Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Theory of Music.
LOUIS C. ELSON.
Author of
"
Cuwositibs oi' Mtjsic," "
History of
BOSTON :
EIGHTH MDITION.
1900.
Copyright, 1890, by Lotjis C. Elsom.
F. H. GILSON,
BOSTON.
PREFACE.
m
TABLE OF OOI^TES"TS.
PAGE.
Chapter I. .
7
Chapter II. 12
Chapter III. . .
21
Chapter IV 29
Classification of Vibrations.
Chapter V. 33
The Orchestra and its Instruments." The Violin.
Chapter VI. . .
41
Chapter VII 49
Chapter VIII. 59
Chapter IX. 71
Chapter X. 81
Chapter XI 87
Abbreviations and Signs." Abbreviations of Notation."
Rests "Accidentals.
.
Chapter XII 93
(5)
''
CONTENTS.
FAGK.
The Trill.
Chapter XV 126
Grace Nptes." The Appoggiatura. " The Acciacoatura.
Chapter XX 167
Other Sonata Forms." Overture." Concerto." Sonatina.
"Symphony.
Theory of Music
CHAPTER I.
H "^
If this string be plucked in the centre it will begin to
8 THEOBY OF MUSIC.
moderate temperature.
All kinds of sound have the same velocity.
The vibrations of stringsare subject to four laws
vibrations.
11
TSEOBY OF MUSIC.
proportion of vibrations.
12 TEEOBr OF MUSIC.
CHAPTER n.
Contrabass, four-stringed, . . ^
Sva Oass,
Contrabass, five-stringed, m
Harp, M Wk
^
Contrabassoon, . .
^ W
Zva
8m ^
1=
Piccolo are a little below I The vibrations of
.c^
clearer character.
Differences in shape of vibrations cause differences
in the qualityof tones, and in these we must seek
the cause of much that makes a musical tong agree-
able.
These differences can be best illustrated by
studying the shape of string vibrations, although
they exist in all vibratingsurfaces.
Just as a large wave on the ocean bears smaller
waves upon its breast, and these again carry yet smaller
ones upon their surfaces, so a vibrating surface car-
ries
oboe or violin.
"
Quint," the "
Fifteenth," and others, the function
strings ;
the chief vibration would be of the tire
en-
Fig. 4 "
and sounds one-lined C ; and thus the
string which is intended to represent but a single
tone in the musical scale, is subdividing itself into
smaller and smaller segments, and sounding an tire
en-
CHAPTER m.
we depart from the key first used, the more out of tune
flat.
sharp.
These are so near to the true pitch that it would quire
re-
two, i. e.
three-halves of 260
=
390
;
this note 1(5)
,
e.
780 this note (A) |a major third above middle
Ii. ;
,
^
table of logarithms a
fifth added to a fourth, a
minor
a
fall explanation of these proportions will be
very
found.
TMEOUT OF MUSIC. 29
CHAPTER IV.
CLASSIFICATION OF VIBRATIONS.
vibration.
causes
the penetrating quality heard in the tones of
is then called a
"
stopped pipe," and the plug a
"
tompion,") it at once
sounds an octave deeper, and
a
node is formed at the centre of the tube, which
higher sound.
instruments are
made.
34 THEORY OF MUSIC.
as follows :
"
this division.
poor
The percussion is counted with the brasses,
and consists of kettle-drums, and occasionally bass-
drum, side drum, cymbals, triangle,gong, and other
instruments.
THE VIOLIN.
will be.
called an "
open tone," and is sometimes designated
by an
" O." When the harmonics are produced by
sub-dividing an open string into ventral segments,
they are called ' ' natural harmonics ;" when a stopped
string is thus divided they are called ' ' artificial monics."
har-
40 THEOBY OF MUSIC,
as
these would respond more readily to the
tary
segmen-
THE VIOLONCELLO.
THE CONTKA-BASS.
in dissimilar groupings.
THE HAEP.
of "
Prometheus," an almost obsolete work. Spohr,
whose wife was a fine harp player, was the first to
m
^^
5*
having six strings,and sounds an octave lower than
being used.
The zither is a
sweet-toned instrument of about
is worn on
the thumb of the performer. The board
finger-
note), and so
is that of the mandoline, but in the
only.
^^^o^Va D^ so WAR iw^XxumeAiti
o^W-x"wCaa^
t^^ gV\5.\\
~K.O'"'V\
.
T\'\e,B"o.ss\Vv\A^.
"\\d\\v"^XiWaX^xffttV'^V''^.
