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VAULT

THE LIBRARY OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA

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DIALECTIC
r 8r

Br

SOCIETIES

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Music Library

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A N

LIBRARY UNIV. OF
NORTH CAROLINA

ESSAY
O N

MUSICAL EXPRESSION.

CHARLES AVISON,

By

Organijl in

Newcastle,

So ben, cVera Meftier da Virtuofi

La

Mufica una Volta

Tra gt huomini

So che Davidde,

e f'tmparavano^

piu grandi,

ei piu famofi*

Socrate cantavano

E che de /'Arcade,

il

Greco,

D'altra Scienza alpar

e lo

Spartano

la celebravano*

Se y che fit dt Miracolifeconda,

che fapea ritor

T Anime a Lete,

Bench efujfero quafi

in fu la

Sponda*

Salvat. Rosa.

Sat.

LO'NDO Ni
Prmted

for

C. Davis, oppofite Graf $-Inn -Gat t>

ixiHoIborn.

MDCCLIL

CONTENTS
t~)N

PART

I..

SEC

L.

the Farce and, Effect of

Music
Page i

SEC
On

T.

T.

IL

the Analogies between

Musi,c and

Painting
*L-

itj

t^'V

A,

23-

if!

<*'

itt ''*'*''
it. if*
'""

4-

P AjR
.

'*""'

II.

Music ax. Co m p o s t i,o n,

i

SEC
On

AA A '*
A. A A A
V W-

-* -* tJb A A A*A ^afc A A

- **
A ^AIS*
A+A
'V
V 'V '*
V <P "'+* *" "' V "" ''

'T

the too clofe

Negletf of

T.

L,

Attachment

to

Ha r m q n y.
<nw.

549209

Aji^ andi
.

32..

& E

T...

CONTENTS,
SECT.
On

the

too

clofe

II.

Attachment

to

Har-

mony, and Negleft of Air

SECT.

46.

III.

Musical Expression, Jo
far as it relates to the Com-

On

poser
q

>j<

'J'

vf '}

*i*

56.

%* *p 5'

"Jp

v v w 9 ' t '* * 1* 9 v w
1

'I

'J*

"J"

''

PART
On

ttttttt

III.

Musical Expression,
relates

/(?/&Performer.

SECT.
On the

exprejjive

I.

Performance of

in general

cf

the

exprejfke

Music

Musie
89,

SECT.
On

as it

in

II.

Performance

Parts

112.

ADVER-

ADVERTISEMENT.
A

there

are

mufical

feveral

jLIl Terms, which

will frequently

occur in the Courfe of this Efiay, and

which

are not always fufficiently at-

tended to}

it

ceflary, for the

may

therefore be ne-

Sake of thofe

who

are

not particularly converfant in Mufic, to

explain

them according

to their

moft

general Acceptation.

And

firft,

the

Term Melody may

be defined the Means or Method of

ranging jingle mufical Sounds in a regular

Progreflion,

either

afcending

or defcending, according to the eftablifhed Principles.

HARMONT,

ADVERTISEMENT.

HARMONT,

the

is

Method of

ranging two or more concording

mu-

Sounds, or the agreeable Union of

fical

them

in feveral Parts,

As

played together.
Succeffion

tinued

Sounds

when fung

or

therefore a con-

of Jingle

produces Melody,

mufical

fo does

of thefe pro-

continued Combination

duce Harmony.

MODULATION,

is

the Effeft

of Jingle > or concording mufical Sounds,

fucceeding one another in an arbitrary
but agreeable Progreffion, paffing from
;

one Key to another, and therefore doth:

combined, as to Jingle

as well relate to

mufical Sounds.
-

By
lar

the

Word

Succeffion of

Notes, the loweil

ed

Key,

as

is

meant, a regu-

any eight natural

Note being confider-

the Principal,

is

therefore called
the.

ADVERTISEMENT.
the Key-Note
that

Key

all

being fubordinate to

CADENCES
fame

the other Notes in

it.

in Mufic,

are the

as Stops in Speaking, or

Writing,

being, in like

Manner, the proper Ter-

minations, either of a Part, or of the

whole of a Compofition.

The Term
Air)

in a mufical Senfe,

is,

Word

SubjeB, (or Fugue or

SubjecS

Writing.

likewife

The Term

Cafes, includes the

what the

implies

Air,

in

in

fome

Manner of hand-

ing or carrying on the Subject.

PASSAGES

in

Mufic,

are alfo

ike Sentences or Paragraphs in Writng.

This laft Term hath fometimes
oeen ufed to denote Graces, or extempore

Flourijhings only.

Senfe

we

fhall

But in

this latter

never confider

brmer Definition being more

it,

the

ftridtly

juft,

.ADVERTISEMENT.
original Accepta-

juft,

according to

tion,

and therefore more applicable

its

tc

the Intention of this Effay.

Music
all

fet

is

faid to

be in

Score, whet*

the Parts are diftindtly wrote and

under each other, fo as the Eye,

one View,

may

take in

all

at

the varioitt

Contrivances of the Compofer.

AK

AN

A Y

O N

Musical Expression.

On

PART

SECT.

I.

the Force

AS

the

and

Effeffs of Music,

public

Inclina&on

for

Mufic feems every Day ad-

may

not be amifs^

to offer a

few Obferva-

vancing,
at this

tions

Time,

it

on that delightful Art

fervations, I

mean,

as

may

applicable to the prefent

fuch

be

Times

Ob-

chiefly,
;

fuch.
as

An Essay

2
as

may

have

tend to corred: any Errors that

arifen, either in the

Compofition,

or the Practice of Mufic.

we view this Art in it's Foundawe fhall find, that by the Con-

If
tions,

Man it is of mighty Efworking both on his Imagination and his Paffions.

The Force
of

stitution

ficacy in

of Harmony, or Melody alone,

derful on

won-

A full

Imagination.

the

is

Chord ftruck, or a beautiful Succeffion

of Jingle Sounds produced,

is

no

lefs

ravifhing to the Ear, than juft Symmetry or exquifite Colours to the Eye.

The
from

Capacity of receiving Pleafure

thefe muiical Sounds,

a peculiar and internal Senfe

much more

For

from our

Harmony,

-,

but of a

refined Nature than the

external Senfes
arifing

in Faft,

is,

there

is

in the Pleafures

internal

Senfe

of

no prior Uneafinefs
neceffary,

Musical Expression.
*

them

order

in

neceflary,

to

our

in their full Perfection

tailing

neither

Enjoyment of them attended

either with Languor or Difguft.
It is
their peculiar and eflential Property, to
is

the

divert the Soul of every unquiet Paffion, to

pour in upon the Mind, a

and ferene Joy

Words
Heart

to

filent

beyond the Power of

and

exprefs,

in a rational,

fix

the

benevolent,

and

to

happy Tranquillity.

But, though

Harmony on the

Effect of Melody or

Imagination,
yet

when

when

to thefe

be the natural

this

is

fimply considered

added the Force of

Mufical Exprejjion, the Effedt

increafed

is

greatly

for then they afliime the

Power of exciting

all

the moil: agreea-

ble Paflions of the Soul.

The Force

of Sound in alarming the Paflions

prodigious.

is

Thus, the Noife of Thun-

der, the Shouts of

War,
2

the Uproar

of

An E

s s

ay

on

of an enraged Ocean, ftrike us with

Terror

So again,

Sounds natural

there

are certain

to Joy, others to Grief,

or Defpondency, others to Tendernefs

and Love

and by hearing

naturally fympathize with thofe

either
either
in

enjoy

we
who

thefe,

Thus Mufic,

or fuffer.

by imitating thefe various Sounds

due Subordination

to the

Laws of

Air and Harmony, or by any other

Method of

bringing the

Affociation,

Objects of our Paffions before us (especially

when

thefe Objects are de-

termined, and made

as

and intimately prefent

were

to the

vifibly,

Imagina-

by the Help of Words) does na-

tion

turally raife a Variety

the

it

human

which

of Paffions in

Breaft, fimilar to the

are expreffed

Mufician's Art,

we

And

are

Sounds

thus by the

often carried

Fury of a Battle, or a Temwe are by turns elated with Joy,

into the
peft,

or funk in pleaiing Sorrow,

roufed to

Courage,

Musical Expression.

Courage, or quelled by grateful Terrors,

melted into Pity,

Tendernefs,

and Love, or tranfported to the Regions oT

Extacy of

in an

Blifs,

di-

vine Praife.

But beyond
venture to

this,

that

aiTert,

Quality of Mufic to

and happy

Pajjions,

contrary ones,

I think
it is

raife

and

know

it

we may

the peculiar
the Jhciable

to fubdue the

has been ge-

nerally believed and affirmed, that

it's

Power extends

alike to every Affection

of the Mind.

But

would

offer

the Confideration of the Public,

ther this

is

it

to

whe-

not a general and funda-

would appeal

any

mental Error*

Man, whether

ever he found himfelf

urged to Afts of

Selfiihnefs,

to

Cruelty,

Treachery, Revenge, or Malevolence

by the Power of mufical Sounds ? Or

if he ever found Jealoufy, Sufpicion,
or Ingratitude engendered in his Breaft

either

An Essay

no

believe

Harmony

from

either

on

or

Discord

Inftance of this Nature

can be alledged with Truth.

It

mufl

be owned, indeed, that the Force of

Mufic may urge the

cefs,

or

it

may

fix

PaJJions to

them on

may

improper Objects, and

pernicious in
Paffions

may

Effects

it's

which

raifes,

it

be mijied or

excejjive,

Intent at leaft

and noble

ftill

the

though they
are of the

benevolent and fecial Kind,

their

and

thus be

But

an ex-

falfe

and in

are difinterefted

*,

As
*

Left the

two

Paffions

ror and Grief, mould

this Rule,

the
is

firft,

it

may

lie

above-mentioned, of TVr-

thought an Exception to

not be improper to remark as to

that the Terror raifed

by Mufical Exprejfion,

always of that grateful Kind, which

Jmpremon of fomething
but which

is

immediately

diffipated,

Conviction, that the Danger

Of

the fame

we

ftand near the

Kind

is

arifes

from an

terrible to the Imagination,

is

by a fubfequent

entirely imaginary

the Terror raifed in us,

Edge of a

a tempeftuous Ocean,

Precipice, or in Sight

or, are prefent

when
of

at a tragical

Repre-

Musical Expression*

I take

the Cafe, fo

it

it

We

be the Truth of

this to

me

feems to

Matter to affign a

fufficient

State,

And when

Paffions

it

Reafon for
it is

the
to

pleafurable

hath obtained this

of courfe

will

it

Powers,

into

difficult

Harmony

natural Effect of Air or

State

no

have already feen that

throw the Mind

exert

thofe

and be fufceptible of thofe

which

and agreeable

are the moft natural

to

Now

it.

thefe are

altogether of the benevolent Species;

inafmuch

as

we know

Affections, fuch as
Reprefentation on the Stage

that the contrary

Anger, Revenge.,
:

In

all thefe

Cafes, as in

that of mufical Expreffion, the Senfe of our Security

mixes

them

itfelf

with the terrible ImpreiTions, and melts

into a very fenfible Delight.

Inftance, that of Grief,

ferve, that as

Kind

it

it

always has

for it's Foundation, fo

will

be

As

fo me thing
it is

to the fecond

fufficient to

ob-

of the focial

often attended with

a Kind of Senfation, which may with Truth be

called pleafing,

B 4

Jealoufy,

An E

jealoufy3

and Hatred, are always

s s

ay

en
at-

Where-

as all the various Modifications

of Love,

tended with Anxiety and Pain

whether human or divine, are but fo

many Kinds of immediate Happinefs.

From
it

this

View of Things

therefore

neceffarily follows, that every Species

of mufical Sound muft tend

to difpel

the malevolent Paffions, becaufe they

are painful

and

nourifli thofe

which

are benevolent, becaufe they avefika/ing.

The

moft general and

ftance of the

haps, that

ftriking In-

Power of Mufic,

we know

per-

of, is that related

of the Arcadians by Polybius,

the fourth
as

it

in

Book of his Hiftory which,

;

exprefsly coincides with the Sub-

ject in queftion, I fhall venture to give

the Reader entire.

This

judicious Hiftorian, fpeaking

of the Cruelties exercifed upon the

Cyncethians

Musical Expression.

by the Mtolians^ and the

Compaffion that their Neighbours

Cyjicethians
little

had fhewn them;

after

having de-

fcribed the Calamities of this People,

abhorred by

all

Greece^ adds the fol-

lowing Remarks

"As

the Arcadians are efteemed

" by the Greeks not only for the

" Gentlenefs of their Manners, their
" Beneficence and Humanity towards
',

" Strangers, but

" to the Gods ;

it

"

few words, with

to examine, in

alfo

for their Piety

may

not be amifs
re-

" gard to the Ferocity of the C\m<z>" thians, how it is poffible, being in" conteftible Arcadians from
" Origin, they are become fo

their

much

" diftinguifhed by their Cruelty, and

" all Manner of Crimes, from the

" other Greeks of this Time. I be" lieve, it can only be imputed to
i(
their having been the firft and folc
" PeoB 5

An Essay '^

io
."

People of

all

who

the Arcadians^

" were eftranged from the laudable

" Inftitutions of their Anceftors,

" founded upon the natural Wants of

*c

all

cc

thofe

The

who inhabit

Arcadia.

Study of Mufic

which

<c

Utility every- where

is

(I

mean

that

worthy the Name) has

<c

but

it is

its

abfo-

<c

lutely neceffary

<c

Mam.

<c

Sentiment of Ephorus, who, in the

cc

Beginning of his Writings, advances

"

among

the Arca-

For we muft not adopt the

this Propofition

unworthy of him

" That Mafic is introdaced amongji Me7iy

<c

a kind of Inchantmenty
" ceive and rnifead them.
" Ihould we imagine that
as

only to de-

Neither

it is with" out Reafon, that the ancient People

f of Crete and Lace demon have pre" ferred the Ufe of foft Mufic in War,
"

That of the Trumpet 5 or, that

" the Arcadians, in eftablifliing their
" Republic^
to

Musical Expression,
y

Republic,

although in other Re-

" fpefe extremely auftere in their

" Manner of living, have fhewn to
" Mufic fo high a Regard, that they
" not only teach this Art to their
" Children, but even compel their
" Youth to a Study of it to the Age

" of Thirty. Thefe Fadts are noto" rioufly known. It is alfo known,
fC

that tfae Arcadians are almoft

" only People,

among

whom

the
their

" Youth, in Obedience to the Laws,

<c

habituate themfelves from their In" fancy, to fing Hymns and Peans, as
" is ufual among them, to the Honour

" of the Gods and Heroes of their

" Country. They are likewife taught
" the Airs of Philoxemis and TUmo" theus; after which, every Year
u during the Feafts of Bacchus, this

" Youth
">the

are divided into

one

confifting

of Boys,

other of their young

two Bands,
the

Men, who,

"to

An E s say

'

Mufic of

to the

their Theatres

Flutes,

Even

dance in

with great Emula-

tion, celebrating thofe

take their

on

Games which

Names from

each Troop.

in their AfTemblies

and Par-

of Pleafure, the Arcadians di-

ties

vert themfelves lefs in Converfation,

or relating of Stories, than in fing-

ing by Turns, and inviting each other reciprocally to

It

is

own

this

no Difgrace with

Them,

to

their Ignorance of other Arts:

But they cannot deny

in

Exercife.

Singing, becaufe,

their Ability

at all

Events,

they are neceffitated to acquire this

Talent
Skill,

nor,

in

confeffing

their

can they exempt themfelves

from giving Proofs of it, as That

would be deemed amongft them a
particular Infamy.

Befides this, at

the Care and Expence of the

lic,

their

Dancing

Youth
and

are

military

Pub-

trained

in

Exercifes,

" which

Musical Expression.

