TheRhythmofModernMusic 10037674

P R E F A CE
IN this book I have e d e e d to d e l with the n a vo u r a
R hythm f Modern M i in its

o sthetic pe t us c ae as c ,
rather than as an element f formal cons t ruction o .
In the present highly d e el pe d condition f musical v o o
art the po w er f influencing the mind through an

,
o
infinite variety f rhythmical devices in combination

o
with melody is not perhaps generally recognised ,
and the capabilities f R hythm although W ell known

o ,
to composers are not invariably made full use f

,
o
by per formers except by those f the first rank or

,
o ,
those who have paid special attention to this ele m ent

o f music .
Musicians professional and amateur as Well as

, ,
listeners are apt to pay considerable attention to

,
the melody f a piece and little to its R hythm unless

o ,
the latter happens to be in some sel f evident form —

.
A melody however is not merely an arbitrary

, ,
distribution f intervals over a portion f the scale

o o ,
but a distribution f intervals reg lated by some o u
kind f rhythmical arra gement through which it

o n ,
becomes a living organism capable f m oving the ,

o
vi P REFAC E
emotions The rhythmical arrangement moreover
. , ,
is not entirely i t h hands f the composer f

n e o ,
o r,
howe er care fully he may wri te down his ide s it

v a ,
is qui t possible to have them made ine ff ective in

e
performance by faul t y accentuation or p hrasi g n .
R hythm has been so li t tle studied as a science

that it has t yet arrived at a generally recognised
no
nomenclature f its own German t heorists ha e

o . v
gone a good w y towards the inv ntion f special

a e o
names f the various parts f a rhyt hmic l whole

o r o a ,
but we cannot conve iently use t h t echnic l terms n e a
o f their la guage w hile writing in our own

n .
English does not l nd itsel f easily t the coi age e o n
o f scientific terms f t his requires a language w hich

, o r
allows f new words being compound d out f

o e o
mat rials already t hand Hence we perhaps more

e a .
,
than most natio s are driven b ck upon t hat n , a
wonder ful H llenic language w hich is so W ell able

e
to express whole ideas by single words .
To those who have undergone the W holesom e
discipline f C ompulsory Greek at a Public

o
“
S chool Greek rh ythmical terms wo ld o ff er little

, u
di ffi culty But I w ish my book to be acceptable

.
to th general reader hence I have avoided the

e :
use f Greek technical terms as f as possible

o ar ,
though some f w f which I have been unable to

e , or
find satisfactory equivalents have been introduced , .
But I hope that they will become su fficiently f mili r a a ,

P REF A C E
in process f reading to prevent them from
o ,
proving repellant For the rest I have been often

.
,
obliged to use combinations f words to express o
W hat one Greek technical term would have expressed

more conveniently In the e ffort to make my
.
meanings clear without the intervention f Greek o ,
I have made rather a free use f capital initial o
letters Whether I have succeeded in my e ffort

.
I must leave to the judgment f my readers o .
C . F . AB D Y W I LL I AM S .
M l L FO R D
—O N - S E A, N off/ember, 1
9 09 .
C O N TE N TS
C H AP TE R I
I r
nt o d u c to ry pp , 1 - 1 8
T E R II C HAP
A Pr s P
c c en t— ry d M i M s r m
o e, f Ti m
o et an us c -
ea u e en t o e
Th M r d h P i F
e ea s u e Th P ri d an t e o et c o o t— e e o
F i s f h w Rhy h m i P ri d P h r i g i
un ct o n o t e t o t s n a e o —
as n n
S g
on P h r si g i
—
I r m l M si T h C r
a n n n st u en t a u c— e ae su a
T m p D pl
e od Tri pl
—
R hy h m p i s
u e M sc l i
a n e t -
s ec e —
a u ne
a nd F mi i E di gs
e Tim Si g r T h B
n ne n n —
e na t u es — e ar
D i r is
ae e s
pp 9 44 . 1 -
TE R III C HA P
Th A e r sis P l i m i ry M r s T h O rl p
na c u —
re na ea s u e —
e ve a
R hy h ml ss M ic T h F
t e b Ph rus A —
r k e o u r- ar a s e— c c en ts , s t u c
or mi o d Rhy h m i l A
t te —
i T h M ri l f t ca c c en t u a t o n — e a te a o
w h ich R h y h m is f rm d D i ff t R hy h m i l S h m o e —
eren t t ca c e es
us ed sim l sly T h h r Ki ds f A
u t a n eo u i —
e t ee n o c c en tua t o n
Sy ll bi a d M li m i S g R h y h m w i h i R h y h m
c an e s at c on —
t s t n t s
pp 45 78
-
x C ONTE N TS
C HA P T E R I V
l g r r r i
E ffec t o f on e and sh o te N o t es on A c c en t ua t o n
A n c en ti T h eo ry and M o d ern P ra c t i c e— C o m bi n ed Rh y h m t
s pe c es i —
We ll m r k
- a ed R h yt h m —
I n fl u en c e o f N o te - va u e l s
o n t h e fE s t h e t i c C h a ra c t e r o f Mus ic —
R epet ii
t on o f D efin i te
R h yt m h i l ca F i g u res —
S y n co i
pa t o n pp 7 9 .
-
1 04
C HA PT E R V
Dup l e a
g i a nst T ri pl e T me i —
T e m po r ry
a C h a n ges o f
Spec i Tim i
S gn a t u es C a n ge o f t h e Ac c en t ua t o n
es — e r —
h i
of a g en M e o d iv
y B a m s
’
M a s te
y l
o f Rh t h m u n —
rh r y —
Qi
l
t u p e a n d Se pt u p e T m e l
pp 1 0 5 1 3 2 i .
-
C HA P TE R VI
I m po r ta n c e o f th e F o u r m ea s u re
-
R h yt m h —
S c h u bert
’
s
h h
R yt m s —
B eet h o ve n s
’
R h yt h m s —
l
H a f— R yt m T h h s —
hr ee
m ea s u re R h yt h m s —
F iv e— m ea su r e R h yt m s h
R h yt h m s —
o f
Seven M ea s u r es
pp . 1
33
-
1 58
C H A P T E R V II
Va ri i a t o ns o f T em
po
—
The Pa u se —
R e s ts a nd E m pt y
i
T m es —
Ha dn y ’
s hu mo r sou use o f Re ss
t —
R es t s in R .
St ra u ss
’ “
To d un d Ve r k l ar un
g
”
—
E xa m p l es o f D i r sis i
ae e n
B r h ms
a a nd G i eg r —
U n ba r re d Mus ic : B ee t h o ven , Op .
pp . 1 59 -
1 81
C ONTENT S
C HAP TE R V III
S ta rca to— Fo r t e, P i a no , Cr es cenda , an d D i mi nu m d o —
The
Org n a a nd Ac c en t — M ec h a n i c a l I sr
n t u m en t s an d A cc en t
— T h e Rh y h m ic l Sch m f
t a e e o a l
C o m p et e C o m po s iint o
i ll s r t
u t a e d by B r h ms Rh ps dya
’
a o , Op . 1 1
7 pp . 1 8 2 -2 09
C HAP TE R I!
Br hms Sym ph y i
a
’
on n D, O p 7 3 . Sym
ph i p h é i q
on e Op at t ue
,
.
74 pp . 2 1 0- 2 5 5
C HA P TE R !
Vi c t D I dy S
n en i E f
’
Pi O p 6 3 D b sy
n , o n a ta n or a no , .
—~
e us ,
M sq s H m m g S n f rd Q r t N
‘
a ue R m
: o a e a a ea u — ta o ,
ua te o . 2,
O p 4 5 E 1g r Symph y O p 5 5
—
a
, pp 56 3 7 on ,
2 - 0
A PP E N D ! I
T h e A go g i c A cc en t p .
308
I N D E! p .
31 5
MUS I CAL ILLU S TRATIONS
BE B I HOV E N ,
’ ‘
So n a t a i n D , O
p . 1 0, No
3 , Ro n d o ,.
l
An g i c a n C h a nt ta k en fro m So n a t a Pa té t i q u e, o
p
. 1 3,
So n a ta , o p . 1 4, N o . I ,
No . 2,
i n A fla t, o
p 2 6, An d a n te,
.
i n D, o p . 2 8 , Fi rs t m o vemen t ,
O verture, Leo n o re, 7 2 , N o 3,

o
p . .
So n a t a i n B fl a t, o
p 1 0 6, La rgo ,
.
Q ua rtet , o
p . 1 32 , i
F rst m o em en t , v
S eco n d m o vm e en t ,
Piu a ll g
e ro
M
n ,
B RA H S,
B ll d
a a e,
“
E d w a rd , o
p . 1 0, No . 1 ,
I rm
n te ezzo ,
O p. 1 0, No .
3,
S eren a d e, o
p . 1 1 ,
F i rs t mo v em en t ,
M en uett o I .
,
V a ri a t i o ns on a H un g a r a n A i r, i Op . 21 , No . 2,
P i a n o fo rt e Q ua rt et i n G m i n o r, o p . 2 5 , Ro n d o ,
Qu i n tet , o
p .
34 , S c h erzo ,
“
S o n g, Ag n es, o
p .
5 9,
S ymp h o n y, No . 2, o
p .
7 3, F i rs t mo vem en t ,
MU S I CAL ILLU S T RATIONS
P A GE
Sym p h on
y, 2 Op .
7 3, F i rs t m o vem en t ,
A ll ge re tt o ,
77
Kla vi ers t ii c k e, ‘
0
Sym p h on
y, N o .
3, O
p .
9 0, Fi rs t mo vme en t ,
Fa n ta s i en , Op . 1 1 6, N o . 1 ,
No . 2,
C a pr c c i i p 1 1 6, N o
o , o . .
3
Dre i
'
. I n t ermezz , O i p
. No . 1 ,
In term ezzo , o p 1 1 7 , N o 3 , . .
Kla vi erstfi c ke, u p 1 1 8 , N o 2 . .
NO .
4,
MU S I CAL ILLU S T RATION S xv
B RAH M S cont i nued ) ,
Kla vi ers t uc ke, o