^^c,\Je.4^~V^e^\"^\l
"Bc^ss TuJbcv..
~\rcvV\re. V "o\'\%\5oY\e. ,
.1^:311)
SlicSle,*ProvMl)0"\'\e .
TKEOSY OF MUSIC. 49
CHAPTER YII.
THE WOOD-AVTND.
wood-wind quartette is
THE FLUTE.
brightness.
THE PICCOLO.
Freischiitz "
and in the ' ' Infernal Waltz "
in beer's
Meyer-
"Eobert."
THE OBOE.
"
The word ' ' horn must not deceive the student ;
military bands, but they are very shrill and not fit
^
as follows :
l"") i^ I. Berlioz has used the bass-clar-
58 TBEOBT OF MUBIO.
"Damnation de Faust."
THE BASSET-HOEN.
in a very
few words. Like the English horn
CHAPTER Vni.
among us.
ninth harmonic
i/f.
I ''"'
"
Mastersingers of Nuremburg," in the procession of
the guilds,to usher in the toymakers. The C-trum-
J^6="
^^E
Some soloists can produce the fundamental and lower
it chromatically by means of the keys, this set of
W '
Comets can be made in many diflPerent
the the
eflfect) latter to sharp keys.
,
THE TROMBONE.
the better tone. The slides are drawn into six tions,
posi-
each one being a semitone lower than the one
^
compass, m
:^.
^=1 I I :=!=
THE BASS-TDBA.
^
but its ordinary orchestral compass is about ^
Tubas are made with three, four, and even five keys.
THE OPHICLEIDE.
color.
12 Tim OUT OF MUSIC.
73
''
dread. They are used in "
Lohengrin at the death
terdammerung "
when Hagen stabs Siegfried,and in
"
one of the first to do this, in his " Masaniello ture.
over-
and m.
THE GLOOKENSPrEL.
THE XYIOFHONB.
which follow it :
TJSEOBT OF MUSIC. 71
^r-ru'^g^^^g etc.
THE BASS-DEUM.
Vittoria."
CYMBALS.
music, in "
Tannhauser," obtains a mysterious, suous
sen-
of clashingthem.
THE TAMTAM.
THE CASTAGNETTES.
no
semblance of musical sound, yet they are quite
" Carmen."
opera,
CHAPTER X.
superlative,Sforzandissimo ,
is abbreviated, Sffz.,
and of course denotes great force.
THEOBY OF MUSIC. 85
Sudden, or
forcible accents, sf, fp, sfp,
a, "-,
and "ffz.
"
T^. and rf.
"" i
, , -i- , ,
have now
been accepted in vocal and orchestral
music.
88 THEORY OF MUSIC.
ABBREVIATIONS OF NOTATION.
thus shown :
$
Other, simpler, repeat-marks, as
" D. C." and " D. S.''
RESTS.
ACCIDENTALS.
upon :
as follows
line unless the note affected is tied over into the next
measure.
observance.
required after a
double flat it would generally be
notated with a
natural preceding the flat, and the
CHAPTEE XII.
GROUPING.
^^=g=g=;=g^gg^^
would be far more difficult to read than the same
written as follows :
^^"""^^^^^
Yet all music anterior to the beginning of the eenth
eight-
century was notated in the former manner.
value, ^^^
There are also artificial groups of four, five, six,
seven, and any greater number of notes, but when a
cadenza.
M. M. 2. M. M. 60. These
1. J =
42. ^' =
would mean : 1 .
That the counter weight of the metro-
nome
proceeds by notes.
5 .
The best culmination of a grand Crescendo is
in a sforzando.
6. The rules for Diminuendo are similar to the
SYNCOPATION.
$ V
^
V
parts :
^^J^j^
6. Where notes are written between the beats of
100 THEORY OF MUSIC.
^
If the two notes under the curved line have dots
m ^
The following.
value.
SHORT SLDBS.
This example.
P
would often be played thus ;
# ^
legato mark.
4. Short slurs need not be especiallyaccented in
^m i
^
as explained above.
TSEOJRT OF MUSIC. 105
CHAPTER Xm.
MUSICAIi EMBELLISHMENTS.
opinion as to the of
intei-pretation the embellishment
teachers.
THE TURN.
^^JC-C-H^
Aline drawn through any sign of embellishment,
passages.
The turn consists of three, four, or five notes
^^
There are also turns, indicated generally,by one
semi-tones, thus :
m^
^
^^^^fa^
There are also turns in which both intervals are
whole tones, but these are quite rare, and are ally
gener-
written out, rather than represented by a sign.