13

" which they perform to the Mufic

" of Flutes; and every Year give
" Proof of their Abilities in the Pre" fence of their Fellow-Citizens.
"
<

Now

firft

feems to me, that the

it

Legiflators,

forming fuch

in

" kind of Eftablkhments,

" had

any

Defign

of

have not

introducing

" Luxury and Effeminacy ;

but that

" they have chiefly had in View the

" Way of living among the Area" dians y which their manual and toil" fome Exercifes rendered extremely

" laborious and fevere

and the au-

<c

ftere Manners of this People, to

" which the Coldnefs and Severity of
" the Air in almoft every Part of
" Arcadia, did greatly contribute.

" For
<

it is

natural to partake of the

Quality of this Element.

it

is,

Thence

that different People, in Pro-

" portion

A Essay

14

"
cc

portion to the Diftance

rates

them,

differ

which

from each

fepa-

other,

" not only in their exterior Form and

" Colour, but alfo in their Cuftoms
Employments.
The Legiflaff and
" tors, therefore, willing to foften and
" temper

Ruggedff nefs
of the Arcadians^ made all
" thofe Regulations which I have
this

Ferocity and

" here mentioned, and inftituted be" fides thefe, various Affemblies and
" Sacrifices, as well for the Men, as
"

for the

Women

and

alfo

Dances

"

for their Children of both Sexes.

" In a Word, they contrived all Kinds
" of Expedients to foften and affwage,

" by this culture of their Manners,

" the natural Rudenefs and Barbarity
" of the Arcadians.
<c

But

the Cynathians,

who

inhabit

" the moft rude and favage Parts of

" A'cadia, having neglected all thole
" Helps,

Musical Expression.
" Helps, of which, on

15

that Account,

" they had fo much the more Occa*

" fion; and being, on the contrary,
<c

"
<c

fubjecT: to
tells,

fierce

mutual Divifions and Con-

become

fo

and barbarous, that there

is

they

are, at length,

where fuch

<c

not a City in Greece,

<c

frequent and enormous Crimes are

f committed,
"
" of
<c

An

as

in

That of Cynathe.

Inftance of the

this People,

unhappy

State

and of the Averfion

of all
" of Government,
" that was fhewn

the Arcadians to their

is

Form

the Treatment

to their Deputies

" which they fent to the Lacedemoni" am after the horrible mafTacre in
" Cynathe. In all the Towns of Ar<c

cadia which thefe Deputies entered,

" immediate Notice was given by a
" Herald, that they {hould inftantly

" depart.
But the Inhabitants of
" Mantineai after the Departure of
" thefe

An Essay

16
Cc

on

went fo far, as to pu" rify themfelves by expiatory Sacri" fices, and to carry the Viftims round
" the City and it's Territories, to putc

thefe Envoys,

rify

"

both the one and the other.

We have related all thefe Things;

may be pre-

<c

Firft, that

<c

vented from cenfuring in general the

other Cities

" Cuftoms of the Arcadians ; or^ left

" fome of the People of Arcadia
" themfelves, upon falfe Prejudices,

" that the Study of Mufic

is permit" ted them only as a fuperficial Amufe" ment, fhould be prevailed upon to

" negledtthis Part of

their Difcipline:

" In the fecond Place,

ic

CynathianSy if the

" mit,

to

to

engage the

Gods fhould per-

humanize and foften

their

" Tempers, by an Application to the

" liberal Arts, and efpecially to Mufic,

" For this is the only Means, by
" which, they can ever be difpofleffed
of

Musical Expression.

17

" of that Ferocity which they have

" contracted.*

Still farther to confirm what is here

advanced on the Power of Mulic in
railing the

and nobler Paffions

focial

only, I will tranfcribe a PafTage

the

celebrated * Baron

from

Montes-

de

quieu.

This

learned and fenfible Writer,

animadverting on the fevere Institutions

of the Ancients in regard

to

Manners,
having

* See

Von fait

Dijfertation ou

*veilleux ejfets %

voir,

que

les

mer-

aitribuex a la Mujique des Anciens, ne

provent point quelle fut aujji parfait que la notre.

Par M> Burette.

Memoir es

V Academie

des Regifires de
it Belles Lettres.

fifth,

is

feventh,

Holland Edition of
find

Mufic

tranflated.

and eleventh Vols, of the

this Collection,

feveral entertaining

Subject of

tirez

Irtfcript'vons

Tom. feptieme, whence the above

Fragment of Polybius
In the

de Litterature,

Roy ale des

the Reader will

and curious Tracls on the

An E

s s

ay

on

having referred to feveral Authorities

among

the Greeks on this Head, par-

ticularly to the Relation

of Polybius
" In

above quoted, proceeds thus.-*

the Greek Republics the Magistrates

were extremely embarrafled.

would not have the

themfelves to Trade, to Agriculture,

or to the Arts

They

Citizens apply

and yet they would

them idle. They found

Employment for them in

not have

therefore,

gymnaftic

and none

Inftitution.

be confidered

lers

ercifes

to render

there was a Necefiity for tempering

them

foften their

pofe,

Mind by Means of

and
elfe

military Exercifes*

were allowed by

their

Hence the Greeks muft

as a Society

and Boxers.

Now

having a natural

of Wreffc-

ExTendency

thefe

People hardy and

fierce,

might
Manners. For this Pur-

with

Mufic,

others

which

that

influences the

corporeal Or-.

" gans,

Musical Expression.

19

It is a
gans, was extremly proper.
" kind of Medium between the bodily
" Exercifes that render Men fierce
ce

p and hardy, and

<

"
<c

that

render

four.

It

fpeculative Sciences

them

unfociable and

cannot be faid that Mufic

infpired Virtue,

" inconceivable

for this

But

it

would be

prevented the

<c

Effects of a favage Inftitution,

cc

inabled the Soul to have fuch a Share

"

in the Education,

as

it

and

could never

| have had without the Affiftance of

" Harmony.
<c

Let

us fuppofe

among

a Society of Men,
" fond of Hunting, as

it

ourfelves

fo paffionately
to

make

it

their

I fole Employment; thefe People

" would doubtlefs contract a kind of
But if
I Rufticity and Fiercenefs.
" they happened to receive a Tafte
u for Muiic, we Ihould quickly per-

u ceive

so
cc

>f;2

ceive

Essa

671

a fenfible Difference in their

iC

Cuftoms and Manners. In fhort,

" the Exercifes ufed by the Greeks ex" cited only one Kind of Paffions, viz.
" Fiercenefs,
cc

Anger,

But Mufic

" to

infpire

excites

and

them

all;

Cruelty.
it is

able

the Soul with a Senfe' of

"

Pity, Lenity, Tendernefs, and Love.

" Our moral Writers, who declaim
" fo vehemently againft the Stage,

"

fufficiently

demonftrate the Power

" of Mufic over the Soul.

"

f the Society above-mentioned

" were to have no other Mufic than

" that of Drums and the Sound of
" the Trumpet, would it not be more
" difficult to accomplifh this End,
" than by the more melting Tones of
*{

fofter

Harmony

The

Antients

" were therefore in the Right, when

" under particular Circumftances they
" pre-

Musical Expression.
cc

preferred one

" Regard

"But

to

Mode

21

to another in

Manners.

fome

why mould

will afk,

I fliould Mufic be pitched upon pre1 ferable to any other Entertainment ?

I
"

becaufe of

It is,

fures there

is

all

fenfible Plea-

none that

lefs

corrupts

the Soul." *

The

Fad

the Baron fpeaks

feems to confirm what

of,

here faid on

is

Power of Mufic for we fee that

Mufic was applied by the Greeks to
awaken the nobler Paffions only, fuch
the

as Pity, Lenity,

Tendernefs, and Love.

But mould

State

give a
fpire

apply Mufic to

Roughnefs of Manners, or

in-

the contrary Paffions' of Hard-

heartednefs,

would

Anger,

certainly mifs

and Cruelty,
it's

* Spirit of Laws, Vol.

I.

Aim
p.

it

not-

$6.

" withftand-

A Essay w

22

withftanding that the Baron feems to

fuppofe the

contrary.

For he hath

not alledged any Inftance, or any Kind

of Proof in Support of
tion.

It is true,

as

his Suppoli-

he obferves

in the

fecond Paragraph, that the Sound of

Drums

would have a
from the more melting
Tones of fofter Harmony Yet ftill,
the Paffions raifed by thefe martial
Sounds ore of the foetal Kind They
may excite Courage and Contempt of
or Trumpets,

different Effedt

Death, but never Hatred or Cruelty.

SECT.

Musical Expression.

SECT.
On

II.

the Analogies between

Pa

F^ROM

n t

now

fhould

Music

n?id

n g.

fhort

this

few Obfervations

23

Theory wc

proceed to offer a
relating to

Compo-

fition.

But
known

mufical

as

Compofition

is

few befides the Profeffors and Compofers of Mufic themfelves \ and as there are feveral Refemblances, or Analogies between this
Art and that of Paintings which is an
Art

to very

much more

ples,

obvious in

and therefore more

known

it

may

it's

Princi-

generally

not be amifs to draw

out fome of the moft ftriking of thefe

Analogies;

and

fome Degree

at

by

this

leaft,

Means,

give the

in

com-

mon

An E s s a y

24

mon

on

Reader an Idea of mufical

Com

pofition.

The

chief Analogies

Refem-

or

blances that I have obferved between

two noble Arts

thefe

ijl,

They

are

are as follow

both founded in

Geometry, and have Proportion for

their Subject.

And though

dulations of Air,

which

mediate Caufe of
fubtile a

Un-

are the

im-

Sound,

be of fo

Exof mu-

Nature, as to efcape our

amination
fical

the

yet the Vibrations

Strings or Chords,

from whence

thefe Undulations proceed, are as ca-

pable of Menfuration, as any of thofe

vifible Objecfts

about which Painting

is

converfant.

2dly,

As

the Excellence of a Pic-

tare depends

Defign,

on three Circumftances,

Colouring,

and ExpreJJion; fo
in

Musical Expression.

25

of Composi-

in Mufic, the Perfection

from Melody, Harmony and

Melody, or Air, is the
Exprejjion.
tion arifes

Work

of Invention, and therefore the

Foundation of the other two, and directly analagous to JDefign in Painting.

Harmony
to

the

eftablifhed

Manner

fame

and Strength

gives Beauty

Melodies,

as

adds

And

both

Expreffion

the

the

Colouring

Life to a juft Defign.

Cafes

in

arifes

in

from

Combination of the other two, and

no more than

a ftrong

Application of

them

a
is

and proper

to the intended

|ubjecl.

3 <://}',

the

proper

Mixture of

Light and Shade (called by the Italians

Chiaro-Ofeuro) has a noble Effect

in Painting,

and

is

indeed efTential to

the Compofition of a good

Picture

fo the judicious

Mixture of Concords

and Difcords

equally efTential to a

is

mufical

An E s s a y

26

As Shades are
the Eye, which is

mufical Compofition
neceffary to relieve

on

foon tired and difguffed with a level

'Glare of Light

fo Difcords are ne-

Ear, which

relieve the

ceffary to

is

otherwife immediately fatiated with a

continued, and unvaried Strain of Har-

We

mony.
thofe

who

may add

are in

(for the

Sake of

any Degree acquaint-

ed with the Theory of Muiic) that the

Treparations,
cords,

refemble

from Light
Light

the

foft

to Shade, or

Gradations

from Shade

to

in Fainting.

ji+hly,

three

and Refolutiom of Dif-

As

various

in

Painting

there

are
;

Degrees of Diftances!

eftablifhed, viz. the Fore-Ground, the

intermediate Part,
fo in

and the Off-Skip

Mufic there are three

\.

different

Parts flriftly fimilar to thefe, viz. the

Eafs (or Fore-Ground), the Tenor (or

intermediate), and the Treble (or OffSkip).

Musical Expression.
In Confequence of

Skip),

its

Landfcape without

like a

Ground ; without

its

its

is

Forerefem-

it

bles a Landfcape deprived of

mu-

Bafs,

its

Tenor

mediate Part; without

this,

Compofition without

fical

27

inter-

its

Treble

it is

analagous to a Landfcape deprived of

its

Diftance,

how

We

know
when de-

or Off-Skip.

imperfeft a Pidlure

is,

and
hence we may form a judgment of
prived of

thofe

any of thefe Parts

who determine on

the Excellence

of any mufical Compofition without

feeing or hearing

it

in all

Parts,

its

and

underftanding their Relation to each

other.

5^/6/y,

As

in Painting,

the nobler Branches of

larly

it,

and particu-

in Kiftory-Painting,

principal Figure

markable

which

efpecially in

all

which

there
is

and confpicuous,

is

moft reand to

the other Figures are refer-

red

An E s sa y

28

red and fubordinate

on

fo in the greater

Kinds of mufical Compofition, there

is

a principal or leading Subjeffi or Suc-

ceffion of Notes,

which ought

to pre-

and be heard through the whole

vail,

Compofition

and

to which,,

both the

Harmony of the other Parts

ought to be in like Manner referred
Air and

and fubordinate.

6thly>

So

Groupe of

again,

as

in

Figures, Care

that there be

is

no Deficiency

that a certain Fulnefs or

painting a
to
in

be had,
it

but

Roundnefs be

preferved, fuch as Titian beautifully

compared

to a

Bunch of Grapes)

fo

Com-

in the nobler Kinds of mufical

pofition there are feveral inferior

Sub-

jects,

which depend on the Principal

And

here the feveral Subjects (as in

Painting, the Figures do) are as

it

tofujiain and fupport each other

it is

certain that if

were

And

any one of thefe be

taken

Musical Expression.

29

taken away from a fkillfulCompofition,

there will be found a Deficiency highly difagreeable to an experienced Ear.

Yet

this

may be

does

not

perfedt Compofition in two,

three, four, or

more Parts, in the fame

Groupe may be perfecS

Manner

as

though

confuting

greater

hinder but there

Number

of a

fmaller,

of Figures.

or

In both

Cafes, the Painter or Mufician varies

his Difpofition according to the

Num-

ber of Parts, or Figures which he includes in his Plan.

Jthly,

As

viewing a Pi&ure, you

in

ought to be removed
ftance, called

which

all

its

of Sight,

the Point

Diat

are feen in their

Parts

juft Proportions
is

to a certain

fo in a

a certain Diilance,

Concert there

at

which the

Sounds are melted into each other, and

the various Parts ftrike the Ear in their

proper Strength and Symmetry.

B
5

To
ftand

An Essay

30

on

ftand clofe by a Baflbon, or Double-

when you

Bafs
as if

hear a Concert,

jufl

is

you fhould plant your Eye

clofe

Fore-Ground when you view a

to the

Pi&ure

or,

as if in furveying a fpa-*

you fhould place 'yourthe Foot of a Pillar that fup-

cious Edifice,
felf at

ports

it*

Lafily,

The

various Styles in Paint-

the
the
tender the
joyous have
Analogies
Mufic. And we

ing

the grand

terrible

graceful the

paffionate

the

all

their refpec-

in

tive

may

add, in Confequence of this, that

as the

Manner of handling

differs in

Painting, according as the Subjedt varies

fo in

Mufic there are various In-

ftruments fuited to the different Kinds

of mufical Compofitions,
cularly adapted to and
its

feveral Varieties.

rough handling

is

and

parti-

exprefRve of

Thus,

as

the

proper for Battles,

Sieges,

Musical Expression.
and whatever

Sieges,

ble

great or terri-

and, on the contrary, the fofter

handling, and

more

or Beauty

finiihed

of Love,

are expreffive

pet,

is

31

So

in

Touches,

Tendernefs,

Muiic, the

Horn, or Kettie-Drum,

properly employed on the

Subje&s, the Lute or

Trum-

are moffc

firft

Harp on

of thefe
the

laft.

There is
* which

illustrates

prettily.

Several eminent Painters are

mort Story

in the Tatler,

this

Analogy very

there reprefented in Pidture as

cians,

MunV

with thofe Instruments in their

Hands which

moft aptly reprefent

their refpedive

Manner

in Painting.

* No. 153.

PART

An Essay

32

PART
On

II.

Musical Composition.

SECT.
On

on

the too ckfe

Negkc~i

I.

Attachment

to

Air, and

o/Harmony.

