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Scan 111
Harvard Dictionary Of Music, 1944
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1BRABANCONNE
3Brabanconne. See *National anthems.
5Braccio [It., arm]. In the Baroque period, the term braccio was used to signify the members of the violin family (viola da braccio) which were held at arm level, as distinguished from the viols (simply viola) which were held downwards resting on the knees, or from the larger viola da gamba [gamba, leg] which was held resting between the legs of the player. Later, after the name violin had established itself, only the second-smallest size of the family retained the name viola da braccio, a name the first half of which survives in the English term viola, the second, in the German term *Bratsche.
7Brace [F. accolade; G. Klammer]. The perpendicular line combined with a bracket that joins the different staves in piano music or in scores. Hence, the entirety of the (two or more) staves to be read simultaneously.
9Braille music notation. The method of writing music according to the principles of the Braille system for the blind. In this system, as is well known, raised dots are used in various configurations all of which are derived from an elementary configuration of six dots: : : : . Following are the signs for the C major scale and a few other symbols.
11c d e f g a b # b h
13The rhythmic value of the note signs is an eighth note, unless a dot is added underneath to the right or to the left side.
15Example of Braille Notation
17In the former case, the value is 1/4 or 1/64; in the latter, 1/2 or 1/32. If both dots are added, the value is 1/1 or 1/16. See the accompanying example. The octave position is indicated by special signs which normally appear at the beginning of each measure. Other signs indicate rests, time signatures, etc. For more details, cf. A. Reuss, Development and Problems of Musical Notation for the Blind (1932); WoHN i, 449ff; LavE ii.6, 3836.
19BRASS BAND
21Brandenburg Concertos. Six concertos written by Bach in 1721 and dedicated to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg. They represent the artistic acme of the *concerto grosso, although the traditional contrast between a group of solo instruments (concertino) and the ensemble (ripieno) is clearly manifest only in the second, fourth, and fifth concertos.
23Brando [It.], brangill [Old E.]. *Branle.
25Branle, bransle [F., from branler, to fling, to sway; It. brando]. A very popular group dance of the 16th century. It was executed in a great number of local varieties (Arbeau's *Orchésographie enumerates 26 species) many of which were of the "follow-the-leader" type, similar to the *farandole and the *cotillon. It was accompanied by singing and apparently included some "swaying" movements of the body or of the hands. The branle simple was in duple meter, the branle gay in triple meter. The branle à mener survived in the *amener of the 17th century and, very likely, in the *minuet. In England the dance was known under the name "brangill" or "brawl" [cf. Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost iii, 1]. A 17th-century Italian name is "brando" [cf. Carlo Farina, Pavane, gagliarde, brandi … (1626–28)]. See *Dance music II.
27Brass band. A small military band, ordinarily consisting of three or more cornets in B-flat, three E-flat alto Saxhorns, one or more baritones or euphoniums, basses, and drums, as well as, on occasion, trumpets, bugles, and kettledrums. It has not the variety of color possessed by the full military band, but on account of the relative ease with which instruments of the Saxhorn family are learned, a brass band is easier to establish and maintain. The brass band movement is particularly popular in the United States and in Eng-
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