p . 1 1 8, N o .
5
o
p . 1 1 9, N o . 2,
R h a ps o dy, o
p . 1 1 9, N o 4, .
C l i
a r n et So n a t a , op . 1 2 0, No . 2, S ec o n d m o vem en t ,
C HO PN I o
p 24, No 2,
U Y
. .
,
DE B SS ,
Ma s q u es ,
H o mm a ge a R a m ea u ,
a"
D I
’
NDY
So n a ta , o
p . 6 3, F i rs t mo v e m en t ,
S eco n d m o v em en t ,
8,
DV O RAK, S la vi sc h e T a n ze,
EL G A R,
Symp h o n y, o
p .
5 5, F i rs t m o vem en t ,
xvi MUS I CAL ILLU S T RATION S
E LG AR ( conti nued),
Symp h on
y, o p.
5 5, F i rs t mo v e m en t ,
7,
S eco n d m o v e m en t ,
T hi rd mo v em en t ,
G a uze , V i lio n So n a t a i n F, o
p . 8, F i l
n a e,
HA YDN Qua rtet i n E fla t, F i ln a e.
U
,
K RA E,
S la n ca fro m “
C h a n so n s N a t i o n a les d es S lvd
a s u S ud ,
M OZA RT S o n a ta in C m i n o r, F i rs t mo vme en t ,
S U M NN P i
,
CH A , a n o fo rte C o n c e rt o , F i ln a e,
S T NF D
A OR
Q
,
u a rt e t , o
p .
4 5, F i rs t mo vm e en t ,
S eco n d m o v e m en t ,
T hi d r mo v e m en t ,
M U S I CAL ILLU S T RA TION S xvi i
STA NF D
OR ( conti nued) ,
Qua rtet o p 4 5 , Fi na l e,
U
.
,
ST RA S S, R .
,
l
V i o i n So n a t a , o
p. 1 8, F i rs t mo v em en t,
E i n H eld en l ben ,
e O
p 40,
.
Sym p h on
y, Ans I ta l i en, T hi d r m o vemen t,
Ts c n ni xo w s m r,
’
Ro ma n ce i n F mi n o r,
Symph o n i c P a té t i qu e, O
p 7 4, F
. i rs t mo vemen t,
3,
S, 7,
Sec o n d m o vemen t,
h
T i rd m o vemen t,
C H APTE R I
IN TRODU C T O RY
TH E power f expression that has been reached

o
in instrumental music the power f the composer

, o ,
or as the Germans more happily express it f the

, , o
tone poet to move t h emotions and appeal to

—
, e ,
the intellect through the agency f mere sound is o ,
one f the greatest achievements f modern civilisa

o o
tion .
The poet the painter the architect appeal to

, ,
much the same faculty as the musician namely that , ,
which is vaguely know n as the artistic sense but :
they work with more or l ss concrete material and e ,
they treat f things f which everyone has some

o o
experience The poet s work is to idealise objects

.
’
which we can see or imagine we see or emotions

, ,
which we can feel and describe His art material .

-
is speech arranged in certain ways that appeal to

,
o ur sense f beauty and order but the materi l

O : a
itsel f is one f everyday use o .
The painter cannot use his art without depic t ing

some concrete object ; howe er ideal may be his v
A
2 HYTHM OF MODE RN MUS I C
R
conception or however lofty that ideal he can only ,
express himsel f through r presentations f something e o
definite and ta gible n .
The art which most nearly approaches to that

o f music in its power f moving us through some o
thi g that is not a representation f natur l objects

n o a ,
is archi t ecture f the feelings that are e perienced

or x
wh n we contemplate a beauti ful cathedral are not

e
move d by any ssocia t ion wi t h a t angible object

a ,
but by the arrangement f hewn stone i forms o n
that f some r ason appeal to us Yet the

o r e .
materi l itsel f is in this c se also found in ature

a a n ,
f it is dug out f the earth and brought to a

o r o ,
co dition f use in art through the chisel f the

n or o
workman .
Ins t rumental music di ff ers in certain resp cts from e
a ll the thr e arts w ha e mentioned It cannot

e e v .
represent or idealise any nat ral object d its u : a n
art material is not found in ature The nearest

—
n .
natural approach to it the song f birds is as f , o , ar
removed fro m it as is th mind f man from the e o
instinct f animals and even the sound produced

o :
by the wind though it m y sometimes actu lly

, a a re
present musical tone is not like the sound that is

a ,
used by th m usician e .
I st ad f taking any natural material such as

n e o
,
speech or stone and working it into a form that

, ,
can be f service in art the musician combi es a

o , n
INT RODU CTO RY 3
number f entirely artificially produced sounds in

o
such a way that not only are they pleasant to listen

to just as a number f bright colours representing
, o
nothing in nature may be pleasing to the eye but ,
that they shall go further and appeal to the mind

,
through the intellect and the emotions For i . n
t
s rum t l music is no longer merely pretty or
en a
,
charming ; it has arrived at a point in which it

expresses noble thoughts d acts as a powerful
,
an
incentive to nobility f character A d this has to

o . n
be done not with a lasting material such as canvas

, ,
and paint or stone but with a material that vanishes

, ,
immediately the vibrations f string or pipe which o
produce it cease .
A musical sound is pleasant or unpleasant and ,
we say that its tone is good or bad according

“
,
to whether it pleases us or not A combination .
of satis factory sounds sustained in harmony is more

pleasant to the civilised ear than a single sound
but the pleasure such a combination gives or even ,
a succession f such combinations is only superficial

o , ,
and may be compared to the delight f a child in o
the kaleidoscope Before pleasant sounds can be

.
made to appeal to the mind and not the ear only , ,
another elem ent must enter namely time , , .
Pleasant sounds must not merely be drawn out

to an indefinite length but must be regulated and
,
brought under control through the agency f time o

4 HYTHM OF MODE R N MUS I C
R
and by this me ns th y made to app al to a a e a re e
feeli g th t exis t s in t h human mi d and in no

n a e n ,
o t her part f nature namely the s se f Rhythm

o , ,
en o .
The art f music consists th re fore f combining

o ,
e ,
o
pl as nt sounds in a w y that app ls to the ear

e a a ea ,
d regul ti g th m through R hy t hm in a way that

an a n e
\makes them appeal to t h intellect The pleasure e .
\
fw
'
deriv from mere musical sound is l mentary

e e e e
and external it is a s ns tion only The satis

: e a .
factio that is given

n when music l sound is us a
allied to Rhythm is intellectual H nce t hese two . e
el m nts in music
e e alw ys combi ed ; and the a re a n
conveni nt term M los is applicable to th sound

e e e
its l f while Rh ythm applies to i t time divisions

e ,
s .
It is through t h combi atio f Melos wi t h e n n o
R hythm tha t p rely instrumental music is possible

u :
d R hythm from bei g m rely an lement f Form

a n ,
n e e o ,
has become i these l tter d ys a very power ful

,
n a a ,
means f expression M los witho t R hy t hm may

o . e u
be charming f a moment but it requires Rhythmor
i f it is to hav strength and solidarity e .
The capacity f appreciating an abstract idea or
without some kind f concrete presentm nt f it o e o ,
in other words the abili ty to discard graven ,

“
images f ideas implies a very high development

o r ,
f a particular facul ty and on this account vocal

o ,
music will al w ays make a wider appeal than purely

instrument l music f like poetry it deals with
a ,
o r,
,
INT RODU CTO RY 5
concrete ideas The S onata and the Sympho y on

. n ,
the other hand have to do with something that is

,
entirely impalpable and can only speak to those

,
who by association or training h ave been initiated

into their mysteries The body f the initiated . o
has gro wn very rapidly f late years but the o :
abstract idea has always been too di fficult f many or
minds who would yet fain obtain e j oyment and

, n
profit from the art f music S uch minds require o .
something definite on which they fasten and ca n ,
when they like a composition very much they are ,
apt to give it a name such as f example the , ,

or ,
“
Moonlight Sonata Man y will also invent f . or
themselves some programme in connection with

” “
their favourite compositions and by this means will ,
obtain a pleasure which they might not otherwise

experience .
C o mposers themselves have recognised this d i fii

culty and have o ften provided f it as f
,
or : ,
or
instance Kuhnau in his Bible S onatas

,
Bach “
”
in his Capriccio uber die A breise eines Freundes
“
Beethoven in his Pastoral S ymphony and his

” “
,
Lebewohl S onata Brahms in his Edvard

”
:
Ballade Thus has arisen what is now known

.
as Programme music and owing to the desire

“ ”
, ,
to hear orchestral music having spread f late o
years to so wide a circle f the public and to the o ,
fact that many f the general public still have the

o
6 HYTHM OF MODE RN MU S I C
R
di ffi cul ty to which we allude Programme music ,
has increas d to an extent that almost t hre tens t m

e a e
p i l
o ra r
y to overwhelm purely abs t ract music But .
i t would be con t rary to exp rienc i f ma nkind did e e
no t eventually revert to the higher ideal while ,
Programme music may be expected to take the place

it has in the past f occasional appearance as
,
o an ,
a concession to t h weaker brethr n e e .
In the days f purely vocal music in what is called

o ,
the Polyphonic era R hythm was not a necessary

“
,
adjunct to Melos t hough it was o ften used The

,
.
voices moved about and intermingled with one another

in concord f swee t sounds as i t was c lled by
a o ,
”
a
S h kespear
a the human element f th voice d
e : o e ,
a n
the ideas expressed by the words could appeal t ,

o
the highest emotions without necessarily utilising the ,
element f R hy t hm In the church Rhythm was

o .
,
looked upon with d is favour o w ing to its association ,
with w orldly pleasures especially wi t h the dance yet ,
people f lt t h want f it f we constantly read f

e e o , o r o
edicts forbidding the playi g f dance m sic on t h n o u e
organ But instrum n tal music as an art f itsel f

. e , o r ,
did not yet exist If music was played on the viols

.
,
these instruments merely performed t h voice parts e
o f madrigals and the pleasure in the music was

,
chiefly that f association just as we derive pleasure

o ,
in playing on the piano what we have heard in the

opera The solo instruments such as the organ and
.
,
INT RODU CTO RY 7
harpsichord occupied themselves to a great extent

,
with arrangements f vocal music and he who could

o ,
excite the admiration f his listeners by playing the o
voice parts f a madrigal or motet with the greatest

o
amount f colour that is ornamentation was con

”
o , , ,
sid d the best musician If a keyed instrument was

ere .
required to play other than the voice parts f vocal o
music the performer would strive to excite the

,
admiration f the audience by his skill in counter

o
point or his dexterity f finger through the agency

, o ,
of the Toccata or the Fantasia ,

Expression in .
instrumental music as we unders tand it was hardly

, ,
as yet thought f and the instrumentalist was an

o ,
exec tant rather than a composer Thus we find

u .
long sets f variations on such dull material as the six

o
notes f the Hexachord played without Rhythm or

o
measure as in the Fantasia quoted by Kircher as

,
“
,
one f the best examples f the skill f Froberger ;

o o o
or we find intricate d impossible complications f an o
time as in some f John Bull s harpsichord works

,
o
’
.
Even in these early days there was a yearning f or
some sort f expression musicians were not satisfied

o
with mere meaningless ornaments and vapid scale

passages and with Frescobaldi and some f the
, ,
o
English composers a certain amount f real expres

,
o
sion is arrived at But not through Rh ythm .
R hythm had a long way to t ravel be fore it reached

the power f being used f emotional effects
o or .
8 RHYTH M OF M ODE R N MUS I C
In the sixteenth and seventeen t h centuries i t n s ru
ments were in early st ge f develop m ent They

an a o .
were weak f tone and f the most part accentless

o ,
o r .
Musicians had discovered that to make people dance

their tunes must fall into some kind f contr st f o a o
the nature f ccented and unaccented notes and

o a ,
the triple measure with its natural al t ernations f

, o
long and short notes was the simplest means f , o
giving the re q uired contr st on the accen tless organ

a
and harpsichord When t hey wanted to use Even

.
Measure they still found that altern t ions f long

, a o
and short notes w re use ful rather than long

e ,
successions f even no tes Moreover i t w begin

o .
,
as
ning to be felt t hat there was something in common

between poetry d m usic and t h madrigalists
an , e
began to bring their m sic i to short regular phras s

u n e ,
corresponding w i t h the verses f poetry they o :
discovered t hat these short p ssages might be con a
i tly distinguished by l
v en en l or closes The c a us u a s , .
instrumentalists were not behindhand in t his m t t er a