TPIESE Obfervations being prcmifed for the Sake of thofe

yy\\o are not particularly converfant in

the

Theory of Muficj

proceed to confider

gard to

We

its

this

let

us

now

Art with re-

Compofition.

have already obferved that there

are, properly fpeaking,

but three Cir-

cumftances on which the worth of

any mufical Compofition can depend.

Thefe

are Melody,

frejjion.

When

Harmony, and Ex-

thefe three are united

in

Musical Expression.
in their full Excellence, the
tition is

then perfect

is

Compe-

If any of thefe

are wanting or imperfedt, the

fition

33

Compo-

The

proportionably defective.

chief Endeavour, therefore, of the fkill

Compofer muft

ful

" to unite

be,

all

" thefe various Sources of Beauty in

" every Piece; and never fo far re" gard or idolize any one of them, as

"

to defpife

and omit the other two/'

Several Examples

will

hereafter

be given of confiderable. Mailers, who,

through an
of

thefe,

have thus
tion

exceffive.

have

Fondnefs for one

facriflced the reft,

fallen fhort

and

of that Perfec-

and Variety which a corredt Ear

demands,.

The

firft

Error

we

ffiali

note

is ?

where the Harmony, and confequently the Expreflion,

is

neglected for ths

Saks:

-An

34

E ssay

on

Sake of Air, or rather an extravagant

Modulation.

The prefent
running

fafhionable

Extreme of

our Mufic into one fingle

all

Part, to the utter Neglect of all true

Harmony,
fential

only,

is

a Defect

much more

ef-

than the Neglect of Modulation

inafmuch

as

Harmony is

the very

Balis of all mufical Compofition.

As
ly,

in the

Work of Harmony chief-

the various Contrivances of a good

Compofition are

laid out,

and

diftin-

guiihed, which, with a full and perfect

Execution in

all

the Parts, produce

we

thofe noble Effeds

grand Performances
fider the

So,

often find in

we may con-

Improvement of Air,

as the

Bufinefs of Invention and Tafte.

But
neral

if

we may judge from

the ge-

Turn of our modern Mufic

(I

fpeak

Musical Expression.

35

fpeak not of the Englifi only) this due

Regard,
fion

as well to

of Melodies,

a natural Succef-

as to their

nious Accomplifhments,

harmo-

feems gene*

Hence

negle&ed or forgotten.

rally

That Deluge of unbounded Extravaganzi which the unfldlful call Invention, and which are merely calculated to
(hew an Execution without either
y

Propriety or Grace *.

In

vague

thefe

Pieces,

we

Compofer
Difficulties

with the

of an extraneous Modulathe moft confummate

C
* They

unmeaning

either ftruggling

tion, or tiring

Arts,

and

often find the bewildered

that

live

Patience

remote from the Capital of

have no other Proofs of the Geniufes of our

Mafters refiding there, but from their Competitions

And many

of thefe, when

ftript

of their ornamental

Performances, and fubmitted to the Teft of unprejudiced

Hearers,

ought

to=

have more fubfrantial

Beauties, to claim an univerfal Approbation.

A Essay

36

ow

Patience with a tedious Repetition of

fome jejune Thought, imagining he

can never do enough, till he has run
through every Key that can be crowded into one Movement
all his

Length
Force being exhaufted, he drops

into a dull Clofe

till

where

at

his languid

Piece feems rather to expire and yield

its

laft,

than conclude with a fpirited

and well-timed Cadence.

Thus we

ftrive rather

than pleafe the Hearer

eafier to difcern

what

is

to furprize

And

as

it

is

excellent in the

Performance than Compofition of Mufic;

fo

we may

account,

why many

been more induftrious

to

have

improve and

diftinguifh themfelves in the Praffice

than the Study of

To

this filly

this Science.

Vanity

we may

attri-

bute that ftrange Attachment to certain

unmeaning

Musical Expression.

37

unmeaning Compofitions, which many

of our fluent Performers have prochief Ambition being,

their

feffedj

to difcover zfwift, rather than ajudicious

Hand.

or graceful

That Per-

much

formers of this Tafte have fo

in their

tune

Power,

is

at

once the Misfor-

and Difgrace of Mulic

For

whatever Merit a Compolition may-

have in other Refpe&s, yet

if

from a

due Regard to the Conftrudtion of the

Harmony and Fugues,

all

the Parts be

put upon a Level, and by that Means,

their

fupreme Pride and Pleafure of a

tedious Solo

them

be not admitted,

it

a fufficient Reafon of

is

with

condemn-

ing the whole.

The

Generality

of our mufical

Virtuofi are too eafily led

by the Opi-

nions of fuch Maftersj

and where

there

is

no

real

Difcernment, Preju-

dice and Affectation will foon affume

the

An Essay

38

on

Thus, through
the inordinate Vanity of a few leading
the Place of Reafon.

Performers,

Fame

a difproportionate

hath been the Lot of fome very indifferent Compofers, while others,
real

Merit have been almoft

with

un-

totally

known.

It may be worth
whence

this falfe

And

Rife.

1/?, It

from
Tafte hath had it's
confidering,

may perhaps be

firmed with Truth that the

falfe

af-

Tafte,

or rather the total want of Tafte in

thofe

who

fume

to

hear>

and

who

always af-

themfelves the Privilege of

judging^ hath often produced this

Species of Mufic.

owned
is

apt,

that this

above

to ftrike

all

For

it

low

muft be

Kind of Competition
others, at firft hearing

an unfkilful Ear

-,

and hence

the Mafters have often facrificed their

Art

to the grofs

licate

Judgment of an inde-

Audience.

But

Musical Expression.
But

idly,

It

hath often had

its

39
Rife

from the Compofer's beftowing

his

bour and Attention on fome

trifling

La-

and unfruitful Subjedt, which can never allow of an eafy and natural

mony

pleafing
it

fupport

to

in

its

Air, yet if

not capable of admitting alfo a

is

pleafing

much

Accompanyment,

it

were

better laid aiide than carried in-

to Execution.

that

For however

it.

may feem

it

Har-

On

many Fugues

dious

this

Account

it is,

are unfiifferably te-

Their barren Subjefts afford-

ing no Variety in themfelves, are therefore often

repeated entire

-,

or tranf-

pofed, or turned topfey-turvey, info-

much

that

little elfe

is

heard through-

out the whole Piece.

ydly,

Another

Source,

haps the moft general,

is

that

and per-

low Idea

of Compofition, wherein the Subjed:

or

An

40
or Air

is

"Ess

ay

on

no fooner led

off,

than

it is

immediately deferted, for the Sake of

fome ftrange unexpected Flights,

which have neither Connection with
each other, nor the leaft Tendency to
any Defign whatever.

This kind of

Work is admirably calculated

thofe who compofe without Abili-

random
for
tieSy

or hear without Difcernment

therefore

we need

not wonder that fo

large a Share of the

of

late

and

Mufic that hath

appeared, fhould

fall

under

this

Denomination..

How different

from the Conduct of

Mu-

thefe fuperficial Adventurers in

fic,

of the able and experi*|

i& that,

enced Compofer, who,

exerted his Fancy

when he hath

on any favourite

Subject, will referve his Sketch,

his Leifure,
free,

and when

his

till

at

Judgment

is

he can again and again correct;

j

diminifh,

or

enlarge

his

Plan

fo
that.
|

Musical Expression.

41

whole may appear, though feverely ftudied, eafy and natural as if it

flowed from his firft Attempt *. Many
that the

extempore Thoughts, thrown out in

the Fire and Strength of Imagination,

have flood
filled

mon

this

critical

the happy Author with

Tranfport.

frefh Vigour,

'Tis

and

Review,

uncom-

then he gains

and renews

his Toil, to

Me-

range and harmonize the various

lodies of his Piece

-f*.

*
Speret idem

ut fibi quivis

fudet multum, fruftraque laboret

Aufus idem: tantum feriesjun&uraque pollet

Such Fi&ion would

I

raife,

as all

might hope

Yet while they

Should

ftrive the

find their

to imitate

with Eafe

fame Succefs

to gain ;

Labour, and their Hopes are vain:

Such Grace can Order and Connexion give

Hor.

Art. Poet. ver. 240.

f Corelli employed

the

greatefl

Francis.
Part of his

Life in revifing and correcting his Works, which the

many grand and beautiful Contrivances

mony may fufficiently evince.

in his

Har-

It

An Ess a y

42

on

t may be proper now to mention,

by way of Example on this Head, the
I

mcft noted Compofers

in the

who

have erred

Extreme of an unnatural

dulation

Genius,

leaving thofe of

to that

ftill

Oblivion,

to

Mo-

inferior

which

they are defervedly deftined.

Of

the

firft

and loweft

Clafs, are

Vivaldi, Tessarini, Alberti, and

Loccatelli, whofe Compofitions
being equally defective in various Har-

mony and
fit

true Invention, are only a

Amufement

for Children

deed for thefe,

if ever

nor in-

they are in-

tended to be led to a pft Tafte in

Mufic.

Under

the fecond Clafs, and rifing

above thefe
as they

laft

mentioned in Dignity,

pay fomewhat more of Re-

gard to the Principles of Harmony,

may

Musical Expression.
may be ranked

of our modern

feveral

Such are

Compofers for the Opera.

Porpora,

Hasse,

and Lampugniani.

43

Terradellas,
Though I mult

take the Liberty to fay, that befides

their too

little

Regard

to the Princi-

Harmony, they

ples of true

are often

defective in one Senfe, even with

gard to Air

Re-

mean, by an endlefs

Repetition of their Subject > by wearing

it

Rags, and tiring

to

the

Hearer's

Patience.

Of

the third and higheft Clafs of

Compofers

who

have run into

this

Extreme of Modulation, are Vinci,

Bononcini, Astorgo, and Pergolese.

The

frequent

Delicacy

of

whofe Airs is fo ftriking, that we almoft forget the Defedt of Harmony

under which they often labour. Their
Faults are loft amidft their Excellencies

and the

Critic

of Tafte

is

almoft

tempted

dn Essay

44

on

own

tempted to blame his

Severity In

cenfuring Compofitions, in which he

finds

Charms

io

powerful and com-

manding.

However,

for the

Sake of Truth,

muft be added, that this Tafte, even

in Its moft pardonable Degree, ought
it

to

be difcouraged, becaufe

it

feems na-

Ruin of a noble
need only compare the pre-

turally to lead to the

Art.

We

fent with paft Ages,

and

we

(hall fee a

the Art of Paint" For, while the Mafters m this

like Cataftrophe in

ing.

" fine Art confined the Pencil to the

" genuine Forms of Grace and Great<c

nefs,

and only fuperadded

to thefe

the temperate Embellishments of a

chaftifed

cc

and modeft Colouring, the

Art grew towards

its

But no fooner was

their Attention

" turned from

"

Deftgriy

Perfection

Truth, Simplicity, andj

than their Credit declined

" with

Musical Expression.
<c

And

with their Art:

45

the experi-

" enced Eye, which contemplates the

" old Pictures with Admiration, fur" veys the modern with Indifference or
" Contempt." *

* Brown's Effays on the Chara&eriflics,

f
tion,

Painting was arrived at

when Mufic was

vancing, though

tjie

far behind,

390,

p.

Summit of

Perfec-

and but flowly ad-

greatly encouraged and admired.

The Works of Palestina in that Infant-State of

Mufic, may be confidered as the hrft Lights of Harmony While thofe of Raphael, his Contemporary
:

and Fellow-Citizen, not only excelled the feveral

eminent Mailers that went before him, but

Day remain unequaled.

hath undergone various Changes, and

haps, at the loweft Ebb.
alfo,

to this

Painting, fince that Period,

is

now, per-

In regard to Mufic,

from the Time of Palestina

that

to the prefent,

hath been fubject to a Series of Alterations, both in

its Stile

and Method of Compofition;

cept the Interruption

bad Taile

in

fome

it

but if

we

ex-

hath found from a national

Parts of Europe,

it

feems,

upon

the whole, rather to have gradually improved.

SECT.

An E

46

ay

s s

SECT.
On

the

too

on

II.

Attachment

clofe

to

Har-

mony, and NegleB of Air.

HAVING

noted

Defecl: of

arifmg

pofers,

from

Ufe of Modulation
lect

of

true

all

the

reigning.

modern Com-,

the

their

fuperficial

to the utter 'Neg-

Harmony

Thing that offers itfelf is

->

the next

the very reverfe

mean, the too fevere Attachment of the Ancients * to Har-

of

this.

mony, and the Neglect of Modulation.

The

old Mafters in general dis-

cover a great Depth of Knowledge in

the Conft ruction of their Harmony.

Their Subjects are invented and carried

* By the Ancients are meant thofe who lived from
the

Time of Palestina

to the Introduction of

mo-

dern Operas.

on

Musical Expression.
on with wonderful Art;

47
which

to

they often add a confiderable Energy

and Force of Expreffion

muft own,

Yet

we

to

Air

Regard

that with

or Modulation, they are often defec-

Our

tive.

furricient

Proof of

nerally find the

ties

this

more finking Beau-

Rule of Counterpoint

an elaborate Piece,

by

this

ilead of being folemn,

;

is

Here we ge-

Way

of Air or Modulation give

to a dry

mal

Mufic

old Cathedral

Many

Means,

becomes

in-

for-

and while our Thoughts, by a

natural and pleafing Melody, fhould

he elevated

to

our Devotion,

the proper Objects of

we

&n Idea of fome

are only ftruck with

artificial

Contrivances

in the Harmony.

Thus, the old Mufic was

trived to difcover the
as the

modern

is

often con-

Compofer's Art^

generally calculated
to

A Essa y

48

to difplay the

Performer's Dexterity,

Yet, I would by no
to include

Cenfure

on

Means be thought

the old Mailers in this

all

Some of them have

carried

That Height
we need think it no

mufical Compofition to

of Excellence, that

Difgrace to form our Tafte of Court*

on the valuable Plans they

terpoint

have

Numbers of

left us.

deed have

fallen,

Oblivion

fuch,

and defervedly,
I

to affift

others of

on-!

Art without'

But there

them.

are;

who, although
which they wrote,

this Clafs,

the early Period in

naturally expofed

here noted

into,

who had

mean,

ly the cold Affiftance of

Genius

thefe in-

them

to the

Defeat

yet the Force of their

Genius, and the wonderful Conftruction of their

Fugues and Harmony,

hath excited the Admiration

fucceeding Ages.
find

Clafs

that
will

the

And

here

Compofers

naturally

fall

of

all

we

fhall

of

this

into

three

different

Musical Expression.
different

thofe

Ranks,

in the

we have

49

fame Manner

already

ventured

as

to

characterize in the preceding Section.

Among
firft

thefe,

Palestina,

the

Time *

but

not only in Point of

of Genius

too, deferves the

high Title
of Father of Harmony.
And the Style
of our great old Mafter Tallis

mews he had

evidently

Works of

this

great Compofer,

own Syftem

lived to fee his

mony take

Root, and

Parts of Europe

ftudied

the

who

of Har-

flourifli in

many

but more efpecially

where he was immediately

fucceeded by feveral eminent Mailers,
in Italy,

among whom, perhaps, Allegri,

may be efleemed the Chief whofe.
5

the

Palestina
Tenth

lived at Rome, in the

the Period, at which

all

t Tallis was Chapel -Mailer

Time of Leo

Arts revived.

in

Henry

the

Eighth's Time.

Compo-

An Essay

5<D

on

Compofitions,

with thofe of Pales-

tin a,

performed

are

ftill

in the Pope's

Chapel, and other Choirs abroad

all

thefe Matters

we

fee the

In

fame grand

Conftruftion of Parts, and a parallel

Defeffi

of Modulation,

After thefe we may rank Carissime Stradella %, and Steffani.

?

Whofe Works, though

neral of the

* Stradella
firfl

fame Chara&er with thofe

is

fuppofed te have been one of the

Compofers who introduced the Recitative into

vocal Compofitions,

aimed

at

Purcel, not long

him,

But whether he had any

Connection with the Italian

tain,

after

fomething like that Species of Mufic, not

then known in England:

all

they be in ge-

however,

this excellent

is

doubtful.

