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Scan 29
Dictionary of music, 1900
42 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 21. See the scan on archive.org.
1the fundamental note of the minor chord (the under fifth, cf. MINOR CHORD).
3Alternamente (Ital.), alternatively.
5Alternativo (Ital.), alternate. The term used for small pieces in dance form which alternate with a Trio (Menuetto, a); the Trio in such pieces can also be called an A.
7Altès, Joseph Henri, b. Jan. 18, 1826, Rouen; 1840, pupil of the Paris Conservatoire, a celebrated flautist, member of the orchestra of the Grand Opéra; 1868, successor of Dorus at the Conservatoire; he has also published compositions for flute.—His brother, Ernest Eugène, b. Mar. 28, 1830, Paris, an able violinist, was second maître de chapelle at the Grand Opera (1880-87).
9Altgeige (Ger.), the tenor violin, the viola.
11Althorn, a valve-bugle in Eb, having a compass similar to that of the horn in Eb; it is only used in wind-bands.
13Alti naturali (Ital.), "natural altos." (Vide ALTO.)
15Altissimo (Ital.), the highest; extremely high. (Vide IN ALTISSIMO.)
17Altnikol, Joh. Christoph, pupil and son-in-law of J. S. Bach (married, Jan. 20, 1749, Elizabeth Juliane Frederica Bach); 1748, organist at Naumburg, d. there, July, 1759; was esteemed in his time as a composer, but nothing appeared in print. Some manuscripts are to be found in the Berlin library.
19Alto, (1) Alto voice (Ital. Contr'alto [Alto], French, Haute-contre; in the Latin designation of the voices Altus, Vox alta, or Contratenor), the lower of women's and boys' voices, chiefly in chest register. In the time of complicated mensural music—which could not be performed by boys because it took years to learn the rules—the high parts (A. and Discant, i.e. soprano) were sung by men with falsetto voices (Alti naturali), or indeed by evirati, as women were not allowed to sing in the churches ("mulier taceat in ecclesia"); for this reason the discant and alto parts of that period have only a very moderate compass upwards, and on the other hand a greater one downwards. The normal compass of the genuine alto voice extends from a, in a deep A. (contralto) from f (exceptionally e, d) to e", f" (but in voices of specially wide compass higher still). Viewed historically, the alto part was the one last introduced by composers; for over the normal men's part which took the Cantus firmus (tenor), a higher one was first placed, to which was given the name of Discant. Afterwards a third lower voice was placed under the tenor, which at once served as a foundation (harmonic support, basis), and, if the tenor descended, as a middle filling-up voice. Finally, this third voice separated into two: the bass became definitely the support of the harmony, while the contra-tenor or alto (altus), as a fourth voice, was interpolated between tenor and discant.—(2) Alto instruments. When, in the 15th and 16th centuries it became the custom, owing to the powerful development of polyphonic music, to strengthen the voice parts by instruments in unison, or even to replace them, all kinds of instruments were constructed in three or four different sizes, answering to the four kinds of voices; thus there were: Discant-, Alto-, Tenor-, and Bass-viols, trombones, flutes, krummehorns. Of these the four kinds of trombones have been retained to the present time; also the foundation of our orchestra, the string-quartet, has at least a similar division; only that in consequence of the powerfully extended compass of instrumental music upwards and downwards the original alto instrument, the Alto Viol (Viola da Braccio), has been assigned to the third of the highest parts, and the Bass instrument (the Violoncello still included among the "Bassi") to the second of the lowest parts.
21Alto clarinet, Alto Oboe, Alto Trombone, etc., are instruments of which the middle register answers fairly to the compass of the alto voice. (See ALTO.) (Cf. CLARINET, OBOE, etc.)
23Alto clef, the c' clef on the middle line
25equal to
27it was formerly in general use for the alto voice, but at the present day is only employed for viola music.
29Alvsleben, Melitta. (See OTTO-ALVSLEBEN.)
31Alypios, Greek writer on music about 360 A.D., whose "Introduction to Music" was first printed by Meursius ("Aristoxenus, Nikomaches, A., etc.," 1616), and afterwards by Meibom ("Antiquae musicae auctores septem," 1652). The treatise contains all the transposition scales of the Greeks in Greek vocal and instrumental notation, for the knowledge of which we are principally indebted to A.
33Alz (aizamento, "a raising"), signifies the opposite of abb. (q.v.).
35Amabile, con amabilità (Ital.), amiably.
37Amadé, Ladislaw, Baron von, b. Mar. 12, 1703, Kaschau (Hungary), d. Dec. 22, 1764, Felbar, as Councillor of the Exchequer; he was a favourite national poet and composer of folk-songs, which were published in 1836 by Thaddäus, Graf. von A.; the latter b. Jan. 12, 1783, Pressburg, d. May 17, 1845, Vienna, likewise an officer of state, was an excellent pianist, and the discoverer of Liszt's talent, for the training of which he provided means. In 1831 he was named "Hofmusikgraf."
39A major Chord = a, c#, e; A major key with signature of 3 sharps. (See KEY.)
41Amalia, the name of three artists, princesses by birth. (1) Anna A., Princess of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great, b. Nov. 9, 1723, d. Mar. 30, 1782; composed a series of excellent
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