,
at any rate f dance music and about the beginning

o r ,
o f the seventeenth century t hey began t cons t ruct o
phrases in something like verse form and t find , o
out the importa ce f the tonic and dominant

n o
harmonies in consolidating the rhythmical phrases .
It was a great gain when musicians began to cast

their instrumental music in forms that could make
it independent alike f vocal music and f mere
o o
INT R ODU CTO RY 9
exhibition For it could w begin to speak f i t

. no o r
sel f and justi fy its existence as an inde pendent art

Then arose the sonata the thing sounded
” “
,
“
,
which was not a dance or a f t i pm gg tt a n a s a 50 a n Jo e o
the work was sel f contained and had no necessary

—
,
association with anything that had gone be fore it .
In the early days f purely instrumental music

o
R hythm was f just as much importance as it is now

o ,
as giving shape and comprehensibility to melody ;

but it was only used in the same manner as in the
dance or march f to day to mark accents with
o -
,
regularity The idea f using it in conjunction with

. o
the Melos as a means f expression as an appeal to

o , i
the imagination was not y t thought f All ex

, e o .
pression was made through harmony melody and ,
counterpoint which began to b cast in d efinite

,
e
rhythmical forms For R hythm i tsel f was as yet

.
in an early stage and continued to be so f another

,
o r
century With the eighteent h century came the

.
great S ebastian Bach He put t h crowning point

. e
on the labours f his predecessors and inaugurated

o
the modern school in which instruments are made

to appeal to the emotions in a way that was i m
possible i their earlier days With h i m Rh ythm
n .
is not m er ly a framework on which to build

e
h armonic and contrapuntal combinations but he ,
makes it more or less a li ing thing and greatly v ,
adds thereby to the power f instrumental music o .

R
Thus he starts a fugue subject and suddenly breaks

, ,
it ff d the audience has to carry on the Rhythm in

o , an
i m ginat ion through a silence f several be ts f the

a o a o
b as f instance in t h great Organ fugue in D

a r, , or ,
e
major and in some f his Clavichord fugues O .
Buxtehude and others had done this kind f thing o
be fore him but he enlarges and makes more use f

,
o
it In his violin music he writes in such a way that

.
accent and rhythm are driven home to the hearers

with him Rhythm begins to be a greater force than
before and to appeal to the intellect as w ll as the e
sense f order his instrumental music spe ks to

o : a
the sense f mystery and romance in human nature

o , ,
as in the Chromatic F n t sia or the Prelude in B a a ,
fl at minor f the first book f the Forty eight

o o
“ —
.
A fter Bach came Mo art and Haydn Their z .
work was with courts and their music reflects ,
the formality f courtly li fe Their R h yt hms are

o .
str ightforward and well b l anced Yet every now

a a .
and then they make daring excursions into unac

customed territory as f instance in the Minuetto
, ,
o r ,
f Mo art s G Major Quartet where he ups ts

'
o z ,
e
the accentuation by al t ernate loud and so ft notes .
H ydn indeed sometimes pl ys rhythmical pranks

a , , a
with his audience li fe is not to be all serious ;

:
it must have its humorous side even in such ,
solemn music as the quar t et and symphony .
Then came Beethoven who brought with him ,

INTRODU CTO RY 1 1
music that was to strike deeper into human con

i than any that had gone be fore In
s c o u s n es s .
place f the well polished periods f Mo art and

o —
o z
Hayd he indulges i smashing and astonishing

n, n
discords upsets the regular order f thi gs by

, o n
unexpected f d by unlooked f silences

s o rz a n os , -
or .
Bach had us d the silent measures but he could

e
,
not use f because on the organ and h p i

’
s o rz o n o o s , ar s
chord they were impossible and in the orchestra ,
they would not have been understood by his players .
Moreover to Bach Music was an innocent recre tion

,
a
to Beethoven it was bound up with all the passions

and energies that found their outlet in the French
R evolution the point f view had changed
: o .
With the desire f greater powers f xpression o r o e
there went a gradual improv ment in instruments e .
In response to the demand f a more expressive or
keyed instrument the pianofort came into existence

,
e
during the eighteenth century and its power f ,

o
light d shade and more specially perhaps its

an ,
e
capability f accent ca sed it to supersede the

o ,
u
harpsichord The Viol tribe with their weak tone

.
,
and their frets which inter fered with a perfect

intonation had been gradually ousted by the f
,
ar
more capable and vigoro s violins The clumsy u .
old cornet and shawm with their faulty and ,

un
certain tuning disappeared and the clarinet which

,
: ,
is practically coeval with the piano forte added a ,

1 2 HYTHM OF MODE RN M U S I C
R
new voice to the orchestra f gr at expressive ,

o e
value Improvements went on in the remaini g

.
n
instrum nts and by the beginni g f the nine t eenth

e ,
n o
century the increase f capaci t y f xpression made o o r e
possibl the m usic f a Beethoven and a S chubert

e o .
With the improvemen t s in the ins t r ments came also u
an advanc in t h intelligence f th ir players and

e e o e , ,
what was f more impor t nce the outlook on music

o a ,
began to change Music in i t high st sens was . s e e,
no longer to be a ple sant pas time f t h rich a or e
wi t h its newly acquired po w r f d and e o cres cen o
d i mi d d more particul rly

nuen o,f accent it
an a o ,
became a pow rful means f stirri g the soul in a e o n
way that had never been possible be fore Only the .
organ rem i ed accen tl ss and must ever r main so

a n e ,
e
and f this reason the great composers neglected

o r
it in favour f the pi no forte o a .

1
The new style th t f making music appeal as , a o
a great t as an expression f noble thoughts w

ar , o , as
shown by Beethove and S chubert to be possible n .
The composers be fore t hem were as lo fty min d ed

and as devoted to ideals as t hey were but the ,
ideals f art in their d y w ere t so advanced

o a no .
1
To o v erco me t hi d i ffi l y d
s cu t a o u ble~ ba ss i s so m et m es i use d
w t ih th e o rga n in F h h h
ren c c u rc es . Wi i n d n s t ru m e n ts s h a re
to a c ert a n i e x te n t th e wan t o f a cc en t h ; en c e o ne so me
t im es s e es a do ub l e- ba s s in a En gli h M ili s t a ry B an d, fo r
s tr nig e d i n s t r u m en t s ca n g iv e m o re a c c en t a nd a tta c k h t an an
y
o th ers .
INT RODU C TO RY 3 1
To Bach as we have said it was a pleasant

, , re
creation to Mo art and Haydn it was a luxury

,
z
fo r courtly circles and that they ga e f their , v o
best to supply this luxury is evidence that their

audiences desired the best thing f its kind that o
existed Beethove n took a di fferent view f the

. o
art f music To him it was no longer a

o .
pleasant recreation only but a living force a thing , ,
that by penetrating deep down into the soul

will stir in it noble thoughts and help us to dis ,
like what is evil Handel being congratulated

.
, o n
on the noble entertainment the people f

” “
o
Dublin had enjoyed in his Messiah ga e back “

,
v
the answe I m sorry i f I have only entertained

r,
“
a
them I hoped to do them good What Handel

:
”
.
tried to do y and has done with his Messiah

,
a e, , ,
by wedding fine music to an inspiring text Beet ,
hoven succeeded in doing hrough instru m ents alone t
and in so doing he raised music to a height that

it had never be fore attained in the world s history ’
.
For never have instruments however pleasing they ,
were in the past been capable f stirring the inmost

,
o
feeling as they have done since the beginning f o
the nineteenth century .
A very large part f this newly acquired power o
is due to R hythm From being an element which .
creates a desire to dance or to march and from ,
being a mere means f formal construction Rhythm o ,

R
has now been brought to bear on the moral side

o f our nature and has taken its place as the equal
,
o f Melody and Harmony in expressive power ,

.
Rhythm has t w sides The first and most o .

,
obvious is that in which the interest is centred on

,
5 the
~
individual notes which follow one another in ,
some noticeable manner in some rhythmical figure , ,
which awakens in us feelings f energy or pleasure o ,
or excitement This side f R hythm has al w ays

. o
been in use and is found in a m ore or less m arked

,
degree in some part f every composition f i o , or n
stance i the opening f the slow movement f

, n o o
Beethoven s S eventh S ymphony In a case like

’
.
this the Rhythm is a more important element f o
e pression than the Melos In the movement t

x . o
which we re fer the M los consists largely f the

,
e o
reiteration f a single note with various harmonies

o
below it it is the rhythmic l figure that gives the

: a
passage its powerful expression .
The other side f R hythm is the more intel o
lectu l the less obvious ; i t is that in which the

a ,
phrases are f unexpected lengths or are divide d in

o ,
some particular way so that it requires some mental

,
effort on the part f the listener to understand w hat

o
the composer is aiming at But when th effort .

e
has been made the di ff culty overcome and the

, i
,
music has become familiar the listener not only ,
finds a delight in the artistic structure f such o

INT RODU CTO RY 5 I
passages but his intellect has been braced up and

,
re freshed by the e ff ort that it has been called upon

to make No music that aims at merely being a
.
pleasant easy pastime can make much use f this o
side f R hythm only those who are in earnest can

o
use or appreciate it The greatest exponent f it

. o
up to the pres nt is Brahms and hence we have

e ,
drawn u pon him f our examples rather more

or
than on other composers We believe that Brahms .

,
following the direction begun by Beethoven and ,
S chubert has advanced the art f R hyth m on its

,
o
intellectual side beyond the point at which they

arrived ; that he has in fact continued their work
, ,
in its natural course and in this he is being followed

,
by some f the younger composers

o .
At present and it may be always the

,
four bar ,
-
phrase in its man y varieties must continue to be

, ,
the normal rhythmical struct re since it is the one u ,
that requires the least mental e ffort and therefore ,
allows the composer to appe l to his audience a
through the Melos and through the other side

,
o f R hythm the note arrangement We always

,
-
.
expect music to fall into four bar phrases or “ -

, ,
w hat is practically the same thing into pairs f ,

o
bars and when this structure is departed from

:
the uncul t ured listener is pu led and the cultivated

zz ,
is pleased with the novel e ffect .
Th e painter has the advantage over the musician

1 6 HYTHM OF MODE RN MU S I C
R
in that his work is sel f contained and needs -

,
no
collaboration with anoth r artist to introduce it to e
the public This is not the case with the musician

.
.
When he has conceived work f art and written a o
it down on p per it has to pass t hro gh t h hands

a ,
u e
o f a second ar t ist or f sev ral o t h rs in order ,

o e e ,
to be represented The painter speaks f hims l f .

or e
through himsel f t h musician h to speak through

,
e as
th ag ncy f other min d s

e e o .
Is it possible f any executant or conductor to o r
give an ex ct r production f a composition as it

a e o
was conceived in the brain f composer ? It is o a
a well k ow fact th t no tw persons can describ