It

is

cer-

Mailer was pofleffed of

thofe Qualities that are requifite to form a great

Compofer

and,

we may

Genius of Purcel been

courfe, as

we have had

venture to fay, had the

atfifted

fince his

with fuch an Inter-

Time, with the

bell

Mafters abroad, he might have flood eminent, perhaps,

among

the greateft.

of

Musical Expression.

51

vf Palestina,

yet, perhaps, they are

not of fo high a Clafs in one Refpect,
nor fo low in another. I mean,

that

although their Character

Excellence
<dir

in

is That
of
Harmony and DefeSi in

yet they are not fo excellent la

the former, nor

latter as

fo

the venerable

defective in

the

Palestina.

From the Time of thefe Mailers to

the prefent, there has been a Succefof

fion

many

excellent

Compofers,

who

feeing the Defects of thofe who

preceded them, in the too great Neglect

of Air, have adorned the nobleft

Harmonies by a fuitable Modulation':

Yet ftill, fo far retaining the Style of
the

more

make

ancient Compofitions,

the

as

to

harmonic Conjlruftion the

leading

Character of their Works;

while the Circumftance of Modulation remains only as a Jecondary Quality.

Such

are the chafte

and

fault-

kfs

An Essay

5:2

Corelli

lefs

*;

fublime

the

Cal-

Ra-

graceful and fpirited

MEAU

the bold and inventive

Scarlatti
dara the

on

\*

To
* Domenico Scarlatti, Author of fome excellent LcJJons

for the Harpfichord>

and Son to the

Scarlatti here mentioned, mayjuftly be ranked

among

of Modulation

own

in

many

Inven-

and the beautiful Chain

in all thefe Pieces,

And though

The

Matters of this Age.

the great

tion of his Subjecls or Airs,

are

peculiarly his

Places, the fineft Pajfages

are greatly difguifed with capricious Duvijtons,

upon the whole, they

We

f-

are original

cannot form an adequate Idea of the Ge-

from

nius of this Mafier

his Concertos for the

fichord alone,, though excellent in their

from
bat

his

little

As
ing

Operas

known

chiefly,
in

which

Kind

Harp;

as yet, I believe,

but
are

England.

in this Species

is

yet,

and mafterly.

of Compofition, the Undertak

great and extenfive, fo the Compofer's Skill

or Inability, will, in Proportion, be diflinguifhed.

Hence

it is

py Talent of

we

are inftantly

Ram eau,

charmed with the hap-

His Chorujfes, Airs, and

Duetts,

Musical .Expression.

To
1 nil r

we may
Handel;

thefe

iou s

we

Style

monies

often find

juftly

53

add our

il-

whofe man y
the nobleft Harin

and thefe enlivened with fuch

a Variety

of Modulation,

could

as

hardly have been expected from one

who

hath fapplyed the

Town

with

mufical Entertainments of every Kind,

for thirty Years together .

These
Duetts, are finely adapted to the various Subje&s they
are intended to exprefs.

(hiking

In the

firft,

In the latter, chearful,

mod

and, when he would footh,

among

he

is

noble and

eafy, and flowing

expremVely tender.

interfperfed

a Variety of

Dances, and other infirumental Pieces,

which agree-

Betides,

thefe are

ably relieve the Ear from too fevere an Attention to

render thefe Operas of

the vocal, and, therefore,

Rameau more

complete and entertaining, than ma-

ny others of Character that may excel them only

fome

in

particular Circumltance.

The

celebrated

Scarlatti

at

Lulli of France, and

Rome, may be confidered

the eld

in the

fame
Light

Essa y

<*&

54

These feem
thors,

to be the principal

Au-

worthy the Attention of a mu-

who

Enquirer,

iical

on

have regarded the

harmonic Syjiem and the Conftruction

of

Light with

Handel.

They were both voluminous

Compofers, and were not always equally happy in

commanding

Yet, upon the whole,

Genius.

their

they have been of infinite Service in the Progrefs of

Mufic

Works,

And

we

if

that

all

lemain that

is

is

take

away from

indifferent,

their

there will

excellent, to give

them a

numerous

ftill

enough

diftinguilhed

Rank.
It

is

pretty

remarkable, that the three Mailers

here mentioned, have, perhaps, enjoyed the higheft

local Reputation,

vourites

among

ftanding

all

been the reigning Fa-

the People, in the feveral Countries

where they refided

as

having

and thence have been regarded

Models of Perfection

many fucceed-

to

ing Compofers.

The

Italians feem

particularly indebted

Variety and Invention of Scarlatti

Rameau, equal,
The EngHJh t as yet,

to

the

and France

has produced a

if

L'ully.

indeed, have not

not fuperior to

been

Musical Expression.
of Fugues
their

Care

the principal Object of

as

while

55

at

the fame Time,

they have regarded the Circumftance

of Modulation

fo far as

very high Degree

to deferve

of Praife on

this

Account, though not the higheft.

been

fo fuccefsful

But whether

this

to any Inferiority in the Original they

imitate, or to

a want of Genius,

may be owing
have chofe to

in thofe

that are

his Imitators (in

dilHnguiming, perhaps, not the

excellent of his

Works)

it

mod

is

not neeefTary here t?

SECT.

determine.

An Essay

56

SECT.

on

III.

Musical Expression, fo
far as it relates to the Com-

On

poser.

SO much

concerning the two Bran-

ches of Mafic, Air and

ny :

now

Let us

Gircumftance,

Harmo-

confider the third

which

is

Expreffion.

This, as hath been already obferved,

arifes from a Combination of the
" other two
and is no other than a
" ftrong and proper Application of

11

>

" them

to the intended Subject,"

FPvOM
appear,

this Definition

that Air

it

will plainly

and Harmony,

are

never to be deferted for the Sake of

Expreffion

Becaufe

founded on them.

Expreffion

And

if

we

is

fhould

attempt

Musical Expression.
any Thing

attempt
thefe,

it

would
Still

preffion.

$j

Defiance

in

ceafe to be Mufical
lefs

of

Ex-

can the horrid Dif-

fonance of Cat-Calls deferve this

Ap-

though the Expreffion or

pellation,

Imitatioa be ever

fo

ftrong and na-

tural-

And,

DiiTonance and mocking

as

Sounds cannot be called Mufical Expreffion

fo

neither do I think,

can

mere Imitation of feveral other Things

be

entitled to this

ever,

among

Name, which, how-

the Generality of

kind hath often obtained

Man-

Thus

it*.

the

gradual ruing or falling of the Notes

in a

long Succeffion,

is

often ufed to

denote Afcent or Defcent, broken Intervals, to

denote an interrupted Motion 3

Number

of quick Divifions, to de-

scribe Swiftnefs-or Flying,

Sounds re-

fembling Laughter, to defcribe Laughter

with a

Number

of other Con^
''..-

trivances

E ssay

Aii

58

on:

which

trivances of a parallel Kind,

is

Now

needlefs here to mention.

thefe I

mould chufe

rather

than

it

all

to ftile Imitation*

Expreffion;

becaufe,

feems to me, that their Tendency

is

it

ra-

ther to fix the Hearers Attention on

the Similitude between the Sounds and

the Things

which they

defcribe,

thereby to excite a reflex

A&

and

of the

Underflanding,

than

affect

the

Heart and

the Paffions of

the

raife

to

Soul.

Here

then

propriety,

we

fee a DefecT: or

firnilar to

been above obferved

thofe

Im-

which have
from a

to arife

too particular Attachment either to the

Modulation or Harmony.
firft

For

Cafe, the Mailer often

as in the

attaches

himfelf fo ftrongly to the Beauty of

Air or Modulation, as to negledt the

Harmony and in the fecond Cafe, purfues his Harmony or Fugues fo as to
\

deftroy

Musical Expression.
the

deftroy

fo in this third Cafe, for the

forced,

and

meaning

59

Beauty of Modulation

(if I

may

Sake of a

fo fpeak)

an un-

he negledts both

Imitation,

Air and Harmony,

on which alone

true Mufical Expreffion can be founded.

This Diftin&ion feems more worthy our

fome

Notice

prefent,

at

becaufe

very eminent Compofers

have

attached themfelves chiefly to the

thod here mentioned

think

they

Me-

and feem to

have exhaufted

all

the

Depths of Expreffion, by a dextrous

Imitation of the
particular

Hymns

Meaning of

Words,

that occur in

few
the

which they fet to

Mufic.
Thus, were one of thefe
Gentlemen to exprefs the following

Words

or Songs

of Milton,

Their

An E

6o

s s

Divide

on

Their Songs
Night,

the

Thoughts

Jt

ay

to

and

lift

our

Heavn,

highly probable, that upon the

is

Word

divide,

he would run a Divi/ion

of half a Dozen Bars

and on the

he

fubfequent Part of the Sentence,

would not think he had done the Poet

Justice, or rifen to that Height

which he ought

limity

he had climbed up

of Sub-

to exprefs,

his Inftrument, or at leaft

till

Top

to the very

of

as far as a

human Voice could follow him. And

this w ould pafs with a great Part of
T

Mankind

for Mufical Expreflion, in-

ftead of that, noble Mixture of folemn

Airs and various

Harmony, which

in-

deed elevates our Thoughts, and gives

that exquifite

Pleafure,

but true lovers of

which none

Harmony can

feel.

What

Musical Expression.

What
preffion ?

then
I

is

true Mujical

anfwer,

currence of Air and

is

Ex-

fuch a Con-

Harmony,

as af-

moft ftrongly with the Paffions

fects us

or Affections
to raife

it

61

which the Poet

And

that,

on

this

intends

Account,

Compofer is not principally to

dwell on particular Words in the Way
of Imitation, but to comprehend the
Poet's general Drift or Intention, and
on this to form his Airs and Harmony,
either by Imitation (fo far as Imitation
may be proper to this End) or by any
other Means.
But this I muft ftill
add, that if he attempts to raife the
Paffions by Imitation, it muft be fuch
the

a temperate

and chaftifed Imitation,

as rather brings

the Object before the

Hearer, than fuch a one as

him

to

Objedt.
laft

induces

form a Comparifon between the

and the Sound.
For in this

Cafe, his Attention will be turned

entirely

An Es say

6z
entirely

muft

on

on the Compofer's Art, which

effectually

check

The Power of Mufic

is

the

Paffion.

in this Refpect,

Power of Eloquence
all, it muft work in a

parallel to the

If

it

works

fecret

at

and unfufpected Manner.

either Cafe, a

will deftroy

In

pompous Difplay of Art

own

its

Intentions

which Account one of the

On

beft gene-

Rules, perhaps, that can be given

ral

for Mufical Expreffion,

is

which

that

gives rife to the Pathetic in every other

Art, an unaffedied Strain

and

of Nature

Simplicity *.

There
* Whatever

the State of Mufic

srtong the ancient Greeks, &c. or

tually capable of

related of

ing

all

loit

it,

may have been

whether

it

a-

was ac-

producing thofe wonderful Effects

wecannot abfolutely determine;

fee-

the Ufes of their enharmonic Scale are totally

and of

their mufical Characters,

have conveyed to
to be found.

us their Art,

From

which mould

no Traces any where

the Structure of their

Jnftru-

ments

Musical Expression.

63

There is no Doubt but many more

Rules may be deduced both from the
Compofitions of the beft Mafters, and

from
we

ments,

Powers

cannot

thofe in

form any

(a)

They feem

Ufe

at prefent

capable of as

to

Ideas of

vaft

have been

But which, indeed, being

much Execution

as Expreffion, are

rendered more liable to be abufed.

great

their

far inferior to

only

Thus, the too

Compafs of our modern Inftruments, tempting

Compofer as Performer, to exceed the na-

as well the

tural

Bounds of Harmony, may be one Reafon why

fome Authors have

fo

warmly efpoufed

the ancient Mufic, and run

dern

down

the Caufe of

that of the

I believe

we may

juflly conclude,

that the Force

and Beauties of the ancient Mufic, did not

fo

mo-

(*>).

much

in artful

of Execution in the Performance

Simplicity of

its

confift

Compofitions, or in any Superiority

Melody

as in the

pure

which being performed

in

Unifons
a
(

Calmet's

Differtation

fur la

Mufique des

Anciens.
(*)

Sir

William Temple's Works,

Page 162.

iftVol. Fol.

64

'An

""

Ess ay

from Experience in obferving the Effects which various Sounds have upon

Thus

the Imagination and Affe&ions.

the Jharp. or flat Key

Movements

flaw or lively

the Staccato, the Sojie-

fmooth-drawn Bow \ all the

Variety of Intervals, from a Semitone

nute or

a Tenth,

to

tures

&c.

The

Mix-

various

of Harmonies, the Preparatioj

01

Unifons by their vail Choruffes of Voices and Inftn

mo ft prodigious Effedls wer

ments, no wonder the

produced
(d),

{) Since the

the Laws and

confiderably

more

enlarged,

intricate

Time of Guido Aretino

of Harmony have been

Principles

and by rendering

and complex,

thofe plain, though

this

have deprived

ftriking Beauties,

Art
it

of.

which probably

almoft every Hearer could diftinguifh and admire.

And

Way

I don't

know whether

this will

fuperior Excellency of ancient and

It

is

not go fome

towards determining the Difpute concerning the

modern

to be obferved, that the Ancients,

M'ufic,

when they
fpeak

()

Bonet.

Hifloire de la Mufique.

Aretino
fl

lived in the eleventh Century.

Musical Expression.

65

of Difcords, and their Refolution into

of

Concords,

the

Melodies

and feveral other Circum-

Succeffion

fv/eet

do

ftances befide thefe,

tend to give

all

that Variety of Expreffion

which

ele-

Joy or Courage, finks

Tendernefs or Pity, fixes it in a

vates the Soul to

it

in

Serenity,

rational

or

raifes

to the

it

Raptures of Devotion.

fpeak of
as

its

marvellous Effects, generally confider

an Adjunct to Poetry.

grefs

to

its

own

Now

an Art in

abfolute Perfection,

fome intermediate Point, which

is

fection, confidered as an Art joined

but not to

its

may

its

arrive

at

to another Art.j
if

the

higheft Perfection,

it

probable they pufhed the mufical Art as far as

would go, confidered

Harmony

is

as

Pro-

Point of Per-

own when taken feparately. Now,

Ancients carried Melody to

is

its

its

an Adjunct to Poetry.

it

But

the Perfection of Mufic as a fmgle Sci-

Hence then we may determine the fpeciflc

Difference between the antient and modern Corn*

ence.

pofuions, and confequently their Excellency,

When

^ Essay

66

When

we

on

confider the Fulnefs of

Harmony, and Variety of

may be

included in

pofing Fugues,

which
the Art of comAir,

we may pronounce

Species of Compofition, of

the

moft

which,

noble

like

and

this

others,

all

diffufive

and

does

Hiftory-Painting,

not only contain the chief Excellences,

of

all

the other Species, but

here in the

fuperior

Term

like--.

many

other

Nature.

But

wife capable of admitting

Beauties of a

is

Fugue, I do not invl

elude alone, thofe confined Compofltions,

which proceed by regular Anaccording to the ftated

fwers,

Laws

of Modulation, but chiefly fuch,

admit of a Variety of Subjects,
ticularly

united
tions,

for

whole,

par-

Voices and Inftruments

and which, with their Imita-

Reverfes,

fages,

as

and other

relative

Paf-

are conducted throughout the

in Subordination to their

Prinl
cipal\

Musical Expression.

