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Scan 120
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1928
34 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026. Printed page 86. See the scan on archive.org.
1instrument, as was evidenced by Huggins's introduction of lead, and of sealing-wax, into the centre of the post, whereby the volume of tone was diminished greatly. A sheet of india-rubber firmly wedged in at the upper and lower end of the sound-post, when in position, influenced the tone in a still more disastrous manner.
3(3) That the sound-post placed directly under the right foot of the bridge diminished the intensity of tone, rendering it as meagre in quality as it is when the sound-post is dispensed with; placed under the left foot of the bridge, on the same side as the bass-bar, similarly unsatisfactory results were produced.
5The object of the sound-post, therefore, is not so much to convey the vibrations of any of the sections of the violin one to another, as to render the vibrations regular and consonant, and experiment has proved that these results are best obtained by placing the sound-post slightly behind the right foot of the bridge. This conclusion has been borne out by the fact that trial has shown the fallacy and inefficacy of all innovations such (to name but a few) as Petizeau's hollow glass sound-post (brought before the Academy of Sciences in Paris a few years ago); Haussel's broad, flat, thin sound-post (described in the A.M.Z., 1881, p. 75); and P. Davidson's sound-post with drilled holes, together with such patents as David Herring's sound-post made elastic, so as to double the amplitude of the vibrations (No. 18,028); Simoutre's round-legged or oval sound-post (No. 11,936), and others to be found in the Abridgements of Specifications relating to Music and Musical Instruments, published by the Commissioners of Patents.
7E. H.-A.
9BIBL.—SIR W. HUGGINS, LL.D., F.R.S., On the Function of the Sound-post (1883); FELIX SAVART, Mémoire sur la construction des instruments à archet; OTTO MIGGE, The Secret of the Celebrated Italian Violin-makers; J. GALLAY, Les Luthiers italiens; J. C. MAUGIN, Manuel de luthier; P. DAVIDSON, The Violin; HERON-ALLEN, Violin-making.
11SOUPIR (a sigh), the French name for a crotchet rest. A quaver rest is called un demi-soupir; a semiquaver ditto, un quart de soupir, and so on.
13G.
15SOURDINE, (1) an obsolete instrument of wood, with a small cylindrical bore, played with a double reed. The larger instruments of this family had two parallel tubes arranged much in the same way as those of the bassoon, and were furnished with several keys, as well as six finger-holes. The CURTAL (q.v.) was a very similar if not an identical instrument.
17D. J. B.
19(2) See MUTE.
21ŠOUREK, OTAKAR (b. Prague, 1883), musical critic of Lidové Noviny and Venkov (1919). An engineer by training, Šourek has devoted his literary energies chiefly to Dvořák and his work. His thematic catalogue of the works of Dvořák (Simrock) has been very useful in setting right the chronological errors which have accumulated round this musician's compositions on account of the publishers having given them fictitious opus numbers. His numerous articles in the Hudební Revue and the Listy Hudební Matice are most important to the student of Dvořák's music. The Life and Works of Antonín Dvořák, of which two vols. have appeared (Hudební Matice, Prague), is the most detailed and authoritative book on the subject, and doubtless it will be translated from the Czech when completed by a third volume. Dr. Šourek has written the article on Dvořák for the present edition of this Dictionary.
23R. N.
25SOUSA, JOHN PHILIP (b. Washington, D.C., U.S.A., Nov. 6, 1856), American bandmaster and popular composer. In 1880 he became the leader of the band of the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1892 his band was formed. Sousa's compositions include numerous comic operas, but it is by his marches that he is best known.
27W. S. S.
29SOUTH PLACE SUNDAY CONCERTS. A series of weekly concerts which for 6 or 7 months each winter enables music-lovers in London (especially the poorer ones) to hear the masterpieces of chamber music adequately performed by first-rate artists, the funds being provided by collections among the audience. Originally the Finsbury branch of the People's Concert Society (q.v.), the South Place Institute, was asked to take over the work in 1887. This was done with remarkable success, thanks to an energetic committee, and to the indefatigable exertions of A. J. Clements, the secretary, who has kept in touch with the most competent instrumentalists in or visiting London. About 1000 1 Sunday concerts have been given, and there is every prospect of a continuance of the work for an indefinite period, though not necessarily at South Place.
31The chamber music of all periods and all schools has been placed before the public with remarkable completeness. On rare occasions the South Place Orchestral Society, an amateur organisation conducted by R. H. Walthew, has given performances; but chamber music has been the staple fare, with the addition of songs and instrumental solos. A salient feature has been the devotion of special evenings to the music of one composer, chiefly on the occasion of an anniversary or centenary celebration. In this way the following composers have been honoured: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Brahms, Schumann, Dvořák, Richard Strauss, Robert Fuchs, Parry, Stanford, Walford Davies, R. H. Walthew and Elgar. Modern British music has been represented, the programmes including the fantasies associated with the Cobbett Competitions (see COBBETT and FANCY), attention being also given on special evenings to modern French, Scandi-
331 The 1000th concert was given on the 40th anniversary of the first concert, Feb. 20, 1927.
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