—
n n a o e
alike any event f which they have both been o
witness s f no two p rsons see it alike and each

e ,
or e ,
d scribes it accordi g t his personal experience

e n o .
The personal elemen t f the conductor or o ex ecu
t nt must to some extent influence his interpretation

a
o f what he conceives to be the composer s ide l ’

a
inde d he e sometimes even improve upon i t A

ca n .
violin sonat or concerto f ex mple may be

a, ,
or a ,
much improved in its phrasing i f submitted to a

skilled violinist who brings expert knowledge f
, o
his instrument to bear on the composer s work and ’
conversely per former who has not t h power f

,
a e o
putting himsel f into sympathy wi t h the composer s ’
ideas may r in the e ff ect f the work ; thus the

,
u o
composer is always more or less at the mercy f his o

INT RODU CTO RY 7 1
interpreters Many composers cannot interpret their

.
own music satisfactorily We were once present at .
the rehearsal f a new and important work which

o ,
was to be conducted by th composer Things went e .
very badly the orchestr d the composer with

: a an ,
the best intentions in the world could not under ,
stand one another At last a famous conductor who

.
,
was amongst those invited to the rehearsal o ff ered ,
to take the b aton whereupon all di fficulty vanished

,
everyone was pleased with the per formance and ,
most f all the composer himsel f as one could see

o ,
by his miling face

s .
The interpretation f a composition is the necessary

o
sequel to the work f composi g it and a genuine

o n ,
understanding f the principles f rhythm whether

o o ,
natural or acquired is f the greatest importance to

,
o
a conductor or executant How o ften do we hear .
executants f the highest degree f technical skill

o o ,
who play every note and every shade f expression o
correctly but who yet leave us with the feeling th t

,
a
something is wanting ? We say perhaps that the

touch is hard or unsympathetic or there is no character ,
in the playing The fault is often that the delicate

.
expression which a sensitive feeling f rhythm will or
bring out is wanting Perhaps the accents are not

,
.
su ffi ciently marked perhaps they are too much in

:
evidence in either case the per formance will not

:
give us quite the amount f pleasure that the com o
B
1 8 HYTHM R OF MODE R N MU S I C
position is capable f giving Perhaps th phrasing o .

e
is not fl i tly obse ved or perhaps it is over

su
f
i c en r ,
done Here again we shall feel a cert in monotony

.
,
a
in the one c se or oversentimentalism a

the
,
an in
other The sense f rhythm which when

.
l o ,
u n cu
ti t d is pleased with the reiter ted b nging

va e
f a a o
a d um is in the highly cultured amateur or

r ,
musici n so delicat e tha t it feels every

a n ua nce,
though probably not one ama t eur in ten can say

ex ctly why this conductor or this player pleases him
a
and t hat one does not .
The great interpreters f instrumental music are o
those who can most nearly enter into the composer s ’
ideals or can even improve upon them and who

, ,
a re able to give delicacy or force f accentuation a o
and phrasing which it is outside the possibility f

,
o
notatio to xpress This is what is meant by givi g

n e . n
a reading f a composition The days f cold

“ ”
o . o
classical p r formances f great works are p ti

”
e o ra c
c lly over The executant or conductor now seeks to

a .
stir the deeper emotions f the audi nce and to do o e
so he must pay homage to t h artist who conceiv d e e
the work by interpreting it with enthusi sm and a
warmth tempered by a intellectual appreci tion f

, n a o
its rhythmical as well as its melodic possibilities .

C H APTE R II
Accen t —
Pro se, P o etry a nd Mus i c— M ea s u rem en t o f T m e— i Th e
M ea su re an d th e P o et i c Fo o t —
T h e P er i o d —
Fu n c t io ns o f
t h e tw o h h
R yt m s i n a P er i o d —
P h i ra s n g i n So n g -
Ph i ra s n g
'
in I n s t ru m en ta M u sl i c— Th e C ae s u ra —
T em po fi
D u ple an d
il h h
Tr p e R yt m s pec es M a s c u n e a n d Fem
-
i —
li i i n ne i
en d n g s
i i
T m e- S g n a t ures Th e Ba r D i aares i s
— —
SP EE C H Music in order to be intelligible

and , ,
must be subjecte d to the contrast which A ccent.
arises through the alterna tion f accented and o
unaccented factors and these must in their turn , , ,
be disposed in short easily recognisable groups in , ,
order that the mind may understand each idea as

it is presented .
In spoken language the individual words e made ar
intelligible by the stress or accent which singles out

certain syllables from the rest and ideas are ex ,
pressed by groups f words called S entences A o ,

.
Prose sentence becomes unintelligible i f it is too

long and the competent speaker or writer is he who
,
knows how to group his words into sentences which

clearly express his ideas and at the same time have ,
a due sense f balance and proportion one to

o
another .
20 HYTH M OF MODE RN MU S I C
R
A w ll proportioned grouping
e —
f the units by o
p m p m,
ra ,
which ideas are expressed and connected
o “
”d B1 m /
together in a whole is the foundation f
“
,
o
the R hythmical A t and Prose is much infl enced r , u
by a feeling f Rhythm on the part f the speaker

o r o
or wri t er The proportion between its sentences

.
is not made by rule but lies with the author who , ,
allots an approximately relative time to the i d i n
vidual sentences In Po try on the contrary the. e , ,
time occupi d by each V erse is more nearly related

e
to that occupied by its n ighbours than is the case e
with prose sentences ; and in Music the time

relations are theore t ic lly xact f upon this a e ,
o r
depends the in t lligibility f a series f sounds e o o
which are uttered independently f ideas conveyed o
by w ords S subtle is the A t f Music that the

. o r o ,
undu lengthening or shortening f a single note will

e o
sometimes alter the whole character f a phrase o .
Time lik S pace and Distance only becomes

,
e ,
M m m m appreciable to our senses when brought

a
-
into measure f some kind and R h yt hm o
may be defined as th measuring f the Time e o
occ pied in the performance f certain f the

u o o
Fine A rts in such a manner as to render the

A t material concerned intelligible and interesting
r -
to our artis t ic sense .
Our powers f measuring Time w ithout m h i

o ec an
cal assistance are exceedingly limited No one f .

,
or
MEAS U REMENT OF TIME 21
example by single taps on a table could measure ff

,
o
intervals f so short a duration as three seconds each

o ,
unless he were to mentally divide up the space

between the taps by counting or by imagining lesser ,
taps between thos that are heard Out f this

e . o
limitation f our sense f time measurement arises

o o
the need f the alternation f accented and

or o un
accented sounds w hether produced by voices or

,
instruments The accented sounds serve to divide

.
the time occupied by the A t material into definite r -
portions but the accented sounds themselves are

,
only rendered appreciable by being alternated with f
the contrasting unaccented sounds A d [j . n s n ce an i

unbroken succession f alternately accented and
o un
accented sounds i music would quickly become as

n
unintelligible as a lengthy prose sentence without

punctuation it is necessary to arrange the divisions
,
o f time formed by the combinations f accented and o
unaccented sounds in groups corresponding to the ,
S entences f Prose and the V erses f Poetry

o , Into o .
such groups called R hythms or Phrases all Music

, , ,
is divided ; and the words R hythm and Phrase mean

'
exactly the same thing For the sake f avoiding

. o
const nt repetition f either word we use them

a o ,
i ndi ff erently in this book .
Our ability to recognise the measurement f time o
is not only limited in the direction f length With o .
regard to brevity we are equally limited and as the , ,

R
unaided y cannot perceive the details in micro

e e
scopic objects so there is a limi t to the capacity f

,
o
the ear to distinguish the ccentual details f notes a o
‘succeeding one another with extreme rapidity .
Hence in the individual notes f the shake the

,
o ,
t m l
re f the violin or piano forte in
o o o i t
,
a cc zzca ure,
and in extremely r pid scale or a peggio passages f a r o
an ornamental nature the ear perceives no relatio ,

n
o f accent and non accent and such passages are as —
, ,
f rhythm is concerned in no way di ff erent from

ar a s ,
sustained notes If rhythm exists in connection .
wi th them as it lmost invariably does it is made

,
a ,
perceptible by something exterior such as changes ,
o f harmony accompanying melodies accents i t

, ,
n en
ti lly give to single notes or by other means ;

o na n ,
and the rhythmical e ff ect f such passages would o
remain precisely the same i f we played them W ithout

the ornaments .
Hence it will be seen that the t f rhythm ar o
has to do with marking ff short portions f time o o
into R hythms and we divide th e R hyt hm

“ ”
,
” “
into units by alternations f accented and unaccented o
notes .
The unit formed by single accented note toge ther a
w ith i t accompanying unaccented note or notes is

s
,
called a Meas re u .
The Unit f Poetry formed by the combination

o ,
o f a single accented with one or more unaccente d

THE ME AS U RE AN D POETI C FOOT 3 2
syllables is called a Foot or Th Verse

-"
, e
consists f the union f several Fe et, T, M

o o
8
w hich are generally printed as a single ! n P i o ne t e oet c
PM
line Two V erses combined make a
.
C ouplet and larger combinations form a S trophe

,
or S tan a When ideas are expr ssed in Verses

z .
1
e
e said to be brought into Metre .
T Foot f Poetry is limited to two or three o
syllables but the Measure f Music may be sub

, o
divided by notes f small time value to an almost o -
unli mited extent and with an infinite variety f ,

o
arrangement The capacity f the Music l Measure

. o a
f subdivision makes the study f R hythm more

or o
complicated than that f Metre and at the same time o ,
opens up f the composer an unlimited source f

or o
expression apart from the resources f Harmony

,
o ,
C ounterpoint and other tech ical details ,

n .
7 Music has a construction analogous in many ways

‘ ’
to that f Poetry Thus two or more Tn P i d

o .
,
e er o .
R hythms like two or more V erses form a Period

, , ,
and a complete composition consists f a number f o o
Periods The Period consists normally f an even

. o
balance f two R hythms but it is by no means con

o ,
fined to this form ; on the contrary in large works ,
there is more variety perhaps in the Periods than in , ,
the Rhythms f which they are composed and it is o ,
1 I n H ym n o l o gy, bo t h in E ng a nd l an d G erm a n y, th e S tro p h e
is u s ua lly w ro n g ly ll ca ed a V ers e
”
.
24 HYTHM O F MODE RN M U S IC
R
sometimes almost impossible to say that a Period

ends here or here so much do they melt into one
, ,
another by ways that will be duly explained .
Attempts have been made to ca ry the analogy r
further by dividing composi t ions into S trophes li ke

, ,
those f Poetry but with this view we do not agr e

o ,
e .
The construction f R hythms and to a lesser extent

o , , ,
that f the Periods is ll that is required f

o a or an
intelligent understanding f the aims f the com o o
poser and further nalogy with the sister art f

, a o
Poetry only renders more complicated a subject

already su ffi ciently intric te It will be a . o ur en
d to explain the theory f modern Rh ythm

ea v o ur o
in as simple a manner as possible avoiding th e use ,
Of special technical terms except in so f as they

( “
ar
are absolutely necess ry It will have been noticed a .
that the word R hythm h to be appli ed in two as
senses first to the group f Measures correspondi ng

, o
to the V erse and secondly in a gene al sense

, r ,
s p d i
co rres
g to the term Me tre f the sister
on n t o ar .
The context will gener lly show in whi h sense we a c
use the word but to avoid ambiguity we shall

, , ,
wherever possible refer to the group as a R h ythm

,
,
with a capital R and use the word in the other

,
sense without the capit l letter a .
The f nction f the first Rhythm f a norm al

u o o
Period is to enunciate an idea ; that f the second o

,
to complete to confirm to enlarge upon or to

, , ,
TWO R HYTHM S IN A PE RIOD 2 5
comment on the idea expressed in the first .
This fundamental form f Period in t w F i f o ,

o unct on: i
portions is one f the ol d est art forms Rny l i

,
n
o —
t e tw o
t znt t n
known The whole f Hebrew Poetry P i d

. o ,
a er o .
as well as that f the Egyptians is founded on

o ,
it and grammarians have in all ages recognised

,
it as a fundamental for m f Prose sentences or .
Hence the modern Musical Period f two equal , o
portions satisfies a feeling that is evidently deeply

,
seated in the human mind and the more simply ,
and definitely it is constructed t h more easy , e
is it to understand and the more popular is the

”
,
music likely to be .
Though the two rhythm Period and the fou -

, r
measure R hythm must ever b the prevailing form

, e ,
a composer f a high degree f cultivation o ften

o o
requires to express his ideas in more subtle forms ,
both f Period and Rhythm ; and the more music

o
advances and the higher the intellectual capacity f

, o
th audiences the more complicated wi ll be these

e ,
forms It is more especially with the elaboration

.
o f th Period and R hythm as practised by modern

e ,
musicians that we shall ende vour to deal in th

,
a e
course f our work and we shall h Op to sho w that

o , e
these elaborations and complications not due to a re
a desire to do something out f the common but o ,
are the genuine art expressions in highly civilised a
and complicated condition f society o .