67

and, as the leffer -Beauties or

tipal-y

Decorations in Poetry, are fubfervient

to the

Fable of a Tragedy or Heroic

Poem,

fo

are

thefe different,

though

kindred Airs, in the fame Movement,

Manner, fubfervient

like

in

one principal Defign

of

all

fome

to

and productive

the Grandeur, Beauty, and Pro-

priety, that

can be expected from the

moft extenfive Plan

in the

whole Range

of mufical Compofition,

By

a Diverfity of Harmonies, the

Chain and Progreffion of Melodies

alfo

finely

fupported,

is

and thence, a

greater Variety of Expreffion will be

found in the Conftrudtion of

fic

;the

full

Mu-

In this Cafe, the Compofer hath

Advantage of throwing

his tender

land delicate PafTages into the Solo 9 or

pofe of

a bolder Expreffion into the

Chorus y

and

as there are oftentimes a

Kind of neutral Airs,

if I

may

fo call

them,

An Essay

68

on

them, which, by the Performer's Art*

may

be made expreffive of very

ferent Paffions

by a Change

or, as the

preffion

may be

fo this mufical

varied in fuch a

been heard alone,

Ex-

Man-

fr& the Chorus

may be

may

if repeated,

be formed into Chorus

ner

convey

fame Paflage, which has

ner, that the

alfo

fame Words,

in their Accent,

a different Senfe

dif-

and

e con*

into Solo. In like

Man-

difpofed

*,

the Forte

and

Piano.

Thus, by Contrivances of this Nature, we are charmed with an agreea*

ble

Variety,

which,

and

perhaps^

equally to the moft ftriking Air, com-

mands the Admiration of many Lovers of Mufic,

who

yet can no other*

wife account for the Preference thej

may

give to a fine Composition, thag.

purely from

them.

In

the Pleafure
fine,

it

is

this

it

affordi

mafterljj

faflr


Musical Expression.
Tafte and

Method of ranging

Order,

tiful

of a

the

which

higheft Delight to thofe

ter into

Parts

the

gives

who

can en-

the real Merits of this Art

Circumftance, the mufical Student

would do well
!

in-beau-

diftinguifhed

Composition,

69

engages in

any Trial of his Talent

way. But,

that

greater

Example

as

is

of

much

Eorce than any Rule or

whatever

'cept

before he

to confider,

-,

Pre--,

would recommend

him, a conftant Perufal of the beft

to

Compofitions
find

on

all

this

in Score,

where he

will

the Information he <:an defire'

Head

*.

After
*

The

mufical Student being here

have fome previous Knowledge

in the

fuppofed to

Rudiments of

Harmony, it might not be amifs, before he attemptsmore finimed Parts* to take a particular Survey

ithe

of

Rameau's

flated

Ear

Principles of Compofition y

into Englijb

may be found

yet the Rules

of

for,
in

now

tran-

however prevailing a good

the Practice of Compofition,

this Art,

as in all other Arts, are

founded

An Ess ay

yo

After
be,

faid,

all

that has been, or ca ,

the Energy and Grace of

Muflcal ExpreJJion

Nature

to

on

of too delicate a

is

be fixed by Words

It is

Matter of Tafte rather than of Reafoning, and

ter

is,

therefore,

much

bet-

underftood by Example than by

Precept

It

is

in the

we muft

great Mafters that

the

Rules

and

Works of

full

look

the
for'

Union of Air\

Harmony and ExpreJJion, Would mo-,

dern Compofers condefcend to repair
to thefe Fountains of Knowledge, the
)

founded in Nature,

and,

therefore,

muft

afford

who may think but

Works of Art without

great Afliflance, even to thofe

of them.

flightly

As the

Genius, though mafterly, and fludied in their Conftrudlion, are often

defe&ive of Spirit and Tafle

fa,

are thofe of Genius without Art, very far from Perfeflion

ers

But when thefe are united, when the Pow-

of Nature, a^d the Refearches of Art, are fully

exerted,

it

is

then only

we may

expeft the nobleft

Produ&ioas.

public;

Musical Expression.

71

public Ear

would neither be offended

by thofe mallow and unconnected Compofitions, which have
of late fo much abounded, efpecially
or milled

thofe

infipid

made

to fet to

that

Mufic

which

JTonfenfe
fince the

Efforts,

is

are

daily

that

Flood of

in

upon us

let

Commencement of our Sum-

mer Entertainments

*,

and which, in
the

I *

It has

been

juftly

enough alledged,

gard to the Italian Operas,

(*)

with Re-

that there are alfo

many

Improprieties in thefe, which offend even the moll

common
furdity

the

Obferver

particularly that egregious

Ab-

of repeating, and rimming many Songs with

Part; when it often happens, after the Pafof Anger and Revenge have been fufficiently

firft

fions

bxprcfted, that

Reconcilement and Love are the Subof the fecond, and, therefore, mould conclude
the Performance.
But, as if it were unnatural to

jects

leave the

Mind

in this tranquil State, the Performer*

orAclor, muft relapfe into

with

all

that

which he began, and leave

midfl of

Tempeft and Fury,

his

Hearers in tke

it.

I have
'

{')

Tqsi on the

florid

Song. Page 91,

..

An E s s a y

J2
the

Manner they

on

conduced, can-

are

not poffibly prove of any Advantage to

Mafic:

Trifling

EfTays

Poetry,

in

muft
I have jufl hinted

this

unaccountable Conduct of

Way

the Italian Compofers, by

Conduct

mean, our Manner of

repeated to
expreffive

of Contrail to a

remarkably ridiculous

as

many

fetting

Verfes, and

one
all

in

our

of them, perhaps,

of very different Sentiments or AfTe&ions,

than which,

a greater Abfurdity cannot poffibly be

imagined, in the Conftruction of any mufical

fition

own

fingle trifling Air,

Compo-

whatfoever.

Among
Language

the

many

affords,

ey*d Sufan, wrote by

Specimen

to

mention that of Black-

Mr Gay

and propofe

as

it

fhew by what Methods a Compofer

might handle
which, indeed,

this
is

Genus of

the lyric

no other than

Italians have generally

Stories,

which ouit

excellent Ballads
fhall

Poem

to treat

managed thofe

which are the Subject of

And

them,

as the

little

Love-,

their Serenatas

A kind of

mufical Production extremely elegant, and

proper for

this Purpofe.

mend

to our vocal

fetting to Mufic,

Therefore, I would record

Compofers, fome fuch Method of

the belt Englijh Songs,

in like Manner, will admit of

and which

various Airs and

Duetts, with their Recitative, or mufical Narratives,

properly

Musical Expression.
muft deprefs,

inftead

of

Genius of the Compofer

attempts,

inftead

73

railing the

who

vainly

Aid

of giving

to

Senfe (Mufic's noble Prerogative) to

properly interfperfed, to relieve and embellifh the

whole.

Thus one good Ballad may fupply

have
to

Scope to difplay

fufficient

Ge-

his Imagination,

and

fhew a Judgment and Contrivance in adapting his

feveral Airs to

By

a fruitful

of Incidents, wherein he will

nius with a Variety

this

different Subjects of the Poetry.

the

Means, not only a genteel and confident Per-

formance might be produced, but alio fewer good

Mailers would lavilh their mufical Thoughts on Subjects

fo

far

beneath them:

Nor, on

this

Account,

would there be any Dearth of thofe agreeable and

familiar Airs,

which might properly be calculated for

thofe Entertainments,

Always confulted

where the public Ear mould be

and of which, I have

Opinion, that, were

this

or falfe Tafte, but fairly fubmitted to

Khould not difpute,
^noft natural

fo

good an

Difference between a juft,

but the

its

Com pofit ion

and pleafing, would bid

Decifion, I

which was

faireft

for the

general Approbation.

harmonife

^n Essay

^4

on

harmonife Nonfenfe, and make

DuU

nefs pleaiing.

Thus,

it

fares

with her

fares

muft be owned,
laft

with Mufic,

Sifter

Poetry

as

it

for

it

that the Compofitions

mentioned, are generally upon a

Level with the Words they are

to

fame

Their Fate too

\

is

fet

generally the

thefe infedi Productions feldom

the Seafon that gives

out-living

them

Birth.

Our Church

Mufic

is

equally capa-

ble of Improvements from the fame

Sources

We

of

feem

at

Tafte

prefent aJmoft to have

forgot that Devotion

proper

and Knowledge,

End of

it.

is

the original and

Hence

that

ill-

timed Levity of Air in our moderr

Anthems,

that foolifh Pride of Exe-

cution in our Voluntaries,

which

dif

gulls every rational Hearer, and dim-;

pates

Musical Expression.
pates, inftead

75

of heightning true De-

votion

We
* If our Organill

may

which, we

of Poetry, without

a lover

is

difpute

love

his

for

Mufic;

deed, if he has any well di reeled Paffions at

cannot but

feel

or in-

he

all,

fome Elevation of Mind, when he

hears the Pfalm preceding his voluntary, pronounced

in .an

join

awful and pathetic Strain

Part,

his

own

in his

gy

tempt to

Yet, if he
Breaft,

'

not this divine Ener-

prove but a

of others

Nor

At-

fruitlefs

can he hope

far

exceed the beft concerted

Com-

and which, the enraptured Performer would

often gladly fecure to

did

relieve,

out thofe happy inftantaneous Thoughts,

which fometimes
pofitions,

feels

will

it

raife it in that

to throw

then he muft

is

the calm and well-dif-

with religious Chearfulnefs,

pofed Heart.

It

and with fome folemn Air,

his

future

Ufe and

Pleafure,

they not as fleetly efcape as they arife.

-He

jhould alfo be extremely cautious of imitating com-

ijnon Songs or Airs,

.in

Kind of Performance

the Subjects of this latter

otherwife

he

will

but too

,much expofe Religion to Contempt and Ridicule.

It

may

not derogate from our Subject of Church-

Mufic, juft to mention the prefent Method of Sing-

fog the

common Pfalm-Tunes

in

the parochial Service,

An E

j6

We

s s

might foon

ay

on

arrive at a very dif-

and Manner,

ferent Stile

as

well in

our

which are every where fung without the

vice,

Regard

Note

to

an unlimited Length.

to

leaft:

Time or Meafure, by drawling out every

that

It is evident,

both the common and proper Tunes were originally intended to be fung in the Alla-Breve Time, or the
regular pointing of two, three, or four Minims in a

A kind of Movement, which every Ear, with

Bar

the leaft Practice,

may

eafily attain

Nor when

are fung in Parts, mould there be any

three,

And

one Treble, Tenor, and

Harmony would deftroy

i. e.

plex an

in this Stile our

Bafs

they

more than
as too

com-

their natural Air,

Pfalm-Tunes are capable of

all

the Solemnity that can be required from fuch plain

and unadorned Harmony.

Whoever has heard

the Proteftant Congregation*

abroad,; fing, in Parts, their Pfalms or

Hymns, may

recolleft, with fome Pleafure, that Part of their re-

ligious

Worfhip

and

Performance of

this

exa& Meafure,

in

iK)t to their

their exceeding us fo far in a

Kind,

is

chiefly

owing

to

the

which thofe Tunes are fung, and

Harmony :

For the

own, which were compofed

greateft Part

of our

foon after the Reformation,

Musical Expression.
,cur

Compofitions

we

but ftudy the

as

Performance

Works

Chapel-Mailers abroad,

77
did

of the beft

as

Caldara,
Lotti,

tion,

by thofe excellent Matters we had

would doubtiefs be found,

folemn Air,

as

Harmony, equal,

any Compofitions of

their

that Air,

ther obferve,

as well in

if not

in

Time,

fuperior to

And we may

Kind.

is

at that

regard to their

ductive of both Solemnity and Chearfulnefs,

Jiarmony:
former,

For there

is

indeed

than

a Dignity and Grace in the

when invented by Genius, which a

Harmony may

fur.

a higher Degree pro-

afiift,

but can

mafterly

never pro-

duce.

However
-

trifling

it

may appear

to confider this

Species of Muftc, I cannot but own, that

uncommonly

affected with hearing

of Voices hymning the Deity

ny adapted

in

have been

fome Thoufands

a Style of

to that awful Occafion.

Harmo-

But forry

am

to obferve, that the chief Performer in this kind

noble Chorus,
ceits
ill

his

is

too often fo fond of his

that with his abfurd Graces,

own Con-

and tedious and

connected Interludes, he mifleads or confounds

Congregation, inftead of being the rational Guide

.and Director of the whole.

It

An E

78

s s

ay

isi

Lotti, Gasparini, and many other?,

whofe excellent Compofitions ought
known, and refcued

furely to be better

from the
Virtuoii,

Pofieffion of thofe churlifh

whofe unfociable Delight,

to engrofs

to

themfelves thofe

is

Per-

formances, which in Juftice to their

Authors, as well as the World, they

ought freely

to

communicate.

We

may clearly difcern the EfFe

of fuch a Commerce as is here pro-

It may be thought, perhaps, by thus depriving

our Organiit of
his Dexterity,

that

all

this

his

Voluntary and Pfalm-Tune,

Performers indiscriminately, might be capa-

ble of doing the

Duty here required: But

found no fuch eafy Matter to

limity of Style,

the

mewing

public Opportunity of

both in

Mind

is

which

is

ftrike

it

proper to be heard, when

in a devout State

or,

when we would

be greatly folemn, to avoid the heavy and

Manner, which

inftead

will be

out the true Sub-

fpiritlefs

of calmly relieving and

ing up the Heart, rather finks

it

into a State

lift-

of De-

privation.

pofed,

Musical Expression.

Works of the greateft

immortal Works of

pofed, with the

The

Mailers.

Corelli
one

are in the

Hands of every

and accordingly

>

79

we

find that

from him many of our beft modern

Compofers have generally deduced their
Elements of Harmony.
mains fomething more
our prefent ProferTors

be

as intimately

Yet there reto

be done by

They ought

to

con verfant with thofe

other great Mailers, who, fince

Co-

relli's Time, have added both Taile

and Invention
have

ilill

come

and by uniting

of the General-Harmonic

The
feldom

of good

might

Comfofition*

numerous Seminaries
fail

thefe,

nearer to the Perfection

in Italy

of producing a Succeihon

Mailers

felecfl

From

fuch

Pieces

thefe
as

we

would

greatly contribute to the real

Solem-

nity of the Cathedral Service.

While

others again of a different

Kind might
be

An Essay

80

on

be compiled and

fitted

or other mufical

Purpofes

for Concertos

that

io

there would never be wanting a Variety of Examples and Subje&s, for

the Practice of

all

And by

ny whatever

Application

to

an affiduous

greater

we

lay a fure

forming our

own

have hi-

fhould foon be

able to acquire fo true

would

and more

we

comprehenfive Style than

therto attempted

Harmo-

Students in

a Tafte,

as

Foundation for the

Mafters *.

If
* The Italians are allowed
tions in the Arts

fon

is

to excel all other

of Painting and

more obvious

in.

Mufic,, but the

the former than latter

NaRea-

for the

Recourfe to the antique which Italy afforded to Painting, muft be the chief Caufe of

Art.

its

Excellence in that

Mufic could have no fuch external

The Goths had

Melody.

How

rior Genius,

rooted out

then mufl

all

we account

which the Italians have

difcovered in regard to Mufic

Affiftance.

Traits of the ancient

for the fupe-

fince that

Not from

Time

the chimerical

Musical Expression.
If

proper Perfons
in our

who

fhould be afked,

it

8i

are the

begin a Reform

to

Church-Mufic

It

may be

an-

fwered, the Organifts of Cathedrals,

who

are, or

ought

to be,,

our Maeftri

di Capella^

and by whom, under the

Influence

and

Prote&ion

much might

Deans,

Advancement of

would they

their

be done to the
Choirs

their

Nor

find any Difficulty in ac-

complifhing

Defign,

ufeful

this

many

there are

of

as

Precedents to direft

them, both from Dr Aldridge and

others,

who

have introduced; into their

Service the celebrated

Palestina and

Carissimi with, great

if this Method, when

Mufic was
xica!

to

And

Succefs..
fo

little

good

be had, hath been found

Hypothecs of

Food, l^c. but

Climate,

Air,

from the public and national Care which has ever

attended

it

Treatment

it

in

that Country, fo

meets with

in

different

from the

England,

to

An Essay

82

to advance the Dignity

on

and Reputation

of our Cathedral Service

how much

more may be expected at this Time,

from the Number and Variety of thofe
excellent Compofitions that have iince

appeared

>

and which

may be

eafily

procured, and adapted to the Purpofes

here mentioned.

