Books › A dictionary of musical terms, 1907 › scan 148
Scan 148
A dictionary of musical terms, 1907
16 lines. Read by computer on 16 September 2026. Printed page 138. See the scan on archive.org.
1B♭, and A♭, compass 3 octaves and a semitone, chromatically ascending from: same, but only from: F Eb E♭, compass only 2 1/2 octaves, pitched an octave lower than the alt-ophicleide. Only the bass ophicleide was for a time in comparatively general use. (RIEMANN.) Now superseded in the orchestra by the bass tuba in E♭.
3Opposite motion. Contrary motion.
4Oppu're (It.) Or, or else; abbr. opp. See Ossia.
6O'pus (Lat.) A work; abbr. Op. or op.
7Orato'rio. (Fr. and It. ditto; Lat. and Ger. Orato'rium.) An extended composition of dramatic type, for vocal soli and chorus with orchestral accomp., usually having a text based on Scripture. It is distinguished from Opera mainly by the absence of scenic decoration and of stage-play by the performers, the action being contained implicite in the words. The oratorio takes its name from the oratory in which the monk Neri (d. 1595) held discourses, illustrated by sacred songs, on biblical history; similar productions of a mystical character, and a growing preponderance of the musical element, led up to the first known oratorio employing the recitative (E. del Cavaliere's "Anima e Corpo", 1600), which is also a distinctive feature of the opera. At this period oratorios were given with scenery and dramatic action (azio'ne sacra); the adoption by Carissimi (d. 1674) of the epical part of the Narrator, rendered both superfluous. The modern oratorio, with full orchestra, recitatives, lyrical soli, and the grand choruses (in their solemn and majestic breadth the fundamental characteristic of oratorio-style), is a product of the early 18th century (Haydn, Händel). (Comp. Mysteries, Passion, Opera.)—Rubinstein's "geistliche Opern" (sacred operas, Paradise Lost, Tower of Babel, Moses, Christus) are also called oratorios, although adapted for stage-performance, for which reason they are playfully termed "Operatorios."
9Or'chestra. (Ger. Orches'ter; Fr. orches-
11tre.) 1. A place reserved (a) in the ancient Greek theatre, for the chorus, between audience and stage; (b) in ancient Rome, for seats for distinguished personages, in the same place; (c) in the modern theatre, for the band of instrumentalists, placed in front of the stage, and either just below the level of the lowest seats in the auditorium, or (as in the Wagner theatre at Bayreuth) sunk still lower, and provided with a half-roof concealing the musicians from the audience. Hence—2. (a) A company of musicians performing on the instr.s commonly used in the theatre or concert-hall in opera, in oratorio, etc., or in symphony-concerts; (b) the instr.s so played on, taken collectively; as Wagner's orchestra, a symphony-orchestra.—The orchestral instr.s (compare Instruments) are classified in 4 main groups: (1) The strings or string-band (violin, viola, violoncello, double-bass); (2) the wood-wind (flute, piccolo, English horn, oboe, bassoon, double-bassoon, clarinet, basset-horn); (3) the brass-wind (French horn, trumpet, trombone, saxhorns, bass tuba, cornet, [ophicleide]); (4) the percussives (kettledrums, bass drum, snare-drum, cymbals, triangle, bells, gong, and likewise the harp and pfte., though the latter is not generally reckoned as an orchestral instr.)—The full orchestra, in which all the above groups are represented, may be either a grand orchestra (symphony-orchestra) or small orchestra; the former should contain 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, and a pair of kettledrums, to balance which there should be, in the "string-quartet", about 14 1st violins, 14 2nd violins, 9 violas, 9 violoncelli, and 6 double-basses (orchestra of the Gewandhaus, Leipzig); this basic grand orchestra may be enlarged ad libitum (as for the modern opera) by doubling the principal instr.s or by adding others. On the other hand, by leaving out the trombones, 2 of the horns, and even the kettledrums and clarinets, we get the small orchestra.—Groups 2 and 3 constitute what is called the "wind-band".
13Orches'tral flute. An organ-stop closely imitating the flute in timbre.
15Or'chestrate. (Ger. orchestrie'ren; Fr. orchestrer; It. orchestrare.) To write or arrange music for orchestra…Or-
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.