R
A singer is compell d by the necessity f taking e o
Ph i g ias n
breath to break up his m lody into shorter
n ,
e
or longer sections and in this matter he is ,
assisted by certain rules that have arisen as the result

of experience The single verse f poetry is looked
. o
upon as the normal amount that can be com fortably

recited or sung in a single breath and it has been ,
thought that the need f renewing the breath first o r
suggested the arrangement f words in verse form o .
In the simplest form f song the V erses coincide with o
the Rhythms f the m lody and the breath will o e ,
there fore be taken b tween the R hythms If f e . or
any reason breath must be taken wi t hin the V erse or

R hythm the singer will avoid doing it in the middl e
,
o f a wor d f th t would make nonsense he wi ll

, or a :
likewise avoid doing it at the beginning f a b o a r,
according to an empirical rule having its origin in ,
m th ti reasons
s e c He w ill choose i f possible .
1
, , a
punctuation sign in the text as a plac f renewing e or
his breath and wi ll i f he is intelligent make a virtue

, , ,
o f the necessity imposed on him by nature by using ,
it as a very powerful means f rendering h i song o s
interesting and attr ctive A d all this applies not a . n
only to the singer f high class music but also to o -

,
the performer f the most trivi l f songs in order

o a o :
to attract the attention f his audience the music o ,
1
B eca us e of th e w ea k n ess i
a s so c a t e d w ih
t t h e e tremex fo rm
o f th e Fem i n nei E nd i n
g .
PH RAS ING 7 2
hall singer finds it equally necessary with the singer

o f classical music to study the most e ff ective arrange
ment f his breathing places
o —
.
To the instrumentalist the C sura or cutting ae ,
o ff f the melody is equivalent to the a

o ,
i g i t n n
mml
renewal f breath to the singer and fi
o
zzz , ,
equally with the singer he can render T/ C mm ,

ze o
his music intelligible or unintelligible artistic ,
or inartistic feeble or vigorous according to the

, ,
manner in which he manages his C esuras Not a .
that a brilliant and correct execution or a beauti f l ,

u
touch or a sympathetic expression f the notes will

,
o ,
not attract ; but i f to all these there is added an

intellectual phrasing the performance will gain in
,
expression to an extent that can hardly be realised

by those who have not thought f the matter ‘
o .
What is it that compels us to listen to one artist ,
that makes his per formance go through us as it were , ,
while another playing the same composition with

, ,
perhaps better mechanical skill will scarcely move ,
us or will even weary us ? The di ff erence lies

,
chiefly in the power f giving effect to the rhythm

o
through the phrasing ; and this power arises either

from the innat rhythmical feeling f the per former
e o ,
or fro m a ca e fully cultivated insight into the secrets

r
o f how rhythmical e ff ects are brought about .
Wh at we have said refers more especially to

performers on keyed instruments Nature imposes .
R
on them no necessity f cutting their music up into or
phrases They can play a piece from beginning to

.
end without a break i f they are so disposed and ,
their listeners finding no resting places f the,

“
or
mind ” as a quaint old German writer expresses it

, ,
are wearied with the strain or cease to be interested ,

.
With violinists and with the whole t ibe f wind ,

r o
instruments the case is the s me as with th voice

,
a e
the limitations f the bow force the violinist to adopt

o
some kind f phrasing and when we peak f his

O ,
S O
”
bowing we really refer to his phrasing W ind .
players are f course under the same necessity f

,
o ,
or
renewing their breath as vocalists and the conductor ,
of an orchestra sees that they make the best use f o
this necessity .
Musical R hythm is founded on the division f o
T mp Time into groups f Measures there

e o. o ,
being generally four Measures in each group .
But it may be said music varies very much

, ,
in the pace at which these Measures are taken

a group f four such units played l g f example
o a r o, o r ,
may occupy six or eight times th amount f time e o
that is t ken to perform a imil r group in a

a s a
p ti i m
ret mo ement How can both equa lly
u o v .
satis fy the rhythmical sense ?

It is undoubtedly possible to per form a properly
constructed melody so slowly as to eliminate the
sense f rhyth m or even i f it is maintained to
o , ,
,
TE M PO 29
produce insupportabl weariness Now it will be e .
observed that in very slow movements there is

always one or both f two things present either o :
the normal four measure R hythms are broken by -
C suras or by their harmonic construction into

ae , ,
groups f two or even f one Measure or

o , o ,
the Measures themselves are in some way divided

up into small notes In many cases these sub .
d ivisions form interesting little rhythmical figures

o f their own as f instance in the slow movement
,
or
o f Beethoven s Fourth S ymphony Here the

’
.
melody is in very slow notes which taken by them , ,
selves and without mentally dividing them would

, ,
be almost impossible to play i equal lengths but n :
the accompaniment is made up f a characteristic o
little rhythmical figure by which not only is our ,
demand f small time dimensions satisfied but the

or -
,
interest f the music is very greatl y increased

o .
The opposite extreme rapidity place f slow , in o
ness by shortening the time occupied in arriving at

,
the d f the rhythm produces the same kind f

en o ,
o
mental exhilaration as we feel when passing over the

ground at a very rapid pace as on a galloping horse , ,
f example
or .
Music makes use f two species f Measure o o
only amely,
n That in which the a 1 d,
1 . e an
time occupied by the accented portion M y , ”

o f the Measure is equal to that occupied t f s a f er.
R
by the unaccented portion This is called Duple .
Measure or Even Measure and may be p

, ,
re re
sented by any pair f notes f equal value it o o ,
being understood t hat the accented note may be

either the first or the second .
O
I
J ; d
l
d
!
JJ ;
l
J c : e tc .
2 That in which the relation f the accent d to

. o e
the unaccented portion f t h Measure is as two o e
to one g ,
e. .
,
I I l I
I !
A J o
i d
|
d
l
; ;
This is called Triple or Uneven Measure and the , ,
accent m y occur on th first or second or on t h

a e ,
e
third when the Measure is divided in t o three equal

,
parts .
For convenience we have here used the word

note to describe the accented and unaccented
”
,
portions f Measures but it must be understood

o :
that any portion f Meas re may be represented o a u
by a rest or by number f notes in place f the

,
a o , o
one here given I t will also sometimes be conve ient

. n
to llude to the Me sure portions as Times ” or

a a —
“
,
V lues ” instead f Notes

” ” “
a o .
It is f the utmost importance to be able to re fer

o
in gener l terms to the fundamental Time ” which

a
gives the name Duple or Triple respectively to the

Mea ure and fro m now onwards we shall dis
s ,
DUPLE AN D T RIPLE SPE C IE S 3 1
ti g i h
n between P i m y and S b d y Times
u s r ot n s z zcn
’ '
or Notes or Values The Primary Tim f any

,
. e o
Measure is the value f that note f which two go o o
to make up a Duple and three to make up a Triple ,
Measure respectively ; i f a Duple Measure contains

the value f example f two crotchets its Primary
,
or ,
o ,
Time will be the crotchet i f a Triple Measure con :
tains that f thre crotchets its Primary Time will

o e ,
likewise be the crotchet and the same applies to :
every other note valu so that the minim quaver —

e, , ,
etc can equally be Primary Times

.
, .
‘
Where the Primary Times f a Measure are divided o
into smaller values f any kind we shall giv these o e
values the general name f S ubsidiary notes or S b o ,

u
s i d i y values
ar For we base our Phrasing on the
.
Primary values f the Measures while the Subsidiary

o ,
notes have a function f their own which will be ex o ,
plained in due course A an example in D ple Time . s u .
I I are P m y Notes
0 d
r1 ar .
l I I are S ubsi d iary Notes

l —
J J i .
Our statement that there are only two kinds f o
R hythm species i not we know the orthodox view

-
s , ,
.
Theorists usually distinguish between Two time -

,
Three time Four time Five time and Si time

—
,
—
,
-
x-
rhythm explaining each in their turn For purely

,
.
scientific purposes this classification undoubtedly has

many advantages but by going so much into detail :
R
it seems to us that there is a danger not only f o
wearying the reader but f to some extent losing

,
o
sight f the sth tic value f the various forms f

o ae e o o
R hythm We hope by reducing its theory to tw

.
,
o
classes only and by looking on Four Five and S i

, ,
x
time R hythms as modifications f these two classes o ,
to keep the attention more on the m t h t i than on s e c
the mathematic l side f the question a o .
Measures are distinguish ble by their accents a .
R hythms are in the first instance made evident by

their harmonic closes in the second place by C suras
,
ae ,
and in the third by some feature f melodic or o
harmonic construction .
The character f a R hythm or Period is much

o
M m a”
a
a ffected by the nature
. f the Closes o
an d F i or C adences which mark the conclusion

'
ernt n ne
E d g
‘
f the phrase Masculine Close

n in "
o A .
is one in which the concluding chord f the o
cadence is heard on the accented portion f the o
final or the penultimate Measure f the phr e o as .
This chord may be repe ted or extended into the a
weaker part f the Measure but it makes no di ff er

o ,
e nce in the esthe t ic fl t the essence f a

a e
’
ec : o
Masculine ending is that the final chord is s truck

on the acce t whether it is repeated or not S uch
n , .
a Clo e gives force and strength to the phrase d

s
,
an
this is probably why it is called a Masculine Close ,
or Masculine Ending .
M ASC ULINE AN D FEMININE ENDINGS 33
Ex . 1 .
B T VN
EE HO E U A RT E T Op . 1 3 2 —
S E CO ND MO V M T) E EN .
Ma s c . i
en d n g e x ten d ed . Ma s c . i
en d ng .
A Feminine Close or Ending is one in which the

concluding chord f the cadence is del yed by o a a
suspension or other me ns so that it is not heard a ,
until after the accent as in Ex 2 ,

