an old musical instrument which was dug up out of the ashes of Herculaneum-It is conjectured to be the Sacbut; the Italians have formed their Tromboni upon it :-but it is said that no modern instrument, made after the same model, has been brought to equal it in tone and power:-the lower part is bronze, and the upper part and mouth-piece of solid gold. It was presented by the King of Naples to his late Majesty.

[ocr errors]

See his Principles and Power of Harmony,' p. 8.-a work of great ingenuity and skill.

ing. If they strike against any obstacle in their course, such as a bank, they return, in a contrary direction, to the common centre: and when this part of the phenomenon occurs in the case of sound, it produces what is called an Echo.

Pythagoras, viewing the matter thus, was of opinion, that the sound was grave or acute according to the number of pulsations or concentric circles formed in a given time,—that number depending upon the rapidity of the vibrations, which again were regulated by the form and texture of the sonorous body. He next found, that taking two musical strings of equal thickness and tension, the longer produced the graver sound; and that, when the lengths were as two to one, the note given out by the long string was an octave below that produced by the other. This led him to suppose, that the one string vibrated twice, while the other vibrated once; and hence, that, in general, the number of vibrations was inversely as the lengths of the strings. Upon this principle he constructed his Monochordwhich is simply a string divided according to the proportions which belong to the different intervals,-as, which produces the octave; ds for the fifth; ths for the fourth; and so on. * -It is not known by what farther reasonings or experiments the philosopher was led to these conclusions; but they certainly were not established on mathematical principles, till Galilæo demonstrated their truth, by comparing the vibrations of a musical string with the oscillations of a Pendulum through very small arcs. † A musical string being fixed at both ends, is, as it were, a double pendulum. Now, in a pendulum, the time of vibration is as the square root of the length. Hence we must diminish the pendulum in the ratio of 1: 4, if we wish to double the number of its oscillations: But as a musical string acts like two pendulums, each half the length of the whole string, it is only neces sary to diminish it in the ratio of 1:2, in order to make it vibrate twice as fast. The analogy between a musical string and a pendulum, explains also a thing which puzzled the ancients very much to account for-that, however loud or faint the sound may be, it is always at the same pitch: the reason is, that whatever be the length of the arc, the vibrations of the same string or pendulum are isochronous; and therefore, as the sound dies away, the arcs of vibration become less; and, consequently, the vibratory motion becomes slower, and the pulsations upon the

*For an account of the Divisions of the Monochord, and the Temperament of the Scale, we refer our readers to a paper on the subject by Cavallo, in the Philosophical Transactions for 1788.

+ See Phil. Trans. 1714.

ear are less distinctly heard. When two strings, whose lengths are as 1:2, vibrate together, it is obvious, that as the one vibrates twice while the other vibrates once, they will be together at the beginning of every alternate vibration, and their sounds will then accord: When the strings are in this proportion, their coincidences are more frequent than when their lengths are in any other ratio; and hence it is that the octave is the most perfect concord. If their lengths are as 2:3, which is the ratio of the fifth, every third vibration of the one coincides with every second of the other-the coincidences are not so frequent as in the octaves-and therefore the concord is not so perfect. If their lengths are such, that they never begin to describe the arcs of vibration. together, but perpetually cross each other in their oscillations, then their sounds are jarring and unconsentaneous; and thus produce a discord.-After this long digression upon the Theory of Sounds, we return to the History of Music.

The rites and ceremonies of the Christian church originated in the East, where Christianity was first established; and, from this period, our information on the progress of Music becomes more certain. The first regular choir for singing hymns and the service of the Church, was established at Antioch, in the time of Constantine. At this place, an order of Monks was founded, who were obliged by their rules to keep up a continual chanting-a sort of perpetual fire of Psalmody, which the Monkish writers call Laus Perennis. These ceremonies gave rise to a mode of singing which was afterwards established at Milan, and known by the name of the Ambrosian Chant, after St Ambrose, who brought it from Antioch; and this method of chanting the Psalms continued with little alteration for upwards of two centuries, when it was reformed by another father of the Church and of its music, St Gregory-in the year 600. He introduced a very considerable innovation, by increasing the four modes which were derived from the Greek music, and called Authentic, by the addition of four others which he called Plagal―(a λayos, obliquus, collateral or adjunct.) || He ba

Euseb. Lib. II. c. 17.

Psalmody Island, in the Diocese of Nismes, is so named from a monastery founded there, with similar observances, by a Syrian monk, from Antioch, towards the close of the fourth century.

The Authentic mode is that part of the scale, contained between the Tonic and the Dominant; and the Plagal is the part below, be¬ tween the Tonic and the Subdominant. In a strict Fugue, the extreme notes of the Authentic are answered respectively by the extreme notes of the Plagal-or vice versa.

་་

« PředchozíPokračovat »