Scan 51
The American history and encyclopedia of music, 1908
76 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1alto, compass of
2ter, and all the parts had to be taken by men or boys, since women were not allowed to sing in the churches. The two upper parts, altus and discant, or soprano, had to be taken by men and boys with high voices, hence the compass of the alto voice upwards was limited to the notes of the alto clef, that is, from E in the fourth space below the treble clef to A in the second space of that clef. In the Sixteenth Century this compass was extended by the use of falsetto or forced head tones. The falsetto, often best in bass voices, was higher than counter-tenor or alto, hence it was known as falsetto counter-tenor or counter-alto. Counter-alto, contralto, was written on the stave with the C clef on its second line and had a compass of from about G to C", or G on the third space below the treble stave to C on the first line above it. The contralto staff is now obsolete, and that part must be written in bass or treble. Some of the original contraltos or falsetto counter-tenors are said to have sung as high as A", that is, A on the first added line of the treble stave. In the Seventeenth Century the place of the falsetto singer was taken by the evirati, as the Italians called men with soprano voices.
4alto primo (äl'-tō prē'-mō) It.
5The first, highest, alto.
7alto secondo (äl'-tō sā-kōn'-dō) It.
8The second, lowest, alto.
10alto tenore (äl'-tō tā-nō'-rē) It.
11The high tenor, counter-tenor. This part between the tenor and the modern contralto was the original alto.
13alto trombone.
14A brass wind instrument whose scale of half tones is obtained either by means of a sliding tube or valves. The valve trombone is easier to play, but the slide trombone has better tone. The alto trombone has a range of from B flat below the bass clef to E flat above and sometimes higher, whence its name, E flat trombone. This is not a transposing instrument but sounds the notes in the key in which they are written; its music is usually written in the alto clef. The alto trombone is now little used in orchestras. The same as altposaune.
16alto viola (äl'-tō vē-ō'-lā) It.
17The small tenor viol on which the alto part was usually played. The predecessor of the viola.
19amateur
20alto violino (äl'-tō vē-ō-lē'-nō) lt.
21The counter-tenor: the small tenor violin called the viola on which the alto part may be played.
23Altposaune (äl'-pō-zōw-nē) Ger. n.
24The German name for alto trombone.
26altro (äl'-trō) It. adj.
27Other; others; another; different.
29Altsänger (ält'-zēng-ēr) Ger. n.
30Alto singer: a counter-tenor.
32Altschlüssel (ält-shlüs'-sēl) Ger. n.
33Alto clef, or key: the C clef placed on the third line, used for alto parts. See also alto clef.
35Altstimme (ält'-stīm'-mē) Ger. n.
36Alto, counter-tenor or contralto voice.
38altus (äl'-tūs) Lat. adj.
39High: the high tenor, contra-tenor, or alto voice. In old church music it was appended to the counter-tenor part on the second stave, being between the cantus, which corresponded to our soprano, and the tenor.
41Altzeichen (ält-tsī'-khēn) Ger. n.
42Alto sign, alto clef: the C clef on the third line. See also alto clef.
44alzamento (äl-tsā-měn'-tō) It. n.
45A raising or lifting. Abbr. alz.
47alzando (äl-tsān'-dō) It. pres. part.
48Raising; elevating.
50amabile (ä-mä'-bī-lē) It. adj.
51Amiable; gentle; sweet; tender; graceful.
53amabilita (ä-mä-bē'-lī-tā) It. n.
54Amiableness; gentleness; tenderness.
56amabilmente (ä-mä-bīl-měn'-tē) It. adv.
57Amiably; gently; sweetly; tenderly.
59amaragnolo (ä-mä-rā-yō'-lō) It. adj.
60Somewhat bitter, rather sad.
62amarissimamente (ä – mä – rīs – sī – mä-měn'-tē) It. adv.
63Very bitterly; very sadly.
65amarissimo (ä-mä-rīs'-sī-mō) It. adj.
66Very bitter; very sad; sorrowful.
68amaro (ä-mä'-rō) It. adj and n.
69Bitter, sad; bitterness, sadness, grief, sorrow.
71amarongnolo (ä-mä-rōn-yō'-lō) It. adj.
72Somewhat bitter, rather sad.
74amateur (äm-ä-tūr) Fr. n.
75A lover of an art: one who studies and practises an art, music, painting, or any other, for pleasure, not as a profession. Usually the education of an amateur is not very thorough. Those who have an intimate knowledge of the subject but do not practise it professionally are more proper-
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