. .
B T VN
EE HO E
(O p .
F em i i
n i ne en d n
g .
34 HYTHM OF
R MODE R N MU SI C
It is supposed to give an e ff ect f tenderness or o
sentiment or f less vigour th n the Masculine

,
o ,
a
Ending d t h di fference i th in the two forms

an e n e
\
o s
of ending holds good f eve y kind f cadence o r o ,
whether perfect h l f deceptive etc ,

a , ,
.
Ex 3 . .
B RA H M S
(O p . 1 1 8, N o .
A n d a n te ten er a m en te .
Ma s cu li i
n e en d n g . F em ii
n n e en d ng . i
The movement from which Ex 3 is quoted is .
headed A d t t m t and i t frequent use f

n a n e en era en e, s o
the Feminine Ending fter the Masculine produces a a
p rticularly tender e ffect

a .
Cn o p m (O p . 2 4, No .
A lleg r o non t r oppo .
s o tto w ee . F em ii l
n n e c o s e.
M ASCULINE AN D FEMININE ENDINGS 3 5
A rarer form f Feminine Close producing as
o , ,
a rule a special e ff ect f languor is that in which

, o ,
the concluding chord is first heard on the final beat

O f a Triple bar as in Ex 4 ,
Here the R hythm . .
is divided into two portions by the incomplete Full

Close in Bar 2 d ends with a Full Close in B 4 ;
,
an ar
but in both cases the concluding chord f lls on the a
final beat f a bar C hopin uses this form f cadence

o . o
in all the repetitions f the phrase quoted but in o ,
the other phrases f the composition he employs

o
the more usual forms though he concludes the whole

,
with the extreme Feminine Ending .
A peculiarity f the Polonaise form is that its

o
Periods f the most part end with the extreme form

or
o f feminine c dencea A Polo n aise is not as

. rule ,
a ,
a la guorous yearning kind f composi t ion and it

n o ,
may well be asked how it can make use f the o
extreme form f Feminine Close which is usually

o ,
associated with this e ff ect and which is frequently ,
forbidden to young composers f this reason or .
Music delights in occasion l paradoxes and just a :
as a composer will o ften please us by dissonances

that seem to contravene all our preconceived ideas
of what is proper so we shall find that rhythmical
,
forms are o ften e ff ective in proportion as they are

unexpected .
The question f whether a piece f m sic is

o o u
fundamentally i Duple or Triple Measure m st

n u
R
not be entirely decid d by the Time S ignature but e ,
Ti m e
rather by the posi t ion f the C loses which o
Sifl m
a fu
mark the ends f Phrases and Periods ; o
fo r on the construction f the Phrase and Period is o
based the art f Rhythm The normal Phra is o . se
that which contains four Me ur s A Phrase may as e .

,
howe er contain three or five or six Measures

v , , ,
.
The number f six is only exceeded in isolated

o
cases where f instance Cadence is ex t e ded

, ,
o r ,
a n
beyond its ordinary propor t ions or the R hy t hm ,
is purposely made indefi i te or there is a long n ,
succession f repetitio s f a very short m otive

o n o ,
whose defini t e figure has the e ffect f breaking o
up such a length f phrase into small and easily o
understood port ions B t the norm l four measure . u a -
Phrase is frequently divided by a C sur or a Close ae a
into two equal por tions this division takes a very :
important place in most classical music and where ,
it occurs we h ll llude to the two m asure groups

s a a -
e
as Hal f rhythms —
.
We mus t then base our conception f Duple or o
Triple R hythm species on the Phrase without —

,
re
g rding the number f notes in th i dividual

a o e n
Measure or the manner in which they are dis

,
tributed The relation f the S pecies to t h Time

.
o e
S ignatures may b explained follows e as
The S ignatures C 3 al ways sed in , 4, a re u
connection with Duple Measure .

TIME SIGN ATU RE S 37
A Bar may contain the value f one such Measure o ,
h h
R yt m o f 4 M ea s u res .
— J
c J JJJ J JJJ J J
lC o se
m a rk ig
n en d o f R hy h mt .
In this case w ll the Bars S imple It will be

e ca .
observed that in numbering the Measures we place ,
the number over the ccented note f the individuala o
Measure whether the Measure begins with an

,
accented or unaccented note .
A Bar may contain two Duple Measures as ,
I st h h
R yt m . 2n d h h
R yt m
I
2 3 4 I 3 4
I I I I I
C JJ JJ J JJ
l C o s e.
‘
J J J J J J J J
C o se l
f Rh hm i
.
E nd o yt . E n d o f P er o d .
In this case we call it a Compound Bar .
Or more rarely the single Bar may contain as

many as four Measures as in the A ndante f , o
Beethoven s Q uartet in B flat Op 3 0 in which all

’
,
. 1 ,
the Full Closes occur on the fou th crotchet f the r o
bar .
I st h
R yth m . a nd h
R yt h m .
I| l r
i
i 4
m
—
1 i 1
11 n a
; n ba
C l o s e. C l o s e. E nd of i
P er o d .
38 HYTHM O F MO DE RN MU S I C
R
The S ign tures having 3 t heir Numer tor are

a as a
gener lly used i connection wi t h Triple Measure

a n
but occ sion lly as in Ex 5 with Duple

a a ,
.
,
.
B RA H M S
(O p . 1 1
9, N o .
A n da
'
n t zn o em p o co a gi ta te . Ist h h
R yt m . zu d Rh yth m .
P s o tto vo t e e d o lee .
Ha f l l c o s e.
ignatures h ving 6 their Numerator

S used
a a s a re
equ lly f Duple d Triple Me su e Thus

a or an a r .
xs t h h
R yt m . 2nd h h
R yt m .
2 4 1 2
-JL
J
‘ r
a t . “ J N l.‘
C o sel C l
h h i
. o s e.
E n d o f R yt m . E nd o f P er o d .
shows two R hy t hms o f Triple Measu e the B rs r , a
being compound .
But
T IME S IGNATU RE S 39
shows one R hythm f Duple Measure in which o ,
the accented and unaccented h lves f the measures a o
are each sub divided into three portions and the

-
,
Bars are simple S uch a rhythmical scheme is often

.
in d icated by the signature and each hal f measure

is then written as a triplet S Ex 3 page . ee . 2, 1 20 .
This will appear more clear when we come to the

explanation f Primary and S ubsidiary R hythm
o .
S ignatures with 9 as their Numerator lways a re a
connected with Triple and those having 2 will , 1 ,
indicate Duple or Triple according to the position ,
o f the C loses .
It is cus t omary to look upon the Bar as the unit

o f R hythm as the equivalent f the Foot Tfi B
,
o e a r.
o f Poetry ; but this is misleading f although the , o r
Bar is o ften f the same v lue as the Measure the

o a ,
two things rarely actually coincide A indis . n
criminate re ference to the B as i f it were a ar
Measure an unit f R hythm leads to certain mis

,
o ,
underst ndings Thus owing to the prominence in

a .
,
print f the Bar line it is often convenient to refer

o —
,
to a short section f a composition as beginning oro
ending with such and such bars But a R hythm .

,
or Phrase rarely begins and still more rarely ends

,
at a Bar line and unless a young musician is gi fted

—
with a strong rhythmical instinct or has been well ,
trained in the art f Phrasing a constant referenceo ,
to th Bar rather than the Phrase may lead him to

e
R
look upon groups f Bars as rhythmic l sections to o a ,
the detriment f intell igent phr sing Th t musico a . a
gains enormously in signific nce by recognition f a o
its Phrases as distinguished from groups f B rs o a ,
we shall hope to show in the course f this work o .
It is possible t h t much f the misunderst nding a o a
th t le ds to hostility tow rds new and un familiar

a a a
works f gre t merit is in no sm ll degree due to

o a ,
a
an in dequate appreci tion f the unconven t ional

a a o
rhythmic l forms frequently made use f by modern

a o
compos rs On th d l pm t f rh yt hm in
e . e
_
ev e o en o
this dir c tion w b elieve t h mu c f t h nex t

e e e 31 o e
f w ge ra t ions is d s tin d to
e ne dv nce qui t e as e e a a ,
much as on the d v lopment f i t other rtistic e e o s a
resources .
The Bar is a short section f music contained o
between tw Bar lines The function f the Bar

o —
. o
lines is to show where th ccents are to be pl ced e a a ,
not to mark rhythmic l uni t s These are shown by a .
slurs rests harmonic or melodic construction and

, , ,
also by Closes A well tr ined ear finds no di fficulty

.
-
a
in the matter and the intelligence f a performer

, o
is shown by his treatment f th phrasing ” In o e .
these l tter d ys composers are f more

a a fi l than ar ca re i
their predecessors to indicate as exactly as is possible

in print how they wish their music to be phr sed
, a .
The older composers le ft their music more or less

to the mercy f editors and performers wi th some
o
,
THE BA R 4 1
ti m es almost ludicrous results in the hands f o
inexperienced amateurs .
The Bar di ff ers from the Measure in several

w ysa While the Bar must begin with its accented
1 .
portion the Measure m y begin with its accented

,
a ,
or its un ccented portion or with any part f either

a ,
o
portion .
13 x . 6 .
B RA H M S (Op . 1 1 7, N o .
Mea s ure . Mea s ure .
m o lto p , e s o tto
In Ex 6 the composer has c re fully slurred the

.
{ 5
a
a
single Measures in such w y as to m ke one a a a
quarter f each come before the Bar line and three

o -
,
quarters after it The quarter that precedes the .
Bar line forms the Anacrusis ( word which will be

-
a
presently xplained) and the Me sures though equal

e ,
a ,
to the Bars as to their Time value do not coincide -

,
with them since each Me sure occupies portions f

,
a o
two successive Bars .
2 The Measure though commencing with the

.
,
accent may be as we have already seen f less

, , ,
o
value than the Bar .