They almost always occur on the second degree of
songs.
The general rules for the execution of the turn
WRITTEN. PLATED.
^fc^
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
^ta^^^P
2. When a turn follows a note and the next note
Examples ;
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
3 ^^^^^^
WKITTEN. PLAYED.
P ^
^
N. B. Some teachers allow such a turn to begin'
on the principalnote, which would give five notes to
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
p^^^^
5. When a turn follows a dotted note and the next
PLAYED.
MORDENTS.
thus .r."^.".*^^,
while the mordent, written thus -w,
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
,/W
^fe
If there should be any accompanying note to that
Example :
w w B~~i
t S"E^
m^
SclineUer.
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
WBITTEN. PLAYED.
114 THEORY OF MUSIC.
f
^^^^^F^'^p
The double mordent is an incomplete trill; it is
marked thus :
P
and executed thus :
^^=^^^^
shortened.
WEITTEN.
i Se
PLAYED.
H
i
COMBINATION-SIGNS .
WEITTEN. PLAYED.
^f
When the tempo is rapid, and there is in
difficulty
executing the figure in full, it can be played in five
notes. Example :
116 THEORY OF MUSIC.
WBITTEN. PLAYED,
l^s
The inversion of this figure is signifiedby this
sign J
C^' Example :
WRITTEN.
WBITTEN.
Cu^^
PLAYED.
Example :
WBITTEN, PLATED.
WEITTEN.
PLAYED.
118 THEORY OF MUSIC.
CHAPTER XTV.
THE TRILL.
trills on the upper note, ^'. e., the note above the
-^"^-^"^,
each bend of the line signifyingone beat of
1 .
A trill must generally begin and end on the
f
THEOBT OF MUSIC, 121
group. Examples :
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
WKITTEN.
.fitr^
^^ ^
WRITTEN. PLATED.
P ^
9P Bp a^mP
intonation lies.
CHAPTEE XV.
GRACE NOTES.
THE APPOGGIATXJRA.
an unprepared suspension.
The appoggiatura or long grace-note is generally
notated in a small note which, however, represents
its real value, or as near to it as possible. It gen-
126 THE OB Y OF MUSIC.
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
j^r^^ ^^=^^=^=^
The reason that so important a note is written as
note.
128 THEOBY OF MUSIC.
WRITTEN. PLAYED.
^g
The acciaccatura must be played simultaneously
with chord or note which is written with the note
any
WKITTEN. PLAYED.
^
(fc w
WKITTEN. PLAYED.
TSEOBY OF MUSIC. 129
CHAPTEE XVI.
MUSICAL FORM.
movements.
may be understood.
MODEL. TEANSPOSED.
^i^^J-^i-^^HJ
J J-J
sequence.
TBEOBY OP MUSIC. 131
^^^
3. Contraction. This is a narrowing of one or
^^ ^
^
^^ ^ S I BE 1
originalvalue. Example:
^ ^
^
-etc.
132 THEOBT OF MUSIC.
^s ^
m J=^-^-^U-
P m
f ^- m
^^^^
10. Contrary motion. This is the figureplayed side-dow
up-
The student must be careful not to found
con-
P
11. Rhythmic change, which might be made as
follows ;
seldom employed.
15. Rhythmic imitation. This is explained by its
IEEp"
The above is our figuretransformed by augmenta-
tion,
expansion, and transposition.
In modern music a new style of figure-treatment
has been introduced. This is the use of the motif,
leit-
CHAPTEK XVn.
measure, is
generallymajor, and often slow in tempo.
The 8arabande. Ti-iplerhythm. This is always
dignifiedand statelyin its character. It was adopted
as the third movement in the best suites, and it inated
orig-
in a Spanish religiousdance.
The Courante. Triple rhythm. Its name is de-
rived
second movement.
latter.
the measure.
tempo.
The Burlesca, and the Scherzo (not to be founded
con-
THE SUITE.
order :
to monotony.
Handel left the precise order of movements scribed
pre-
by Bach, and his suites are very free, " even
bourrees appear.
Variations were allowed to any movement but the
first and the last, and these variations were of two
kinds if the melody
: were merely treated with bellishments
em-
succession.
word) or any
instrumental
passage appearing in a
,
the form of a
march.
144 THEOBY OF MUSIC.
THE SONATA-MOVEMEl^T.
divisions :
theme.
r etc.
of the six-four.
part.
Division 5 .
Return of chief theme in the tonic, as
do so.
119-140.
measures 140-152.
There is no coda.
in this shape.