An

Improvement of this Kind

might be ftill more eafily fet on Foot,
were there any Hiftory of the Lives
and Works of the beft Compofers \
together with an Account of their feand

the

veral

Schools,

Ta/le,

and Manner of each

ject,

though yet untouched,

of a good Pen, that

hope

charadlerifitc

it

will

we may

A Subfo

worthy

reafonably

be the Employment of

fome future Writer.

If Mufic was once

cern of

Men

become the Con-

of Genius,

like other

Arts,

Musical Expression.
Arts,

it

83

would undoubtedly improve

And by

a public and juff Difcourage-

ment of every vicious Attempt to debafe it, we might in a fhort Time be

brought

to a

Love of the moft

perfect

Style.

Thus, and thus

to reach

any

alone, can

tolerable

we hope

Degree of Ex-

cellence in the nobler Kinds of mufical

The Works

Compofition.

of

the

greateft Mafters are the only Schools

where we may

fee,

and from whence

we may draw, Perfection. And here,

that I may do Juftice to w hat I think
T

the moft diftinguifhed Merit,

mention,

as

ExpreJJion,

Examples of

two

mail

true Mufical

great Authors, the one

admirable in vocal, the other in inftrumenial Mulic.

The

firft

of thefe

Marcello, whofe

is

Benedetto

inimitable

Free-

dom,

i& Essay

84

fl

dom, Depth, and comprehenfive Style,

will ever remain the higheft Example
For
to all Compofers for the Church
:

the Service of which, he published at

Venice^ near thirty Years ago, the firft
fifty

Pfalms

to

fet

has far excelled

Here he
the Moderns, and

Mufic

all

*.

given us the trueft Idea of that noble

which

Simplicity

grand

probably was the

Chara&eriftic

of the ancient

In this extenfive and laborious

Mulic.

Undertaking, like the divine Subjeft

* This
Folio.

1724.
Years

Work

is

contained in eight Volumes in

The firft four were published in the Year

And the whole came out complete two
under the following Title.

after,

to-Armonico,

Ejiro Poeti-

Parafrafi fopra Salmi, Poefia di Gr-

ROLAMO AsCANIO GlUSTINlANI, Mujtca di BSNEdetto Marcs llo Patriot Veniti, Venezia, 1726.
There

are fome Pieces of inflrumental Mufic pub-

limed in London, and

petto Marcello,

faid to

be compofed by Bene*

Nobleman
but as
mean Performances, they cannot be
come from the fame great Author.
a Venetian

thefe are very

fuppojed to

Musical Expression.
he works upon, he

is

generally either

grand, beautiful, or pathetic

perfectly free

8$

and

from every Thing

fo

that

low and common, that the judicious

Hearer is charmed with an endlefs Va-

is

riety

of

new and

pleafing Modulation

together with a Defign and Expreffion

Senfe and

fo finely adapted, that the

Harmony do
In the
firft

laft

in

every where

Pfalm, which

that

Powers of

he might

Wonders he had done

I

do

not

this extenlive

Air,

his

furpafs

Nay,

if

tention,

the

before.

is

of equal Excel-

continued Elevation of this

Kind, no Author ever came up

we

in all Arts

vail

mean to affirm, that in

Work, every Recitative,

or Chorus,

lence.

coincide.

the fifty-

our Verfion, he feems to have

collected all the

Genius,

is

confider that Variety

is

neceflary to keep

we may,

to.

which

alive

At-

perhaps, affirm with

Truth,

An Es say

86

on

Truth, that Inequality makes a Part of

of Excellence

the Character

That

fomething ought to be thrown into

make

Shades, in order to

more

And,

ftriking.

Marcello
he feems

more

is

the Lights

in this Refpedt,

truly excellent

to fall,

only to

it is

If ever

rife

with

aftonifhing Majefty and Great-

nefs *.

To

this

cal, I fhall

illuftrious

and

greateft in

mean

the admi-

Mufc ;
Geminiani

Spirit

have been

whofe Elegance

of Compofition ought to

much more

Of
When

in vo-

add another, the

injlrumental
rable

Example

what fome

our Pattern

Far the greateft Part

call

Neglecl,

Virgil feems to

trifle

is

:!

ftudy'd Art.

in a Line,

'Tis like a Warning-Piece which gives the Sign,

To wake your Fancy and prepare your Sight,

To reach the noble Height of fome unufual Flight.
Roscom.

EJf, on tranjlated Verfe

and

and

Musical Expression. 87
from whom the public Tafte

might have received the higheft Improvement, had

lay hold
his

we

thought proper to

of thofe Opportunities which

long Refidence in

this

Kingdom

has given us.

The
"this

Public

greatly indebted to

is

Gentleman, not only for

his

many

excellent Compofitions, but for having

as yet

parted with none that are not

extremely corred: and

fine.

There

is

fuch a Genteelnefs and Delicacy in the

Turn of
fo call

his mufical Phrafe, (if I

it)

and fuch a natural Connec-

tion in his expreffive

lation

may

throughout

all

and fweet Moduhis

Works, which

where fupported with fo pera Harmony, that we can never too

are every
fect

often hear, or too

There

are

much

admire them.

no impertinent Digreflions,

no tirefome, unneceffary Repetitions;

but from the Beginning to the Clofe

of

88

u& Essay

of his Movement,
pleafing.

This

it

courfe in Mufic,
is

all
is

e
is

natural

and

properly to dif-

when

our Attention

kept up from one Paflage to another,

fo as the

Ear and the Mind may be

equally delighted.

From

an Academy formed under

fuch a Genius, what a fupreme Excellence of Tajle

might be expected

PART

MU

S 1

EXPRESS

AL

PART
On

O N.

89

III.

Musical Expression,
relates

as it

/(?/&Performer.

SECT.
On

I.

Performance of Mufic

the exprefive

in general.

BUT

as

the Nature

and Effeds

of Mujical Exprejjion do likewife

relate to the Performer,

rent Inftruments
in the Practice

their

which

are

diffe-

employ 'd

of Mufic, fo thefe in

Turn may be

For,

and the

alfo confidered.

Mufcal Expreffon in the

Compofer> is fucceeding in the Attempt
to exprefs fome particular Paffion *
as

fo
* The Word PaJJton
tcnfive Senfe,

as it

is

here taken in the moft ex-

may be

apply 'd to every Species of

Excellence

An Ess a y

90

fo in the Performer,

do a Com-

to

by playing

pofition Juftice,

and

it is'

on

it

in a Tafte

correfponding with

Stile fo exactly

the Intention of the Compofer, as to

preferve and illuftrate all the Beauties

of his Work.

Again,
who,

as the Compofer is culpabl<

Sake of fome low

for the

trifling Imitation,

of ExpreJ/ion
ftill

more

to

deferts the Beauties

So,

culpable,

to reduce a
State

an<

that Performer

who

is

induftrious

is

good Inftrument to the

of a bad one, by endeavouring

make

trifling

it

fubfervient to a

ftill

more

Mimickry.

Such

are

all

Imitations of Flageolets,

On

the Violin,

Device,

calculated

Horns, Bagpipes, &c.

a Kind

of low

Excellence in mufical Compofnions

which,

the very Defign of the Compofer, demands an

froir

ener-

getic Execution.

merely

Musical Expression.
and which,

merely to amaze,

common

with the

even

cannot long

Ear,

prevail over the natural

mony

91

Love of Har-

*.

Even
*

The

Tinging of a Cuckoo, and the cackling of a

Hen, have,
fical

in fact,

Performances.

been ofcen introduced into rnu-

Vivaldi,

in

Seafons,

his

or

-Concertos, fo called, has imitated the barking of a

X>og

befides

many

other ftrange Contrivances

tempting even to defcribe,

at-

as well as imitate, the

various Changes of the Elements.

If thofe Compofers,

who

take fuch Pleafure in their

mufical Imitations of the Noife of Animals,

their Ingenuity in that

'fhew

them

rather to follow the

Way:

much more

effectual

thod of introducing the Creatures themfelves.

by way of Example,
Story as

it is

related

I mail give

by

them

Mr Bayle,

will

would advife

MeAnd,

the following

in

his Critical

" The
" Abbot de Baigne, a Man of great Wit, had in" vented many Things relating to mufical Inftru" ments ; and, being in the Service of the King,
" was once commanded by him to procure him harDictionary under the Article of

Lewis XI.

*'

monious Sounds from the Cries of Hogs, imagining

the

**

Thing was

was not

abfolutely impoflible.

in the leaft perplexed at fach a

The Abbot
Command,
" but

An E

92

Even

s s

ay

on

the Ufe of double Stops on

my

this Inftrument,

may,

be confidered

one of the Abufes of

it

fince,

as

in the

in

Opinion,

Hands of the

greatefl

Matters, they only deaden the Tone,

fpoil the Bxpreflion,

Execution.

and obftruft the

In a Word,, they baffle

the Performer's Art, and bring

down

one good Inftrument to the State of two

indifferent ones.

"
M

but afked the King

Money

to perform it;

was immediately delivered to him, and he

which
effected

the moll farprifmg and remarkable Thing, that was

"

ever heard.

*'

of Hogs,

'

a Tent

all

He
of

got together a large Quantity

different Ages,

and put them into

or Pavillion covered with Velvet, before

M which Tent there was a wooden Table all painted

M and he made an organical Inftrument with a certain
41
Number of Stops fo contrived, that when he hit
f*

upon thofe Stops,

u which

pricking the

it

anfwered to fome Spikes,

Hogs

that flood behind in

due Order, made them cry

Manner, that the King and

"

were highly delighted with .it."

in fuch a
all

his

harmonious
Attendance

But

Musical Expression.
But

furely

ought chiefly

it

93

to

be

the Compofer's Care, not to give the

Peformer any Opportunities whatever

of difparaging his Art

he avoids

more
raged

all

will
:

And

more

the

fuch low Buffoonery, the

this

falfe

Tafte be difcou-

For whatever may be alledged

againft the Depravity of our Tafte in

the mufical Science,

fixed

no where

certainly can

fo properly, as

Mafters themfelves
to perfift

it

with any

fince,

be

on the

were they

Spirit or JRefolution

in the Exercife of their Genius in fuch

Compofitions only as are worthy of

them,

they would

undoubtedly im-

prove the public Ear, and acquire to

themfelves a Reputation and Character

worth preferving

*.

Let
* There

is

one Circumftance,

that

might tend

greatly to the Repute and Utility of Mafic

is,

that the Profeffors

which

themfelves, would cultivate a

fincere

^ Essay

94

Let

on

every Compofer, whether

the Church, the Theatre, or

f<

Chamber
::

thoroughly confider the Nature and

Compais of the Voices or Inftruments,

that are employ 'd in his Work
and,
by that Means, he will the more eafily
->

common

avoid the

diftinguifhing

ciently

Manner
what

Error of not

what

jfuffi-

Stile

or

proper for Execution, and

is

for Expreffion.

He

mould

alfo

minutely obferve the

different Qualities

of the Inftruments

fincere
cherifti

and friendly Commerce with each other, and

that benevolent

Temper, which

their daily

Employ, one mould think, ought naturally

In Truth, there

is

and laudable Purpofe,

focial

ful Intercourfe

to infpire.

nothing enlarges the Mind to every

fo

with Harmony.

much as this
They who

delightfeel

not

this divine Effect, are Strangers to its nobleft Influ-

ence

For whatever Pretenfions they may otherwife

have to a Relifh or Knowledge of

this Criterion

of the muiical Soul,

its

all

Laws, without
other pretend

ed Signatures of Genius we may look upon

as coun-

terfeit,

them*

Musical Expression.
For,

themfelves.
requires one

Mufic

vocal

as

95

Kind of Expreffion, and

inftrumental another

fo different In-

ftruments have alfo a different

Ex-

preffion peculiar to them.

Thus, the Hautboy

the Cantabile,

may be

will beft exprefs

or finging Style,

ufed in

all

Movements what-

ever under this Denomination

cially thofe

and

efpe-

Movements which tend

to

the Gay and ChearfuL

In

Compofitions for

Flute,

is

the

German

Method of

required the fame

proceeding by conjoint Degrees, or fuch

other natural Intervals,

Nature of

its

Tone,

with the

as,

will beft exprefs

the languishing, or melancholy Style.

With both
ning

thefe Instruments, the run-

into extreme Keys, the

Ufe of the

Staccato, or diftind: Separation

of Notes

and

all

irregular Leaps, or

broken and

uneven

An Essay

96
uneven

muft be avoided

Intervals

which Reafon
ought never

to

on
for

alone, thefe Inftruments

be employ'd in the Re-

pieno Parts of Concertos for Violins,

but in fuch Pieces only as are

pofed for them

would be

mod

and

com-

thefe, perhaps,

agreeably introduced as

principal Inftruments

in

fome

inter-

vening Movements in the Concerto,

which might not only give a pleating

Variety, but fhew their different Expreffion to the greater! Advantage.

In continued Compolitions, particularly for the

German

Flute, our Corh-

pofers have been not a

ful

but whether

little

unfucceff-

this Failure

may be

imputed to the Deficiency of the Instrument, or their attempting to exceed

its

natural Expreffion,

may, perhaps,

be worth the Compofer's while

to

con-

fides

The

Musical Expression.
The

97

mould alfo have thofe.

gradual Movements which naturally
Baffoon

and have the

glide in their Divifions,

eafieft

Tranfitions

another

and

may

Principal in the

the

be admitted

Number

fufficient

Bafles to qualify and fupport

The

'Trumpet

to

as a

or Rinforzo in

Solo,

but never in the

Chorus,

without a

from one Key

latter

of other

it *.

and French-Horn,

though equally limited

in

their Scale,

yet have Pieces of very different Styles

adapted to them.

and

to animate

The

infpire

one,

perhaps,

Courage; the

other to enliven and chear the Spirits

* See the

Sixth

of

Geminiani's Concertos,

Opera Settima, where there

is

one Movement com.

pofed exprefsly for the Baffoon, the agreeable Effect

of which, may be
ter this

Method

is

fufficient to

evince

how much

bet-

of introducing Wind-Inftruments,

than admitting them throughout the Concerto.

yet

An E s s a y

98

on

yet are not both to be alike difcarded

in the figurate Defcant^ or that Part of

Compofition where Difcords are conIn this Species of tlarmony

cerned.
I

known

have

the French-Horn in-

troduced with amazing Succefs

it

requires a very able

manage

it

ments,

Compofer

properly with fuch

panyments.

when

but

to

Accom-

Either of thefe Inftrufully accompanied, pro-

duce

more

when

heard alone, becaufe in

wonderful Effe&s than

all

mar-

Expreffion are of fo plain and unmixed a

Nature, that their Harmony is more

tial

Compofitions, their Airs and

eafily

comprehended

ftrike the

and thence they

common Ear

with a greater

Degree of Pleafure and Admiration

than any other Inftrument whatever.

The

Organ and Harpjickord, though

many Refpedts,
fame Performer may equally

alike in fo

that the

fliew his
Skill

Musical Expression.
Skill

and Execution on both

yet arc

and

Compofitions,

refpective

their

99

Manner of Performance widely

ferent

The

former

grand or folemn

Stile,

lively or trickling
thrill in

dif-

expreffing

the

the

thofe

latter,

Movements which

the Ear.

Now,

where any

of the

above

Inftruments over-rule in Concert,

ther in the Chorus, or Solo

or are

appointed to play fuch Airs or

ments, as they cannot

we may then

eaiily

whe-

Move-

exprefs,

Com-

conclude, that the

pofer hath unfortunately fet out

upon

a wrong Principle, which capital Error

will

deftroy every

good Effedt that

might have been found

had he duly confidered

in his

Work,

the diftindt

Limits and Properties of each Inftru-

ment.
In claffing the different Inftruments
v

in

ipo

Essay

Jbi

in Concert,

we may

on

them

confider

as

the various Stops which complete a

good Organ
tift

And

fo contrives,

Organ

is

that,

the full

mall

predominate,

* may unite and

but

with their Oclaves

that the Diapafons,

may .rank

when

Ar-

no Mixtures or Fur-

heard,

&c.

nitures^

as the Ikillful

fill

the whole

fo

we

the Violins with their Bajfes

and Dcuble-BaffiS) as the Diapafons

and Principals of the Concert For in
:

Fad: they

may

be laid to contain the

.

very Strength and Spirit of

mony

and have

Expreliion of

ments,
riety

in

all

all

Har-

them, not only the

the

other

Inftru-

but contain a prodigious Va-

of

many

peculiar to

other noble Properties

themfelves, of

the reft are utterly deftitute.

which

all

It is their

remarkable Diftindtion, that no Concert can

be formed

Principals

without them,

and Flutes.

as

Musical Expression,
as

ioi

they unite and agree as well with

every Instrument, as with each other,

and return every Advantage they receive.

