Books › A cyclopaedic dictionary of music; comprising 18,000 musical terms and phrases, over 6,000 biographical notices of musicians, and 500 articles on musical topics, with an appendix .., 1919 › scan 69
Scan 69
A cyclopaedic dictionary of music; comprising 18,000 musical terms and phrases, over 6,000 biographical notices of musicians, and 500 articles on musical topics, with an appendix .., 1919
83 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 47. See the scan on archive.org.
1Bass. (G., Bass; F., Basse; I., Bas'so.)
2(1) The lowest note of a chord; the lowest part in any composition.
3(2) The lowest male voice; average compass—
4(3) The lowest of a family of instruments; as Bass trombone, Bass clarinet.
5(4) The Double-bass, 'Cello (or both).
6Bass Clarinet. A clarinet an octave lower than the ordinary clarinet.
7Notable instances of its use are by Meyerbeer in The Huguenots, and Wagner in Tristan, &c.
8Bass Clau'sel (G.). The bass proceeding a fifth downwards or a fourth upwards.
9Bass Drum. (See Drum.)
10Bass Flute. An 8 ft. pedal stop of the flute family.
11Bass Horn (Cornobasso). (1) The precursor of the ophicleide. Compass from—
12(2) The French horn in low B♭ or A. (See Horn.)
13Bass Lute. (See Theorbo.)
14Bass Mandola. The largest instrument of the mandoline family.
15Bass Trumpet. An old instrument now superseded by the trombone.
16Bass Tuba. A kind of bombardon, with a full tone and extensive compass, much used by Wagner, notably in Die Walküre.
17Bass Viol. (1) Old familiar name of the 'cello. (2) (See Viol).
18Bas'sa (I.). Fem. of bas'so, "low."
19Otta'va bas'sa. An octave lower.
20BASSA'NI, Giovanni. Venetian composer, about 1600. Published 2 vols. of "Concerti Ecclesiastici," and some canzonette.
21BASSA'NI (or BASSIA'NI), Giovanni B. Violinist; b. Padua about 1637; d. 1716. Maestro, Accademia della Morte, Ferrara, 1703. Teacher of Corelli.
22Works: 6 operas, motets, masses, violin sonatas, &c
23BASSA'NI, Geronimo. 18th century. Contrapuntist and teacher. Pupil of Lotti.
24Works: 2 operas produced at Venice, Bertoldi (1718), Amor per forza (1721), masses, motets, &c.
25Bass-bar. (G., Bal'ken; F., Barre d'harmonie.) A strip of wood in violins, &c., to support the pressure of the bridge and equalise the vibration.
26Bass clef. The F clef on the 4th line. (See Clef.)
27Basse (F.). Bass. The 'cello or other bass inst.
28Basse chantante. (1) The vocal bass. (2) A singing bass (a baritone).
29Basse chiffrée | A figured or continued bass.
30Basse continue | Basse continue one of two readings
31Basse contrainte. A ground bass. Basso ostinato. one of two readings
32Basse continue | Basse contrainte. A ground bass. Basso ostinato. one of two readings
33Basse contre. (1) A deep bass. (2) The double bass.
34Basse danse. A stately dance for two persons (15th and 16th centuries).
35Basse de cremorne. The bassoon or its precursors.
36Basse d'harmonie. The ophicleide.
37Basse de hautbois. The corno inglese, or bassoon.
38Basse de viole. The 'cello.
39Basse de violon. The double-bass.
40Basse double. Double-bass.
41Basse figurée. Figured bass.
42Basse fondamentale. The root or generator of a chord.
43Basse obstinée. A ground bass (q.v.).
44Basse récitative. A reciting bass; same as basse chantante.
45Basse taille. The baritone voice.
47Basses. The 'cellos and double-basses of an orchestra.
48Bas'set-horn. (G., Bassett'horn; F., Cor de Basset; I., Cor'no di basset'to.) An instrument of soft rich quality shaped like a clarinet, with a curved bell-shaped end.
49It is a transposing instrument, standing in F, i.e., all the notes sound a fifth lower than they appear on paper. Its compass is very extensive—real pitch. It is often confused with the Cor anglais, which is, however, a tenor oboe, while the basset-horn is a tenor clarinet.
50Mozart employed two basset-horns instead of clarinets in his Requiem; the opening of the Recordare is especially fine.
52Corni di Bassetto. Recordare, Mozart's Requiem.
54Basset'pommer (G.). A precursor of the bassoon.
55Bassett' (G.). An old name for the 'cello.
56Basset'to (I.). (1) A little bass. A viola.
57(2) An organ reed-stop; 8ft. or 16ft. tone.
58BASSE'VI. (See Cervetto.)
59Bass'flöte (G.). (See Bass flute.)
60Bass'geige (G.). Violoncello, or double-bass.
61Bas'si (I.). Plural of Basso.
62BAS'SI, Luigi. Italian basso cantante; 1766-1825. Theatrical singer in Italy, Prague, and Vienna. Afterwards director of the Dresden opera. Mozart wrote the part of Don Giovanni for him.
63BASSIRON, P. Contrapuntist, Netherlands, 15th century. Some of his masses were printed by Petrucci (Venice, 1508).
64Bas'so (I.). Bass. (1) The bass part, or bass of the harmony. (2) A bass singer. (3) The double bass, or other bass inst.
65Bas'so bas'so. A very deep bass.
66Bas'so buf'fo. A comic bass.
67Bas'so cantan'te. Same as basse chantante, a voice between baritone and bass.
68Bas'so cifra'to. A figured bass.
69Bas'so concertan'te. The principal bass instrument that which accompanies solos and recitatives.
70Bas'so conti'nuo. Continued, or figured bass.
71Bas'so figura'to. (1) A figured bass. (2) A bass with runs, &c.
72Bas'so fondamenta'le. The fundamental bass: root, or generator of a chord.
73Bas'so numera'to. Figured bass.
74Bas'so ostina'to. Ground bass.
75Bas'so profon'do. A deep heavy bass.
76Bas'so ripie'no. (See Ripieno.)
78Bas'so da ca'mera (I.). A small double-bass, often used for solo playing.
79Basson (F.). The bassoon.
80Basson Quinte (F.). A tenor bassoon (tenoroon) a 5th higher than the ordinary bassoon.
81Basson Russe (F.). A variety of the bass to horn. Compass
82Bassoon. (G., Fagott'; F., Basson; I., Fagot'to.) The natural bass of the oboe, and the orchestral bass of the wood-wind family. It has a double reed, and gives the complete series of partials. (See Acoustics.) Its effective
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