Books › A dictionary of musical terms, 1889 › scan 13
Scan 13
A dictionary of musical terms, 1889
25 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Accentuare (It.) To accent.
2Accentuation. The act of accenting, or giving to certain notes their due emphasis.
3Accessory stops and movements. Stops and movements acting only on the mechanism of an organ, not having pipes in connection with them, as, Couplers, Tremolo, Signal to the blowers; Composition pedals, &c.
4Acciaccatura (It.) A short appoggiatura, e.g.:
6lightly yet clearly to be sung, or played.
7Accidentals. Sharps, flats, or naturals, introduced into a piece of music, beyond those already in the signature.
8A cinque (It). In five parts.
9Accolade (Fr.) A brace, uniting several staves, as in pianoforte or organ music, or in a score.
10Accommodare (It.) To tune an instrument in agreement with another.
11Accompagnamento (It.) [Accompaniment.]
12Accompagnement (Fr.) [Accompaniment.]
13Accompaniment ad libitum. Accompaniment at will. That is, one which can be played or omitted without injury to the harmonic construction of a composition, c.f. obbligato.
14Accompaniment obbligato. [Obbligato.]
15Accompaniment. A separate part or parts, for voices or instruments, added to a solo or concerted piece. Accompaniment may consist of a single simple instrument, such as a violin or flute, or a single compound instrument as an organ or pianoforte, a combination of selected orchestral instruments, or a whole band, or of voices in harmony. Accompaniments are those portions of a composition which are independent of the principal parts, and which are added to support, or to produce such effects as would be otherwise unattainable. Accompaniment should always be subservient to the chief part, so as not to overload or obscure it, and should be so constructed, that the voice or voices or solo instruments should be made to appear to the most favourable advantage. In the earliest records we possess, it is found that some sort of accompaniment was generally employed either to assist the voice, or mark the time or rhythm of the songs sung: of these many examples could be quoted if it were necessary. In the Bible, instances are mentioned in which singing is accompanied by musical instruments; but of the nature of these accompaniments we can form no definite idea, beyond the fact that, from a comparative knowledge of the instruments spoken of, it is presumed that little, if any attempt was made to gain independent effects. The ancient Greek dance, and the poetry of the tragedy, was always accompanied, at first with the lyre, afterwards with the flute.
16Donaldson, in his "Theatre of the Greeks," says, that the Ancient Dorian Choral song, the Pœan, was originally accompanied with the Harp (φόρμυξ.) one of two readings
17Donaldson, in his "Theatre of the Greeks," says, that the Ancient Dorian Choral song, the Pœan, was originally accompanied with the Harp (φόρμυξ.). one of two readings
18According to modern views, an accompaniment implies some construction in harmony, but the ambiguity with which the terms melody and harmony are employed by the ancient Greek and Latin, as well as by the more modern writers, has given rise to a doubt as to whether they had any knowledge of the art of combining certain concords according to such rules as we now possess. The science of harmony is of relatively modern growth, and the art of employing instruments in combination, as accompaniments to vocal music, is more recent than the growth of harmony.
19It has been stated that dancing is of greater antiquity than singing, and that singing was generally the usual accompaniment to dancing. The same root supplying many words referring alike to dancing, singing, and playing, suggests a common origin for dancing and its accompaniment. Most of the words of ancient ballads are set to tunes that were danced to, and the practice is still observed of arranging words to melodies, that were originally intended to accompany the dance. So that the "new" idea of singing waltzes or other dance measures, is but a revival of the ancient practice. Nothing seems more natural than that those not actually engaged in dancing, but as interested spectators, upon the recurrence of a musical phrase should accompany it with the voice. This would form such a burden or chorus as that alluded to by Shakespeare:
21"Foot it featly here and there,
22And let the rest the burden bear."
24Some simple instrument would be employed to play the tune, either with or without some means of marking the time or rhythm; a combination like that of the pipe and tabour, would form an adequate accompaniment to the dance, as the burden would to the song. As most of the mediæval learning and accomplishments came through the Church, it is very reasonable to assume that the methods of the Church would be reflected in the practices of every-day life. And as it is known that the organs employed in the service were so constructed as to be adapted only for the purposes of melody, it is scarcely probable that harmony should have been in use as an accompaniment to secular songs and tunes. Although instruments were employed as ac-
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