42 R HYTHM OF MODE R N MU S I C
B RA H M S (O p .
7 6, N o .
Mea s ure . M ea s ure . Mea s ure . Mea s u re .
Ba r . Fem ii n ne E nd ig
n .
In Ex 7 th Feminine Ending in t h second Bar

.
, e e
shows the end f the firs t R hythm whose four o ,
Me sures only occupy two Bars

a .
3 A single Mea ure m y be

. f gre ter value s a o a
than the single B though this is rarely the case a r, .
Ex . 8 .
B RA H M ( QU NT T
S I E Op .
M ea s u re . M ea s ure . Mea s ure . Mea s ure .
Meas ure .
In Ex a P riod f 3 t ime Measures is suc

. 8, e o
d d by a Period
c ee e f Measures though f o
,
o r
the sake f its proper ccentuation t h composer

o a e
writes time Bars The si gle Measur is here

2
7; . n e
there fore f the valu f two Bars f 1 time

o e o o
)
.
The Measures may absolutely coincide with the

THE BAR
bars in every respect but this is rare and is as a , , ,
rule only used f specially languid e ffects as in

,
o r ,
Ex 9 It generally involves the use f feminine

. . o
closes and this kind f

, o
B RA H M S
(O p . 1 1 6, N o .
A n d a n te .
coincidence f Bar and Measure is the only case

o
to which the expression Four bar R hythm or ” “

—
“
Three bar R hythm and so on is strictly ppli
” —
, ,
a
cable .
The idea that the Bar and the Measure are the
same thing is however very prevalent the tyranny
, ,
:
o f the Bar h ving made itsel f felt more or less ever

a
since its introduction from the Tablatures into th e
S ta ff Notation some three centuries ago Hence .
the word Anacrusis to be treated in the next chapter , ,
is convenient in connection with the construction f o
the Measure .
In 3 ( or g) time the accentuation f the notes

.
, o
is sometimes temporarily changed so that fD i i ,

eereo e.
44 HYTHM OF MODE R N M US I C
R
-
ins t ead f I I i m w h ve m m r f a
o
0 0
—
0 0 0
e a
0 0 0
—
0
i or
time follow d by a r t urn to t h orm l ccentua

,
e e e n a a
t ion . This mos t useful device which is constan tly ,
a pplied in mod rn music may be conv iently

e ,
en
alluded to a C h nge f Di resis t h word

as
“ ”
a o ae ,
e
Di resis me ning the distribution f o t es ccording

ae a o n a
to their cc n tu tion t h arrangemen t f the otes

a e a , e o n ,
i
n a giv n pass ge f melody or harmony
e a o .
C H APTE R III
Th e An a c rus i s h
h h
P reli m i n a ry M ea s u res —
T he O v l R yt m
er a
p
—
l M i Th F b P h
ess us c— ei o u r- ar ra s e— Acc en t s , s tr u c k o r o m t t ed
Rh y h m i l A
t i a h M ca i l f w hi h Rhy h m i
c c en t u a t o e a t er a o c t s
f m d Di f
or eRh y h m i l S h m
—
d im l
ere n t ly t ca c e es us e s u t a n eo us
Th T h Ki d
e f A i Syll bi d M li m i
ree n s o c cen t ua t o n — a c an e s at c
S g Rh y h m w i hi
on —
Rhy h m t s t n t s
A R H YT H M may commence as we have seen with , ,
an accented note or with an un ccented T3 ,

a ,
note or with a gro p f unaccented

,
u o
notes When it commences wi t h unaccented or

. an ,
with a group f naccented notes the note or group o u ,
that preced s the first accent h been given the e as
name f A nacrusis by modern Rh yth m i i t from

o c s s,
d d p
v x a term used in anci nt Greek poetry ;
o vcr t s
,
e
and as this very use ful word is rapidly becoming

familiar to students f R hythm w have no hesi o ,
e
t ti
a o ni using it in this work
n .
The A nacrusis gives to the Measure what has

been called a Rising Accentuation that is to “ ”
say the material rises to its accent instead f falling

, , o
from it S uch an arrangemen t helps to make the

.
phrase vigorous and compels the at t ention f the ,

o
46 HYTHM OF M ODE RN MU S I C
R
auditor It is f great m th t i value and will

. o s e c ,
rarely be found absent in classical compositions ,
unless th y are distinctl y intended t be f a very

e o o
repose f l soothi g nature The A nacrusis does

u ,
n ,
.
not necessarily make its first appearance with the

opening f the movement thus in Ex
o the : ,
. 1 0
first m sure has no A acrusis but in the firs t

ea n ,
bar the i form f m sure commences

a n a c ru s c o ea ,
being indicated by the slur which joins the last

n ote f this bar to the first f t h n xt The
o o e e .
last no t e f the first bar therefore forms an integral

O
part f the seco d measure bei g its A nacrusis

o n ,
n ,
a nd this construc t ion f t h measures co tinues to o e n
the las t bar f the period It recomm nces with

o . e
the seco d measure f the second period d will

n o ,
an
be found t predominate t hroughout the piece and

o :
in some places the composer impresses it forcibly

by the f d s o rz a n o.
Ex . 1 0.
B RA H M S (O p . 1 1 6, N o .
1 st h h
R yt m .
An a e . Ana c . A na c .
THE A NA CR USI S 47
a nd h h
R yt m .
An a c . An a c .
The s cond piece in the same coll ction (Op 6 )

e e . 1 1
the Interm o in A minor from which Ex 9 is

ez z ,
.
quoted has no A nacrusis throughout its course

,
.
The moveme t is f a reposeful char cter d

n o a ,
an
its measures are accordingly f the F lling o a
order .
A due appreci tion f the value f the A acrusis

a o o n
is f the greatest importance f a good rendering

o or
o f classical music By its me ns not only do man y

. a
well known passages gain very greatly in e ffect but

—
,
others that m y seem obscure will often become clear

a
and interesting i f they can be played with an b

,
o s er
vance f the A nacrusis It is remarkable f i

o .
, o r n
stance h w f w pia is t s understand the significance

,
o e n
o f the first hal f bar f t h Finale f the Fun ral

—
o e o e
March S onata The pass g is nearly always played

. a e
as i f it commenced with an accent t hus ,
But the first hal f bar is an - A nacrusis which gives

,
R
rising accentu tion instead f falli g and i f the

a o n ,
phras is pl y d thus
e a e
M ea s ure . M ea s ure .
A n a c ru s i s.
the closes w ill fall in t h ir right places d t h e ,

a n e
p ss g w ill sound rhythmically correc t in t h other

a a e : e
c se i t sounds me ningless mor espec i lly as it is

a a , e a
in R hythms f t hree measures ach which r quire

o e ,
e
sp ci l care to b com e ffec tive

e a e e .
In t h same movement t h phrase

e e
is n arly always accent d wrongly as above the

e e , :
A nacrusis should be made e ffective by an accent

on the second D natural thus ,
:
A n a c rus i s.
so that rising ins t d f fal ling accentuation is i m

,
ea o
p r t d to the passage In other words t h chie f

a e .
, e
acc nt should not be on t h highest not f the

e e e o
melody is more usually th case but on the

,
as e ,
first note f the measure which must be brough t

o ,
P RELIMIN A RY ME AS U RE S 49
into special prominence owing to the shape f the o
melody .
It m st not be supposed that when a piec e

u
commences with a full bar its measures p /i mam } ro ,
will necessarily coincide with the bars ,
or that t h A nacrusis w i ll be wanting On the

e .
contrary in man y cases the first bar or the first

, ,
two bars or even the accent only f the first bar

, o ,
are merely introductory to call attention as it ,
were to the R hythms that are about to follow

, .
They are outside the R hythm proper and are ,
equivalent to the f w words that precede a speech e ,
such as Ladies and Gentlemen which have no

“
,
connection with what follows further than to c ll a
attention to the fact that something is about to be

said There is this di fference however between
.
, ,
the Notes or Measures w speak f and the e o
opening f a speech that in the case f music

o ,
o
the introductory material is often repeated either ,
at the end f the first R hythm or later in the

o ,
movement since though at first used as an ex

, ,
clamation it is frequently f suff cient interest to

, o i
make part f the tone material f the piece later

o o
on.
When there is an Intro d uctory Measure such ,
as we are contemplating the Rhythm proper com ,
men es with the second Measure ( or third as the

e ,
case may be ) and is usually provided with the

,
D
50 HYTHM OF MODE RN M U S I C
R
A nacrusis The matter depends on the position

.
of the Closes or C suras ae .
Let us examine an example from Brahms His .
Capriccio Op 6 N 3 open s with a complete

. 1 1 ,
O .
,
Bar d looks
,
an i f its Measures must coincide as
with its Bars But this is f from being the case

. ar .
Ex . 1 1 .
B RAH M S
( Op . 1 1 6, N o . C a r nrc c xo .
'
A lleg r o a ppa rs zo n a to .
H a lf-m ea s ure . Mea s ure . Mea s ure.
The first hal f bar is extraneous t the rhythm it-

o
is a developmen t f the idea f an introducto y chord o o r
or note as a kind f exclamation to call atten t ion

, o , .
In pl ce f the introductory chord Brahms here

a O ,
anticipates the figure with which he is going to

end his hal f rhythms and presupposes an imaginary
-
,
phrase whose l st hal f measu e only is he rd as an

, a -
r a ,
introduction to what is to come and the Meas es , ur ,
as shown in Ex commence on their unaccented . 1 1 ,
portions therefore with the Anac usis while a

, , r ,
turb lent character is given by the f

u d on s o rz a n os
the unaccented portions .

P RELIMINA RY ME AS U RE S 5 1
The same devic is used by him in his D major e
S ymphony where it will be noticed that the opening

,
bar played by the basses l

,
recurs at the close a o n e,
o f h o f the Rhythms
ea c S Ex 5 7 5 8 pp 2 . ee .
, ,
. 1 0- 2 1 1 .
We shall fi q tly have to llude to similar

'
e u en a
cases in which movements commence with a f ll u
b the device is freely used by every composer

ar : ,
and it will be convenient to refer to the introductory

'
note or notes as the P reliminary Measure ” “

.
The chaining together as it were f R hythms and , ,

o
Periods by causing their final accent to T3 ,
coi cide with or in oth r words to over OW ”

n ,
? e ,
lap the first accent f the succeeding phrase is another

, ,
o
o f the resources known to the lder composers O ,
but more in evidence with the moderns It arises .
when the final accent f a phrase coincides with o
the first accent f the succeeding phrase It iso .
one f the most use ful devices at t h command f

o e o
th e composer f the avoidance f too definite a

or o
cutting up f his music into sections whereby a

o ,
m echanical precision would be produced which ,
would make the m elodie easy to understand b t s , u
would be apt to produce monotony i f conti ued n
too long S Ex 4 4 page 5 5

. ee .
, 1 .
By means f the Overlap a continuity f Melos

o o
can be carried on while the regularity f the h yth o r
mical phrases is maintained without the too frequent ,
use f the Deceptive Cadence To us English one

o .
52 HYTHM O F MODE RN MUS I C
R
o f the most familiar f Overlaps though we do not

o ,
recognise it as such is that which occurs in the

,
middle f the Anglican C hant and which eliminates

o ,
the monotony which would ensue i f the Psalms

were sung to constant repetitions f a pair f equal o o
R hythms It is this Overlap that results in the

.
seven me sure Period which has sometimes pu led

—
a ,
zz
foreign observers f our C hant It may be ex

o .
em pli fi d by a comparison
e f a well known chant o -
,
borrowed from a melody by Beethoven with its ,
original form the two examples being quoted in

,
the same key f easier comparison or .
Ex . 1 2 .
B T VN
EE HO E SO NT
A A P AT H ET I Q U E . T RA NP DS OS E .
zud Rh yth m .
O v lp er a .
3 4 II I z
O v lp
er a .
O V E R LAP TH E 53
It will be seen that the eight measures f the o
Beethoven Period are reduced to seven in the

C hant by causing the final note f the first R hythm
'
,
o
to coincide with or overlap the first not f the

,
e o
second Rhythm .
This is an instance in which the Overlap fore

stalls the end f the R hythm the more usual form
o :
is that in which the first R hythm is extended to

five Measures so that its Close does not fall in the
,
fourth but in the fi fth Measure and the first note

, ,
o f the next R hythm enters thus within the con

cluding R hythm .
In such a c se it o ften results in producing a

a
Period f say eight Measures without any per

o , ,
ce
p bl br ak between its two R hythms ; but it is
t
ei e
not often used within a Period in this m nner a .
Far more freque tly it occurs at the end f the

n o
Period so as to join the Period to the next Period

, ,
rather than the R hythm to its companion When .
the second R hythm f a Period is extended to five

o
Measures or six Measures in such a way as to cause

the final note to coincide with the first note f the o
next R hythm the object is to carry on the Melos

