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Scan 8
A dictionary of musical terms, 1889
36 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1DICTIONARY
2OF
3MUSICAL TERMS.
5A—A BATTUTA.
7A. (1) The note called Proslambanomenos in the greater perfect system of the Greeks. The letter-name of Mese, the highest note of the middle tetrachord; and of Nete, the highest note of the upper tetrachord. [Greek Music.]
8— (2) The first note of (a) the Hypo-Dorian mode, or church-scale, commencing four notes below the Dorian; (b) the Hyper-Phrygian mode, or church-scale, commencing four notes above the Phrygian; (c) the Eolian mode. [Greek Music.]
9— (3) The next note above Gamma Ut, in the Grave Hexachord of the Guidonian system, where it is A re. Also, the first note of the acute and super-acute Hexachords, in which it is a la mi re. [Notation.]
10— (4) The normal minor scale of modern music, so called because it is the relative minor of C. It is sometimes also named the natural minor scale, because no sharps or flats are required in its signature.
11— (5) The normal sound (Ger. Normalton), because the instruments of an orchestra tune to this note, as given by the Oboe or Organ.
12— (6) The key-note of the major scale which has three sharps for its signature.
13— (7) The name given to a string tuned to the sound A. The A-string of a violin is its second string; of a viola, its first string; of a violoncello, its first string; but on this instrument it is one octave lower in pitch than the A-string of a violin or viola; of a double-bass, its third string, which is two octaves lower in pitch than the first string of a violoncello; of a guitar, its fifth string. The string tuned highest in pitch is called the first string of an instrument; the next below it, the second; and so on.
14— (8) The actual sound is in some systems represented by A (capital letter), while AA represents the note one octave below that sound, and AAA the note two octaves below it. Proceeding upwards, the note one octave above A is represented by a (italic); that two octaves above it by a (once underlined); that three octaves above it, by a (twice underlined), and so on. [Pitch.]
15A (It.) At, by, in, for, to, with, towards, &c.; a prima vista, at first sight; a battuta, lit. by the beat, in strict time; a tempo, in time, &c. &c.; q.v. sub vocibus.
16A (Fr.) For, by, on; à deux mains, for two hands, &c.; q.v. sub vocibus.
17Abacus (Lat.) ἀβαξ (Gk.) Any square tablet; hence, a board on which calculations were made; hence, in music, a diagram of the notes with their names.
18A ballata (It.) (1) In the ballad style. Applied to any song, duet, or chorus, constructed in the ballad or narrative form. Also to a song with a refrain in chorus, as is found in many old and modern English songs; for example, the song of which a portion runs:
20"Ich have house and land in Kent,
21And if you love me, love me now;
22Two pence half penny is my rent,
23Ich cannot come everich day to woo."
25Chorus.
26"Two pence half penny is his rent,
27He cannot come everich day to woo"
29—is a song, a ballata.
30(2) The term is also used to describe a vocal piece, that may be danced to. [Ballad.]
31Abbandonamente (It.) With self-abandonment, despondingly.
32Abbandonarsi (It.) To abandon oneself (to the influence of the music).
33Abbandono, con (It.) With self-abandonment, passionately.
34Abbassamento (It.) A lowering. Abbassamento di mano, a lowering of the hand; abbassamento di voce, a lowering of the voice.
35A battuta (It.) In strict time. This term is usually employed when a break in the time of
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