And,

as the fineft i?ijlrnmental

Mufic

may be

confidered as an Imita-

tion of the vocal;

do thefe Instru-

fo

ments, with their expreffive

Tone and

the minuteSt Changes they are capable

of in the Progreffion of Melody,

their

neareft

fection of the

Let

Approaches

human

the lover

Mind the delightful

when joined with

the Per-

Voice.

of Mufic

call

to

Effects they afford,

the

Chorus of good Voices,

in

to

mew

Organ

to

particularly

Churches where the Expanfion

is

large and ample, to foften every rough,

and grating Sound, and unite the Variety

of Voices and other Inftruments,

that complete this

grand and folemn

he will, even in this

3
Enjoyment of Mufic, with Plea-

Performance
Ideal

.F 3

fure

An E

102
fure

own and

S S

AY

072

prefer their harmonious

Expreffion.

In

fine,

it

is

in thofe

Productions

nly which include the Violin and

where an

Species,

may

extenfive Genius

rove at large through

all

the vari-

ous Kinds of Mufical Expreffion

may

give the beft Performers,

not

capricious

in

its

and

-,

and

though

extravagant

Flights, every defirable Opportunity

(hewing

As

their Skill.

a remarkable Inftance

Power of Expreffion
on

this

of

in a

of the

Performance

Inftrument, I cannot omit the

Mention of three Matters, within

own Knowledge.

Knerler, with

great Execution and a fine

unfufceptible of the
preffion,

Tone, but

Powers of Ex-

always difappointed the ex-

pecting Ear

common

my

Carbonel, with but

Portion of thofe Qualities fo

requiiife

Musical Expression.
requifite to enforce

a natural

and

103

an Expreffion, by
feeling of the

inftant

tender Strokes in a fine Compofition,

never failed to give

that

But

all

the Pleafure

from them.*

could be expected
if

we would

hear thefe various

Qualities united in their full Perfection,

we muft repair to the admired Giardini.

The Brilliancy and Fullnefs of
Tone, the Sweetnefs,

his

Spirit,

and

Variety of his Expreflion, his amazing

Rapidity of Execution,

and Exube-

rance of Fancy, joined with the moft

perfect Eafe

and Gracefulnefs

Performance, concur to
out a Rival, at the

fet

in the

him, with-

Head of

his

Pro-

feffion.

Thus, the
this

judicious Performer,

by

Exertion of his Fort or Mafter-

Style,

may

Tendernefs or
different

give

poffibly

pleafing

even to an in-

Spirit,

while on the

F 4

other

Compofition

An E

04

s s

ay

on

other Hand, a .Negledt, or Ignorance,

of the Ufe 01

however ex-

this Art,

pert in other Relpefts the Performer

may

be,

will difguife, if not intirely

thofe diilinguiflied

deilroy,

which alone can

raife

Beauties,

the Dignity and

Perfection of Mufic.

dare

fay the

Reader will

pate the fimilar Cafe

mention in Regard
naturally

will

to

am

antici-

about to

Reading

as

-,

occur to him, on

how commanding

it

this

Power of
ExpreiTion may may be found, from a
different Manner of reading the fame
Author efpecially in Poetry, where a
Plead,

the

juft

and

fpirited

effential to point

Strokes,

which

Emphafis

is

fo highly

out thofe interefting

are

more

peculiarly

defigned to delight the Imagination and

affedr.

the Heart.

But

fhort of this Defign,

is

how

infinitely

the beft wrote

Poem, whether we hear

it

rehearfed

with

Musical Expression.

105

with wild and vehement Accents, or

repeated in a cold and

Mono-

In either of thefe Cafes,

tone ?

our

or Wearinefs of Attention,

Difguft,

be found in Proportion to the

will

Beauties of the
juft

lifelefs

thus

Author fo abufed. And

with an injudicious

fares

it

Performance of a

fine

mufical

Com-

pofition.

The

Mufic for

different Species of

the Churchy, the Theatre, or the

ber,

by

mould

or

are,

be,

diitinguifhed

their peculiar Expreffion.

eafily

be perceived, that

Cham-

it

is

much

It

may

not the

Man-

*ime or Meafure,

fo

ner and Expreffion,

which iYamps. the

real

as

A well
any other quick

Character of the Piece.

wrought

Allegro, or

Movement

for the

Church,

cannot,,

with Propriety, be adapted to theatrical

this

Purpofes
latter

nor can the Adagio of

Kind,

ftridtly

fpeaking, be.

intra-

An Essay

io6

on

introduced into the former

known

feveral

Nature

attempted,

have

Experiments of
but

never

For, the fame Pieces

Succefs.

may

this

with

which

enough be thought very

juftly

folemn in the Theatre, to an experienced Ear, will be found too light and

when

trivial,

they are performed in

Church And this, I may venture

would be the Cafe, though
we had never heard them but in fome
Anthem, or other divine Performance
the

to affert,

And

were, therefore,

which

the Prejudice,
in an

their being heard

Opera might occafion*.

* " By

the Ancients , Airs were fung in three diffe-

'*

rent Mariners

lively

**

finifhed

'

Difference, to very

for

and various

known
{*)

not fubjedl to

for the

the Theatre,
for the

the Style was

Chamber,

delicate

Church, moving and grave.

many Moderns,

is

and

This

quite un.

(*)."

See Tcsi on the florid Song. p. 92.

It

Musical Expression.

It

is

alfo

by

this Efficacy

107

of mufical

Expreffion, that a good Ear doth afcertain the various

made

generally

Preflo, Allegro,

',

are

For Inftance, the Words

Performer.

Andante

Terms which

ufe of to direft the

&c. are

ferently apply'd in the different

of Mufic above-mentioned

dif-

Kinds

For, the

fame Terms which denote Lively and

Gay, in the Opera, or Concert Style,

may be

underftood in the Practice of

Church-Mufic,

as,

or,

lively

and gay

gro, &c. in this

Chearful and Se-

Reader

if the

rene,

pleafes,

lefs

Wherefore, the Alle-

Kind of Compofition^

mould always be performed fomewhatr

fiower than

ia

uiual

in.

Concertos or

Operas.

By

this

that thefe

Obfervation

Words do

what they import

learn i

not always convey

in their ftrid

F
i

we may

6,

Seme,
but

108

An E s say

be confidered

but are

to

Terms

and

on
as

relative

they cannot fully an-

if

swer the Compofer's Intention of communicating, to every Performer, the

Nature of each
are they
for that

particular Style 5

more proper than any other

Purpofe However^ the Com:

pofer will always be fubjeft to a

ceffity

yet,

Ne-

of leaving great Latitude to the

Performer
be greatly

-,

who,

may

neverthelefs,

affifted therein,

by

his Per-

ception of the Powers of Exprefiion.

1

In Vocal Mulic he can never

raife,

are juftly di-

ftinguifhed and expreffed by the

pofer's

Art 5

will feel this

the

fenfible

Com-

Performer.

happy Union of both the

Arts, and thence join his

fect the

which

becaufe, if the different Paffions

the Poet intends to

fail

own

to per-

whole.

With

regard to the Inftrumental.

Kind

Musical Expression.
Kind

the Style and

109

Air of the Move-

ment muil chiefly determine the exad:

Time or Manner,
be performed

in

And

which
unlefs

it

ought to

we

ilrictly

attend to this Diflinction, the moil ex-

may be greatly inwhen the Compofer

cellent Compofitions

jured, efpecially
is

not prefent, either to lead, or give

the Air of his Piece.

might

conclude

this

Head with

an Obfervation or two on the feveral

Graces or Ornaments of Expreffion

But
and

as thefe are already

enumerated,

fufficiently explained in the

Rules

of Geminiani, I need only refer to

However, we may here

remark, that, were thefe Elements of

that

Work.

playing in Taile, with

their 'diftindt

Characters and Explanations,

become

the general Standard, as well for the

Performance of Mailers,
ilruction of their Pupils

as for the
-,

In-

the former,
I believe,

no

An E s say

I believe,

would not only

pable of heightening

Compofitions, but the

io,

with greater

fection.

nerality

the

them

very beft

latter

would

Ge-

of our Matters, following each

loofe

and

florid

by which, the

have preferred a

Manner of
fineft

often deftroyed

different

Notes,

and

in their

by

fo

Marks, and Crowds of

impoflible

have

prelied,

grac-

Harmonies

Explanation of thefe Graces,

little

al-

But, inftead of this, the

more

many

ca-

Per-

own Method,

are too

find

Facility, arrive at

their

ing,

on

to

be ex-

perplexed

rather

the

Learner, who, finding the fame Art fo

Varioufly taught, hath, therefore, been:

often difcouraged in the Progrefs of

his Study.

And,

as

we

have

this Matter, as a Pattern

in his Compofitions , fo

him

to

diftinguifhed:

of Excellence

we mutt

allow

have been equally excellent

in.

fc

Musical Expression, hi
his

Performance ;

he was

in this Refpedt,

for,

alfo peculiarly

happy

in his va-

rious Expreffion, as well of the tender

',

theferene, the folemn, as of the joyous

and rapid , and, with a ready and proper Execution, always entered into a
true Feeling of the Spirit, or Softnefs

And,
notwithftanding the uncertain Durafuitable to

tion

of

each of thefe

Talent,

this

common

Styles

Circumftance

to every Performer,

he will

ever live in thofe Rules above referred

Art of flaying on the

Violin ; in which ufeful Work he has
communicated to the mufical World,
to,

and

as

much

in

his

of his fuperior Tafte and

thod of Execution,
be

expected

as

Me-

could poffibly

from fuch an Under-

taking.

SECT.

An E

112

S S

AY

SECT.
On

the

exprejjive

HAVING

II.

Performances

Music

of

071

in

Parts.

faid'fo

much with

re-

gard the expreflive Performance

of Muficin general.

clude with a few Hints

of Service

Mufic
as

in the

now conwhich may be

I (hall

Performance of

Efpecially

full

of fuch Concertos

have pretty near an equal Share of

Air and

The

Exprejjion in

firft

which ought

material
to

Performance of
fition,

thofe

all

their Parts.

Circumftance

be confidered in the
this

Kind of Compo-

Number and Quality of

Inftruments that may produce the
is,

the

beft Effect

And,

Musical Expression.
And,
five

113

would propofe, excluof the four principal Parts which

ift,

rnuft be

always

complete,

that

the

Chorus of other Inftruments fhould

Number

exceed the

not

following,

viz. fix Primo, and foui fecondo Repienos

four

Repieno

BaJJes,

and two

Double

Bajfes,

and

Number

of Inftruments, near

lefTer

Harpjichord.

the fame Proportion, will alio have a

proper EfFecS,

Compofer's Intention
probably

may anfwer

and

deftroy

the

but more would

the juft

Contraft,

which fhould always be kept up beSolo : For in this

Cafe the EfFefl: of two or three fingle
Inftruments would be loft and over-

tween the Chorus and

powered by -the Succeflion of too grand

a Chorus

and

and fecondo
the

Solo,

to

double the Primo,

Concertino,

or Violoncello in

would be an Impropriety

in

the Conduit of our mufical Oecono-

-A Essay

ii4

my, too obvious

to be faid

any Thing

to require

on that Head.

objected, perhaps, that the

It may be
Number of

above Calculation, would

Bqffes, in the

be found too powerful for the Violins

But as the latter Inftruments are in

Tone

their

piercing,

fo

and

Force by

fprightly,

this Addition,

there

they will al-

However,

if

it

were

mould never be want-

ing a Double Bafs

formance of

and

they rather gain more-

as

ways be heard
pofiible,

clear,

full

-,

efpecially in a

Concertos,

as

Perthey

cannot be heard to

any Advantage

without that noble

Foundation of

their

Harmony.

As
all fo

to Wind-Inftruments, thefe are

different in their

their Progreflions

Tone, and

in

through the various

Keys, from thofe of the ftringed Kind,

befides the irremediable Difagreement

of

their rifing in their Pitch,

while the
others

Musical Expression.

115

others are probably falling, that they

fhould neither be continued too long in

Ufe, nor employed but in iuch Pieces
bas are

exprefHy adapted to them

that in the general

for Violins,

Work of Concertos,

&c, they are

ways improper;

fo

unlefs

al-

almoft.

we

admit of

the Bajfocn, which, if performed by

an expert Hand, in a

Tone, and only

are natural to

gular Ufe,

foft

and ready

in thofe Paffages that

it,

may

then be of

and add Fullnefs

lin-

to the

Harmony.

Did

every Performer

know

the

Fort of his Inftrument, and where

beft Expreffion

moft
for

my

lay,

there to exert

mould but have

prefent

Attempt

little

its
it

Pretence

in the enfuing

Directions.

2dly\
;

In the four

principal Parts

there ought to be four Performers of

almoft

An Ess ay

1 1

almoft equal Maftery

on
as well in re

gard to Time as Execution

ever eafy

may feem

it

for

>

to acquire the

nothing more

former,

yet

Matter

than

how-

mews

Performance

fteady

throughout the whole Movement, and

therefore chiefly neceflary in the lead-

ing Parts.

But

this

Rule

is

generally

negledled by placing one of the worft

Hands
Part of

to the
little

Tenor

which, though a

Execution, yet requires fo

much Meaning and

the Performer

Tone,

fine

mould not only

give

(the peculiar Quality

that Inftrument)

finging of

Expreflion, that

of

but by fwelling and

'

the Notes,

into the Spirit of the

and entering

Compofer,

know

without deftroying the Air, where

fill

to

the Harmony, and, by boldly point-

ing the Subject, keep

it

up with

the

greateft Energy.

3 4?

Musical Expression.
%dly y
all

The

fame Rule

117

will ferve. for

the other Inftruments except the

Harp/ichord

and

-,

'as this

is

only to be

ufed in the Chorus, the Performer will

have

little elfe

to regard but the ftrik-

ing juft Chords, keeping the Time,

and

being

Sound or

careful
fcattering

that

no jangling

of the Notes be

continued after the Paufe or Cadence.

During

mould

of

Interval

this

alfo attend

Reft,

he

with the utmoft Ex-

the leading off again the re-

adlnefs,

maining Part of the Movement, that

when

the Parts are thus inftantly

all

ftruck, his

vade and

own may

fill

be found

the whole

And

to per-

there

if

are any Refts fucceeding the Paufe,

his Attention to the leading

Inftrument

will direct

him when

commence.

The fame

fary at the

Return of each double

Strain,

Notes

when
to,

thefe

Care

is

are to

necef-

there are no intermediate

introduce the Repeat.

In
fine,

A Essa y

1 1

line,

on

a profound Silence muft be al-

ways obferved, wherever the Compofer has intended a general Refpite, or'

am

Paufe in his

Work.

particular in

giving this

Performers

Way;

lying fo
is

more
to

on the Harpfichord,

as

liable to tranfgrefs in

becaufe their Inftrument,

commodious

ever tempting

fire,

the

Caution

they are the moft

this

them

to their Fingers,
to

run like Wild-

over the Keys, and thus perpe-

tually interrupt the

Compofitions of

Performance.

this

As

Nature are not

calculated for the Sake of any one In-

strument, but to give a grand EfFecT:

by uniting

many,

ought therefore
lar

each

Performer

to confider his particu-

Province, and fo far only to exert

himfelf as

may

be confident with the

Harmony and Expreffion in his Part.

Nor let any lover of Mufic be concerned if there is but little for him to
execute,
v

fince

he will thence have

fome

Musical Expression.
fome Leifure
ing
in

For

for the Pleafure

this

are

more

eligi-

who would

the Performer,

ther enjoy the

of Hear-

Reafon, the under Parts

good Compofitions

ble to

119

whole than be

ra-

diftin-

guifhed alone.

