Scan 29
GROVE'S DICTIONARY OF MUSIC AND MUSICIANS IN FIVE VOLUMES, 1908
42 lines. Read by computer on 5 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1Comique, Paris, July 15, 1844, and at the Princess's Theatre, London, as 'The Castle of Aymon, or The Four Brothers,' in three acts, Nov. 20, 1844.
3QUAVER (Ger. Achtelnote, whence American 'eighth note'; Fr. Croche; Ital. Croma). A note which is half the length of a crotchet, and therefore the eighth part of a semibreve; hence the German and American names. It is written thus ⁸⁄₉, its Rest being represented by ⁷⁄₉. one of two readings
4QUAVER (Ger. Achtelnote, whence American 'eighth note'; Fr. Croche; Ital. Croma). A note which is half the length of a crotchet, and therefore the eighth part of a semibreve; hence the German and American names. It is written thus , its Rest being represented by . one of two readings
6The idea of expressing the values of notes by diversity of form has been ascribed by certain writers to De Muris (about 1340), but this is undoubtedly an error, the origin of which is traced by both Hawkins (Hist. of Music) and Fétis (art. 'Muris') to a work entitled L'antica Musica ridotta alla moderna Prattica, by Vicentino (1555), in which it is explicitly stated that De Muris invented all the notes, from the Large to the Semiquaver. It is, however, certain that the longer notes were in use nearly 300 years earlier, in the time of Franco of Cologne [NOTATION, vol. iii. p. 399], and it seems equally clear that the introduction of the shorter kinds is of later date than the time of De Muris. The fact appears to be that the invention of the shorter notes followed the demand created by the general progress of music, a demand which may fairly be supposed to have reached its limit in the quarter-demisemiquaver, or ¹⁄₁₆ of a quaver, occasionally met with in modern music. one of two readings
7The idea of expressing the values of notes by diversity of form has been ascribed by certain writers to De Muris (about 1340), but this is undoubtedly an error, the origin of which is traced by both Hawkins (Hist. of Music) and Fétis (art. 'Muris') to a work entitled L'antica Musica ridotta alla moderna Prattica, by Vicentino (1555), in which it is explicitly stated that De Muris invented all the notes, from the Large to the Semiquaver. It is, however, certain that the longer notes were in use nearly 300 years earlier, in the time of Franco of Cologne [NOTATION, vol. iii. p. 399], and it seems equally clear that the introduction of the shorter kinds is of later date than the time of De Muris. The fact appears to be that the invention of the shorter notes followed the demand created by the general progress of music, a demand which may fairly be supposed to have reached its limit in the quarter-demisemiquaver, or of a quaver, occasionally met with in modern music. one of two readings
9The Quaver, originally called Chroma or Fusa, sometimes Unca (a hook), was probably invented some time during the 15th century, for Morley (1597) says that 'there were within these 200 years' (and therefore in 1400) 'but four' (notes) known or used of the musicians, those were the Long, Breve, Semibreve, and Minim'; and Thomas de Walsingham, in a MS. treatise written somewhat later (probably about 1440), and quoted by Hawkins, gives the same notes, and adds that 'of late a New character has been introduced, called a Crotchet, which would be of no use, would musicians remember that beyond the minim no subdivision ought to be made.' Franchinus Gafurius also, in his Practica Musicae (1496), quoting from Prosdocimus de Beldemandis, who flourished in the early part of the 15th century, describes the division of the minim into halves and quarters, called respectively the greater and lesser semiminim, and written in two ways, white and black (Ex. 1). The white forms of these notes soon fell into disuse, and the black ones have become the crotchet and quaver of modern music.¹ one of two readings
10The Quaver, originally called Chroma or Fusa, sometimes Unca (a hook), was probably invented some time during the 15th century, for Morley (1597) says that 'there were within these 200 years' (and therefore in 1400) 'but four 1 (notes) known or used of the musicians, those were the Long, Breve, Semibreve, and Minim'; and Thomas de Walsingham, in a MS. treatise written somewhat later (probably about 1440), and quoted by Hawkins, gives the same notes, and adds that 'of late a New character has been introduced, called a Crotchet, which would be of no use, would musicians remember that beyond the minim no subdivision ought to be made.' Franchinus Gafurius also, in his Practica Musicae (1496), quoting from Prosdocimus de Beldemandis, who flourished in the early part of the 15th century, describes the division of the minim into halves and quarters, called respectively the greater and lesser semiminim, and written in two ways, white and black (Ex. 1). The white forms of these notes soon fell into disuse, and the black ones have become the crotchet and quaver of modern music.2 one of two readings