On the other hand, sometimes, but very rarely,
the first movement of a symphony or sonata is not
154 THEOBT OF MUSIC.
this is rather a
suite than a symphony), and with
more
extended form, Schumann and Liszt especially
building a
continuous development. Whatever
up
a
careful study of the forms of which Beethoven
was
the chief representative, or to believe that they
CHAPTER XrX.
heightened thereby.
The slow movement has no fixed form, but among
the forms in which it most generally appears may be
mentioned, "
is developed.
Andante con variazioni, the variation form, when
"
THE MINTJET-FOEM (OE "
SONG FORM WITH TEIO ).
scherzo.
The minuet-form arose from the form used in the
is in minuet rondo
drawing-room piano -music or
MINUET.
Division 1 .
Chief theme, sometimes ending with a
movement.
shape.
Brahms has replaced the scherzo with an mezzo,
inter-
and performers.
Chopin made of the scherzo an independent ment,
move-
THE EONDO.
with a rondo.
162 THEOBT OF MUSIC.
FIRST EONDO.
thus :
SECOND HONDO.
key.
3. Theme in tonic key.
4. Second counter-theme or episode, in any othei
related key.
THEOBY OF MUSIC. 163
movement.
sonata-movement .
THE SONG-FORM.
1. Theme.
close.
1. Theme.
smaller divisions."
THE FINALE.
movement.
in Beethoven's works, as
follows :
well as by Beethoven.
168 THE OB Y OF MUSIC.
No. 3 "
is one of the masterpieces of dramatic
THE CONCERTO.
in addition.
170 THE OB Y OF MUSIC.
movement.
THE SONATINA.
OTHER SONATA-FORMS.
can
be more extended than would be advisable in a
piano sonata.
CHAPTEE XXI.
THE MASS.
Mirum," "
Recordare," and "
Lachrymosa," as rate
sepa-
numbers.
province.
114 THEOBY OF MUSIC.
ending.
Second Part : (corresponding to trio. ) A theme
in contrast with the foregoing,generally cantabile,
without ornamentation.
THE ART-SONG.
CHAPTER XXII.
CONTRAPUNTAL FORMS.
seventeenth century.
In the notation of the thirteenth century the notes
to ' '
contrapunctum," whence our word ' '
terpoint."
coun-
lost.
arithmetical nicety.
There are five species of counterpoint,viz. "
subject.
Counterpoint of the third order. In this, four
notes of counterpoint appear to each note of the
subject.
Syncopated counterpoint. In this each note of
subject.
Florid counterpoint, sometimes called "free terpoint,"
coun-
Theology.
Counterpoint consists largely of imitations, the
counterpoint.
These imitations may be, "
music.
CANON.
8 .
Circle canon. This is also a canon without an
reflection.
ia this style.
subject, or
have published collections of canons.
A canon
in which the imitation follows the subject
THE FUGUE.
musical forms.
j^(srmilar
to the Gregorian tones) and these are called
affirming,its existence.
are as follows :
1. The subject.
2. The answer.
3. The counter-subject.
188 THEOBT OF MUSIC.
THE ANSWER.
THE COUNTER-SUBJECT.
Soprano Answer.
voices.
in fugal expositions:
Bass " tenor, "
alto "
soprano .
, ,
Alto "
tenor "
bass "
soprano .
, , ,
Soprano "
alto "
tenor "
bass .
, , ,
dominant.
major, "
and dominant or sub-dominant minor.
THE STRETTO.
THE OBGAN-POINT.
THE CODA.
with a
ritenuto.
TBEOBY OF MUSIC, 195
CHAPTEE XXIV.
of
superficiality its thoughts and the extreme plicity
sim-
THE WALTZ.
,
perceived. The works of Johann Strauss, the elder,
'
rhythm.
In a set of waltzes each waltz is generally in first
used.
THE MAZUHKA.
more
elastic and graceful than the waltz. It is what
some-
THE POLONAISE.
forms.
THE GALOP.
studies.
THE MAECH.
rhythm .
The saltarello is like the tarantella but is
bagatelle.
The ballade and the legends should have a matic
dra-
or
sonata-movement.
204 TSEOBT OF MUSIG.
CHAPTER XXV.
CONCLUSION.
as well.
The chief cause of this may have been that they have
pleasing,merely.
The study of languages will be of vast importance
to the musician who desires to read exhaustively.
To the pianist and composer the German tongue
may be commended as the most important, after his
206 THEORY OF MUSIC.
"
Man's work is from sun to sun,
THE END.