The

Ufe of the Acciaccahira *, or

weeping of the Chords, and the dropping or

bme

fprinkling Notes, are indeed

of the peculiar Beauties of

Inftrument.

Touches

But

thefe

this

graceful

Mafthe Accompany-

are only referved for a

terly Application

in

ment of a fine Voice, or fingle Inftrument and therefore, befides the Diffi;

culty of acquiring

a competent Skill

* For an Explanation of the Acciaccatura, fee

fcrEMiNiANi's Introduction to a good Tafte of Mufic,
printed

at

the

Head of

his.

fecond Collection of

$cots Songs.

in

An Essay

120

on

them, they are not required in the

in

Performance of

Under
Leave

Mufic.

fall

Article

this

Compofition but of

which,

if

late

we feem

on the

of
Invention, and
a Species

properly ftudied,

of confiderable

Hitherto

>

beg

fhall

to offer an Obfervation

Harpfichord Concerto

mit

will ad-

Improvements.

to have miftaken

the Property of this Inftrument, by not

what it can, or cannot exHence it is, perhaps, that oui

conlidering
prefs.

Compofers have run

into

little

Chorus of

Violins,

ways a bad Effedt

lin Parts

Ground-work

of

introduced and repeated

thefe, being

their Concertos

than tedious Divilions

elfe

and the Subjedt or

by

all

produce

Whereas the

al-

Vio-

fhould be but few, and con-

Accompanyments
by which Means

trived rather as

than

Symphonies

thej

maj;

Musical Expression.
may

aflift

Kind

121

greatly in ftriking out fonie

of Expreflion,

Harpfichord

wherein

remarkably

is

the

defici-

ent*-.

The

fame Method, perhaps, may

be equally proper

Organ

Which

in Concertos for the

em-

being frequently

ployed in other Companions, and

prefent fo generally approved,

not be

amifs

to confider

For however capable

may be found
reft,
t

it

will

to

fill

this

if the

may

farther.

Inftrument

or foften

neverthelefs

and deftroy them,

it

it

at

all

the

over-power
Performer

is

not extremely cautious and tender in

the Ufe of
I

it.

pole that the

would

Accompanyments

* See Rameau's Concertos

published by

therefore proin the

for the Harpfichord,

Mr Walsh.

Tho

An Es s a y

122

on

Thorough-Baft mould never be ftrucl

in Chords with the Right-Hand, as

upon the Harpfichord, but

full Parts

in all the

the leading Subject fhould

be fingly touched, and the Performer

proceed through the reft of the Movement with the Left-Hand only. For
this

no

Reafon,

Perfon

whatever

fhould attempt this Instrument in Concertos not exprefsly made for it, but

from the Score-, and then, if he has

Judgment and Difcretion fufficient, he
may enforce an Expreffion, and affrft
every

Part

Chorus.

throughout

Yet

the

whole

cannot difmifs

this

Article without once again obferving,

that the Difficulties of rendering thi

Organ of that Ufe in full Concert

which many expeft from it, are k
various and intricate, that
ver be too careful of the

we

can

n^

Performed
Abilities

Musical Expression.
-

Abilities

will

that

it

dom

may

always be heard, but

fel-

diftinguifhed.

^thly y

'

who, if thoroughly fkillfo manage his Inftrument,

ful,

123

As

Concertos, Over-

in all

&c. where the Repieno Parts are

tures,

more immediately

neceffary, the

Com-

fome Defign in
each Chorus, and relieving them,

pofer ought to purfue

filling

with Paffages either proper to be heard

alone, or fo contrived as to give a

good

Effed

fo in

to

the repeated Chorus

performing thefe different Paffages, a

different

Manner muft be

Thus, when

the Solo

is

obferved.

contrived for

the Sake of fome peculiar Expreffion,

it

mould then be performed

ner fuitable to

in a

Man-

the Genius or Cha-

racter of the Piece

but always plain,

or however with fuch Graces only as

may

heighten the Expreffion without

vary-

An Essay

24

varying the

Time

on

and which, there-

fore, require other Qualities befides

an

Execution to do them Juftice

For
this Elegance of Tafte, in the Per:

formance of the Solo,

confifts not in

thofe agile Motions, or Shiftings of the

Hand which ftrike

common Ear, but

with Surprize the

in the tender

and

Touches, which to fuch in-

delicate

deed are

leaft perceptible,

but to a fine

Ear productive of the higheft Delight.

Let not the Performer then by an illjudged Execution mifapply this Opportunity of fhewing his Skill in thefe

remarkable Places
not

the

Advantage

for

though

it

is

of inftrumental

Compofitions to be heightened in their

Expreffion by the Help of Words,
yet there

is

generally,

or ought to be,

fome Idea of Senfe or Paffion, befides

that of mere Sound, conveyed to the
Hearer
On that Account he fhould
:

avoid

Musical Expression.
avoid

all

125

extravagant Decorations, fince

every Attempt of this Kind muft utdeftroy

terly

whatever

Paffion the

Compofer may have defigned

And

prefs.

der, that a
is

laft

of

all let

more than

him

the

reft

of being

yield

it

confix

ufual Attention

expected to his principal Part,

all

to ex-

this

diftinguifhed

when

Preference,

and

heard

alone.

In the Chorus, whether full

the Parts, or leading by Fugues

$thfy,

in

all

>,

the Violini di Concertino* Ihould be

pointed with Spirit to each Ripieno,
thefe alfo

mould be

inftantly ftruck,

firft Note to flip,

by which Means they always lofe their
defigned Effect
An Omiffion which

without fuffering the

* Principal Tarts.

many

^ Essay

126

on

many

careleis

either

through mifcounting of Refts,

or depending

Performers are guilty

upon others

of,

and thus

render the whole Performance ragged

and unmeaning.

When

6thly,

Concertos

are per-

formed with three or four Inftruments

only,

it

may

Solo Tarts

more

not be amifs to play the

Mezzo Pia?w; and

to

know

where to find them,

the firft and laft Note of every
Chorus mould be diftinguifhed thus
accurately

and

()

to

prevent

all

pointing the Forte at a

that

alfo

Mark
will

ought

By

this

be direded

to

Miflakes of

wrong

Place,

have the fame

Means

the Performer

to give the Jirjl

of every Chorus and Forte

Emphafis, and not

its

Note

proper

fuffer the latter to

hang

Musical Expression.
hang upon the Ear, which

is

127

extreme-

ly difagreeable.

As

Jthly,

Difcords in Mufic are like

Shades in Painting,

fo

like the fainter Parts

Picture

the Piano

or Figures in a

both which do greatly

and

constituting

in

is

of Mufic,

fo

fupporting

But

agreeable Variety.

much

afiift

as in the

an
Cafe

depends upon the

Tafte and Accuracy of the Performer,

it is

particularly necefiary, that a ftrict

Regard be had

to the

Piano and

Hands of

for thefe, in the

Compofer, are generally

as

Forte-,

a fkillful

fo difpofed,

to afford a moft pleafmg Relief y

and,

when juftly

Beauty and

Yet

how

executed, give great

Spirit

to

a Compofition.

often do they pafs unobferv-

ed, or if at all expreffed, in fo carelefs

and negligent a Manner,

little, if

as to

produce

any, fenfible Difference to the

Hearer?;

An Essay

128

Hearer?
thofe

It is

common

luke-warm

on

Pra&ice with

who
Number

Performers,

imagine that diminishing the

of Inftruments will anfwer the fame

End

as

foftening the whole, to quit

their Part
all

when

Attention

they fhould rather be

how

to

the utmoft Delicacy

it

were,

Ieffening

like

the

manage

it

tranfporting, as

Swell-Organ,

Sounds to a

with

the

Diftance,

vaft

and thence returning with redoubled

Strength and Fullnefs to the Forte:

And

as this delightful EfFedt

can only

be found from a Performance of

ma-

ny Inftruments together, we ought never to omit fuch Opportunities of car-

rying this noble Contrail to

its

higheft

Perfeftion.

Stbfyy

When

the inner Parts are in-

tended as Accompanyments only, great

Care fliould be had to touch them in

fuch

Musical Expression.
fuch a Manner, that they
I

may

129

never

predominate, but be always fubfervient

who

to the principal Performer,

alfo

whenPart becomes an Accompanywhich generally happens in

fhould obferve the fame Method,

ever his

ment;

well-wrought Fugues and other

where the Subject and Air

Pieces,

Attention of every Performer

employed by

liftening

to

without which

Juftice to his

own,

are

When the

almoft equally diftributed.

Parts,

full

is

thus

the other

he cannot do

it is

then

we may

expect to hear the proper Effect of the

whole.

In every Part throughout the

Chorus, all Manner of Graces, or

gtbfyy

full

Diminution of
fition

Intervals, or

Tranfpo-

of eight Notes higher, muft be

avoided

which fome

indifcrete Per-

formers are but too apt to

make Ufe
of,

Essay

ife

130

merely from a Defire of being

of,

diftinguifhed,

and that the Audience

may

their

admire

But

Execution.

Gentlemen ought to confider,

that by fuch Liberties they do not on-

thefe

ly difappoint the expecting Ear,

jttft

Performance of

Part,
sion

fome

of a

favourite

often introduce and occa-

but

the

Difallcwances in

Harmony.

fometimes hear Performers, the

we
Mo-

ment a Piece

tlieir

From

the

fame ruling Paffion

is

ended, run over

Instrument, forgetting that Order, like

Silence

under

Difcipline,

Arms

mould

in the

alfo

military

be obferved in

the Difcipline of Mufic.

To

La/lly,

point

out in

all

the

Parts of full Mufic, their various Subjects or

troduce

Fugues,
a

new

have ventured to inmufical

Character,

namely,

Musical Expression.
namely, this Moftraf

*/*

131

or Index:
J

But
ply

as the particular
to,

it

may

would apbe thought by

Ufe

poffibly

will

fome, a groundlefs Innovation,

it

therefore, be neceffary to

fome^

thing
tion

in

fay

Defence and Explana-

its

In

all

in Parts,

Compositions for Instruments

which

tate Books,

are published in fepa-

and feldom perufed in

Score y moft Performers are frequently

at a Lofs,

Defign:

* See

fix

is

know

the Compofer's

Hence proceed many

dif-

Concertos publifhed by Johnson, where

Mark
made by the

the Ufe of this

eafily

to

is

applied

Pen,

it

As

this

Character

may, with very

little

Trouble, be added to the proper Places, either in

Manufcript or other printed Concertos that require
:

it.

cordant

An E s say

132

on

-j-,
where only the
unmixed Harmony fhould be
heard.
Another Confequence has

qordant Ricercate
full

been,

that

want of fome fueh

the Moftra above-men-

for

Character as

tioned, the very beft Contrivances in a

good Compofition have often paffed

undiftinguifhed and negle&ed.

remedy

this Defedt,

it

To

feems neceflary

to point out in each Part every leading

and

refpoitfive

Fugue

Mark

pofe fome particular

placed oyer the

firfl

For which Purfhould be

Note of every

ac-

cidental Subject as well as principal

the former being rather more neceflary

to

be thus diftinguifhed,

as every

Per-

fon capable of performing in Concert

muft

know

wherever

it

the

principal

occurs,

f Extempore

and

Flourifhings.

Subject
therefore

Musical Expression.
of Courfe give

will

that

its

13.3

proper

ExprelTion.

But

the accidental Subjedts are, on

Account of
difficult

to

much more

their Variety,

be afcertained

Sometimes

indeed they are a Part or Accompany-

ment of

the Principal, and then

may

be ftyled a fecond or third Subjed,

as they are

generally repeated,

or at

fo retouched in the Progrefs

leaft

Fugue as
known. But
the

to

render

them

of

eafily

yet there are oftentimes

other Subjects very different from the

Principal,

and which being feldom or

never repeated, are therefore

necefTary to be

marked

ftill

more

for having

always fome peculiar Relation to the

other Parts,
that

and

it

is

abfolutely ncceilary

they fhould be juftly exprefTed

this

.plain,

can only be done by a fimple,

yet energetic

Execution:

For

wherever

<d-n

134

Essay

wherever a Subjeft

on

propofed,

is

never with

Propriety

Variation.

Expreffion

admit of any
being

alone

Thing
can be defired from Harmony.
fufficient to give us every

Thus, by

a due

fome fuch Charafter

the

all

Contrivances of

that

of

Obfervance

as the Mo/lra, the

Performer will be greatly

comprehend

can

it

affifted

to

Harmony and

the Compofer,

and

obtain an Advantage and Pleafure al-

moft equal

to

That of playing from

the Score *.

By
* Though we may
lence

partly conje&ure at the Excel-

of the Air and ExpreJJion of particular Paf-

fages in a Composition, without a complete Perfor-

mance

in all the Parts

lation thefe

may

yet of the

Harmdny and Re-

bear to each other,

we

cannot form

a peremp-

Musical Expression.
By

what has been

Mark

that this

faid,

will be

it

135

appears,

of fimilar Ufe

in Mufic, to that of Capitals, Italicks y

and

a peremptory

Judgment

And more

are often deceived in our Opinions

from thofe

faint

efpecially as

of

we

Mufic,

full

and imperfect Trials, to which, for

want of proper Hands, they are frequently expofed

where

thefe are

Abilities,

deficient,

know not

whether

in

Number

a more effectual Teft than a

good Harpfichord and Performance from the

where the Eye

fects

of

will

or

affift

this Instrument,

the Ear through

all

Score,

the

De-

and give a better Idea of the

Compofer's Defign than any unfuccefsful Attempt

Concert.

For
publifti

this

are thofe of

though
tribute

Reafon, were the Printers of Mufic to

the befl Concertos and Sonatas in Score, as

it

Corelli, perhaps

may feem hazardous

more

to a general

this

at

very Expedient,

firft,

would con-

good Tafte and Knowledge

of Mufic, than any yet thought of; and the Succefs

that

may

reafonably be expected from fo ufeful an

Undertaking,

;
1

An Essay

12,6

on

and other orthographical Illustrations

in Writing ; and therefore, perhaps,

may make

the Chance which a mufical

Author has
equal to
it

That of

under

many

fo

more

nearly

a literary one;

certain that the

is

lies

for Succels,

former

at prefent

additional Difad-

vantages, that whatever ferves to

Undertaking,

them

in

will,

for all their

in

Score,

leflfen

amply reward

the long-run,

Trouble and Expence.

I have heard the

Works

for

firft

PuWHher

of Corelli's

very frarMy acknowledge,

that

the Profits received from the Sale of thefe Books,

were greater than could have been expected

as

And,

the Public has had almoft twenty Years Trial of

the Advantages that have accrued from fuch an inti-

mate Acquaintance with

it

this

claflical

Compofer

cannot, I think, be doubted but a like good Ef-

fect

might

alfo attend a Publication in

miniani's Concertos
Parts,

Score of

Ge-

and of other Compofitions in

which may have defervedty gained a Reputa-

tion.

or

Musical Expression,
or remove

any of them,

thought an

fliould

of no

Invention

137

be

trivial

Utility.

For
Fate

Inftance,

how

often does the.

of a Concerto depend on the

random Execution of a
formers

who

have

Set of Per-

never previoufly

Work, examined

confidered the

the

Connection of its Parts, or ftudied the

whole

Intention of the

Was

a dramatic Author in fuch a

Situation,

as

that

the Succefs of his

Play depended on a fingle Recital, and

That too by Perfons thus unprepared

I fancy he would fcarce chufe to run
the Rifk, though he had even Mr
-,

Garrick

for

one of his Rebearfers,

Yet what the Poet never

will venture, the
ceffity

did,

Harmonift

compelled

to,

nor ever

is

of Ne-

and That

alfo

frequently

d* Essay

138

frequently

when he

on,

&c.

has not yet acquir-

ed a Character to prejudice the

dience in his Favour, or
ation

to

prevent

their

any Situ-

firft

Cenfure

from being determinate and

final.

FINIS.

62?

Au-

in

is

*J
-

WA