12¹ There were really five, including the Large, which Morley calls the Double Long. one of two readings
131 There were really five, including the Large, which Morley calls the Double Long. one of two readings
14² It is worthy of notice that in the ancient manuscript by English authors known as the Waltham Holy Cross MS., a note is mentioned, called a 'simple,' which has the value of a crotchet, but is written with a hooked stem like a modern quaver. That a note half the value of a minim should at any period have been written with a hook may help to account for the modern name crotchet, which, being clearly derived from the French croc, or one of two readings
152 It is worthy of notice that in the ancient manuscript by English authors known as the Waltham Holy Cross MS., a note is mentioned, called a 'simple,' which has the value of a crotchet, but is written with a hooked stem like a modern quaver. That a note half the value of a minim should at any period have been written with a hook may help to account for the modern name crotchet, which, being clearly derived from the French croc, or one of two readings
17Greater Semiminim. Lesser Semiminim.
19The subdivision of the quaver into semiquaver and demisemiquaver followed somewhat later. Gafurius, in the work quoted above, mentions a note ¹⁄₈ of a minim in length, called by various names, and written either ♭ or ♯, but the true semiquaver or semichroma, the earliest form of which was ♭, does not appear until later, while the demisemiquaver must have been a novelty as late as 1697, at least in this country, judging from the 13th edition of Playford's Introduction to the Skill of Musick, in which, after describing it, the author goes on to say 'but the Printer having none of that character by him, I was obliged to omit it.' one of two readings
20The subdivision of the quaver into semiquaver and demisemiquaver followed somewhat later. Gafurius, in the work quoted above, mentions a note of a minim in length, called by various names, and written either or , but the true semiquaver or semichroma, the earliest form of which was , does not appear until later, while the demisemiquaver must have been a novelty as late as 1697, at least in this country, judging from the 13th edition of Playford's Introduction to the Skill of Musick, in which, after describing it, the author goes on to say 'but the Printer having none of that character by him, I was obliged to omit it.' one of two readings
22When two or more quavers (or shorter notes) occur consecutively, they are usually grouped together by omitting the hooks and drawing a thick stroke across their stems, thus one of two readings
23When two or more quavers (or shorter notes) occur consecutively, they are usually grouped together by omitting the hooks and drawing a thick stroke across their stems, thus . one of two readings
25[This grouping, which had been in use for centuries in MS. music, was one of the great difficulties in the way of printing from music-types; it was not overcome until about 1690, when John Heptinstall brought it into use. See HEPTINSTALL, and MUSIC-PRINTING.]
27In vocal music, quavers which have to be sung to separate syllables are written detached, while those which are sung to a single syllable are grouped; for example:—
29The peo-ple that walk-ed in dark-ness, that
31F. T.
33One quaver of historical importance deserves mention, that which Handel added in pencil to the quintet in 'Jephtha' in 1758, six years after he is supposed to have lost his sight, and which in Schoelcher's words shows that by 'looking very closely at a thing he was still able to see it a little.'
35QUEEN OF SHEBA. (i.) LA REINE DE SABA, in four acts; words by Barbier and Carré, music by Gounod. Produced at the Opéra, Feb. 28, 1862. Adapted as 'Irene' by H. B. Farnie, and produced as a concert at the Crystal Palace, August 12, 1865. The beautiful Airs de ballet contain some of Gounod's best music.
37(ii.) See KÖNIGIN VON SABA.
39QUEISSER, CARL TRAUGOTT, a great trombone player, was born of poor parents at Döben, near Leipzig, Jan. 11, 1800. His turn for music showed itself early, and he soon mastered all the ordinary orchestral instruments. He ultimately confined himself to the viola, and to the trombone, which he may really be said
41crochet, a hook, is somewhat inappropriate to the note in its present form, which has no hook.
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