,
without a break When on the contrary the secon d

.
, ,
Period anticipates the close f the first entering o ,
too soon as it were as we have seen in the two

, ,
Rhythms f the A nglican C hant the bject is to

o , O
arouse attention The apparent seven measure

.
-
54 HYTHM
R OF MODE R N MU SIC
R hythms f the Walt in A t III S cene 5 f the

o z c .
o
Meistersinger the result f overlapping on the

a re o
same principle th t f the Anglican C hant The

as a o .
Periods f eight b rs in length but each Period

a re o a ,
after the first enters a bar sooner th n it is expected a .
Th e ff ect is wond r fully sprigh t ly

e d bright e an ,
but th t the Periods are really norm lly f eight

a a o
B rs can easily be proved by playing th figure

a e
twice over each time it occurs when a regular ,
orthodox four bar R hythm will result

” “
—
.
The seven measure Period here c uses us no

- a
sense f a w nt f balance f Wagner is suffi ciently

o a o ,
o r
master f his craft to be ble to employ it wi th

o a
e ff c t but i f an u skil ful or inexperie ced com

e ,
n n
poser endeavours to use an Overlap in this way ,
withou t having previously well es t blished his a
fundamental rhy t hmical basis or withou t a sui t ble ,

a
h rmonic basis he will be apt to produce an

a ,
un
com for t ble feeling f want f balance and we shall

a o o ,
feel that t h music is som how weak i i t R hythm

e e n s .
Overl ps can be very e ff ective in the orchestra

a ,
wh r e e new set f ins t ruments can be m de to

a o a
enter un xpectedly or in a double chorus where

e , ,
the second chorus enter as t h first finishes its

ca n e
p hrase But
. the chie f use f the Overlap in modern o
O V E RL A P TH E 55
music is to produc that continuity f Melos f e o o
w hich R ichard Wagner was the first great exponent
in our days For by delaying the end f a phrase

. o
that would naturally be f four Measures but is o ,
extended to five so as to overlap its successor the ,
periods are made to melt imperceptibly into one

another and thus to carry the mind ever onwards
,
on the stream f musical sound without an apparent

o ,
break .
To compare the lder method with the new let

O ,
us imagine a traveller advancing through beauti f l ,

u
country on a road provided with prominent mile

stones which while they m ke him aware f his
, ,
a o
progress do not i the least interfere with his

,
n
enjoyment f the scene y S is it with him who

o r . o
listens to the older classical music with its well ,
punctuated R hythms and Periods A d the same . n
traveller walking through equally beauti ful scenery

, ,
in which the milestones are also there but are ,
conce led under luxuriant foliage is like him who

a ,
listens to the continuous Melos f much f the best o o
modern music To construct music that is fund

. ar
mentally rhythmical and yet has its milestones

,
”
artistically concealed demands technical ability f

, o
the highest order .
A nother kind f Overlap made famili r to us by

o ,
a
Bach is exemplified in the following quotation from

,
Beethoven s Q uartet in A minor Op 3 2

’
,
. 1
56 R HYTHM OF MODE RN MU S I C
Ex . 1 3 .
B T VN
EE HO E UA RTE T Op .
I st h h
R yt m . a nd h h
R yt m .
l st . Vn .
A na c .
zu d Vn .
Vi l
o a.
Here the rhythmical movement begun by the

Violoncello is completed by the fir t violin d the
, s , an
triplet leads us to expect the phrase to end with the

note A on the first be t f th e bar But th A is a o . e
delayed by suspension to form a feminine ending ,
and this causes it to coincide with the Ana usis f cr o
the second R hythm Thus the first R hythm is .
extended half a Meas re beyond what is d to i t u ue ,
and overlaps th second R hythm the same note

e ,
serving to end one and begin the other .
Yet another form f Overlap is exemplified in o
Ex 4 and this is even more familiar to us through

. 1 ,
the Fugue form .

TH E OV E RLAP 57
Ex . 1 4 .
BE BT HOVE N (Q U A RT E T Op .
I st R h yt m h .
2
”W
O v lp
er a .
zu d h h
R yt m .
The four measure R hythm here contains two dis

-
tinct fig res one founded on crotchets the other

u , ,
on quavers and the phrase is caused to overlap

,
itself in such a manner that the contrasting figures

a re heard at the same time This is merely another
.
case f one rhythmical figure supplementing another

o ,
a device which gives so much delight to all whether ,
learned or unlearned .
Music that is composed in modern tonality d an
harmony but is devoid f intelligible rhythmical

,
o
structure is apt to be characterless and insipid

, ,
R
nless the composer is strong enough to express

u ,
Rfiy fim/ tdeliberately d consciously feeling f

g“ an ,
a o
Mm mys t ry by M los alone The Polyphonic

"
e e .
church composers had this ability and Richard ,
Wagn r has poi t d out that the mystical beauty

e n e
o f t h music f P lestrina and his contemporaries

e o a
is due to the abs nc f d fini t rhythm t here from e e o e e .
The modern great masters are beginning to recog

nise th t occasional bsence f rhy t hmical form
a an a o
is c p ble f being intensely emotional R ichard

a a o .
S trauss has seen this and has used the devic in , e
several places in his Italian S ymphony with mar ,
vello s ff ct In the first movement enti t led

n e e .
,
On the C mp gn th opening pass ge with its

”
a a a ,
e a ,
massive pi i m chords in which t here is a n ss z

'
o ,
an
occ sion l change f h rmony but no app rent

a a o a ,
a
rhythmic l form reflec t s the feelings that must arise

a ,
in most persons when they first ga e upon certain z
aspects f the v st silent and mysterious C amp gna

o a , , a .
A d when rhythmical figures begin t

n be heard o ,
they come t first spasmodic lly as i f the thoughts

a a ,
only gradu lly began to collect themselves and take

a
shape ; eventually t h rhythmical form becomes e
definite .
A d gain in t h same work the da ling ma e

n a , e , zz z
f p i i m sound wi t h w hic h the thi d movement

'
o a n ss z o r
opens On the shore at S orrento ” is quite without

, ,
recognisable rhythmical form It seems to reflect .

HYTHMLE SS MU S I C
R 59
the almost unbearable brilliance f the rippling sea o
under the influence f an Italian sun S uch passages

o .
o f rhythmless music are very daring but they are ,
justified by the result f they appeal int nsely to the

,
or e
emotions in connection with the programme to ” “
which they are joined .
Owing to its predominance the Four bar ,

-
Phras e
(with its divisions into t w T3 F n
"
o , aw ,
!
and t w ) is generally looked upon as

o ,
fi m r "
the one and only practicable form f R hythm o ,
any departures from it being at t ributed to caprice

on the part f the composer Th t this however
o . a , ,
is not the right View we shall hope to show ; f , o r
the use f other than four bar phrases is not

o
“ -
d to caprice or seeking after novelty but to a

ue , ,
growing appreciatio f t h esthetic value f n o e a o
various forms f phrase other than the normal

o .
The ordin ry construction f a Four measure

a o -
R hythm is shown in Duple time in Ex 5 1 .
Ex . 1 5 .
M OZA R T SO NT A A .
l st R yt m h h .
Ca ss
l l
.
Caes .
P H a f-c o s e.
60 R HYTH M OF MODE R N MUSI C
Caes ura .
F nll l
c o s e.
Here we have a Period f two R hythms each o ,
divided into hal f rhythms by a C sura The first

-
ae .
Rhythm ends wi t h the orthodox hal f close in the -
masculine form the second with the (incomplete)

,
full close l,
in th masculin form The bars
a so e e .
,
each containing one Measure simple ,

a re .
Ex 1 6
B T VN
. .
EE HO E (O p .
Ist Rh yth
zud h h
R yt m .
l
H a f-c lo s e .
THE FOU R BAR PH RA SE 6 - 1
Ex 6 shows a Period f two R hythms in

. 1 o
Triple Measure Here again the bars are simple

.
, , ,
but i t will be observed that the passage commences

’
with an unaccented note that is with the Anacrusis , ,

.
A the sign ture is 3 the measures must consist

s a ,
o f three quavers each and since this unaccented ,
note is an integral portion f the melody it follows o ,
that each Measure commences with an unaccented

note and overlaps its bar line as shown by the short
,
-
,
perpendicular lines in our example This is what .
we mean when we say th t the Measure and the a
Bar although they are frequently and in modern

, ,
music nearly always equal in time value do not ,

-
,
often coincide with each other On the recognition .
o f this principle depends to a large extent an i n
t lli g
e t methoden f phrasing o .
The space f time occupied by a R hythm is as

o ,
a r le filled with sound except f the A

u , , or
ccen ts ,
C esuras that may occur

a t and t m k In I : 1 s oc or
mi m!
melody may be more prominent than o t ’
its rhythmical structure or the rhythm may be ,
more noticeable than the melody or what is more , ,
usual both are f equal importance as in the two

,
o ,
examples quoted here .
When the accentuation is made prominent so ,
that it attracts attention more than the melody we ,
feel a pleasant exhilaration which is the result f , o
the accents acting on the mind in such a way

R
as to stir t h physical rather than the emotional

e
faculties .
I f on the contrary melody and harmony are used

, ,
without the support f an adequate rhythmical basis o ,
the music is apt to be weakly and sentimental .
But it must not be considered that such music is

without its value Human nat ure is so infinitely.
varied that it requires an infinity f di ff erent o
materi ls to express its emotions and music can

a :
perhaps adapt itsel f more than y other art to the an
infinite varieties f human temperament o .
But R hythms and more especially those f four

,
o
Measures are not necess rily completely filled with

,
a
sound nor are all the accents necess ily heard

, ar .
Though a hard and fast line cannot be drawn it ,
may be said in a general way that when Rhyth ms

begin to omit any f their accents t hey begin to o ,
appeal to the imagination and the intellect more

i than to the physical faculties For it requires a .
I h igh er degree f culture to recognise a thing that

o
is only hinted at than a thing that is plainly set

be fore one The omission f accents is not
. o n eces
sarily made by means f rests a cadence can occur o : ,
f or instance on the third accent and its chord

, ,
sustained over the fourth In this case though the .

,
R hythm is filled with sound the last accent has to ,
be imagined But h ere again may be a di fference

.
f or the closing chord on the third accent is oft en

ENT S 63
ACC
repeated in some way on the fourth and in this :
case the appeal is to the physical side f us and it o ,
is the more pleasing in that it is unexpected .
But with our power f using two or more h yth o r
mical schemes at once we do not often leave the

fin l accent entirely unheard f though it may be
a : or
omitted in the Primary accentuation it is generally ,
he d in the S ubsidiary and thus the two rhythms

ar :
react on one another the S ubsidiary supporting and

,
supplementing the Primary and making it easier to ,
understand the imagination is appealed to by the

:
Primary the physical nature by the S ubsidiary

,
.
S ome R hythms have each altern te Measure more a
strongly accented than the rest This ”ya m 1 .

-
74
feature which is not present in all

,
Rhythms is so delicate that its existence has been

,
contested by some theorists y t we have after ,

e ,
due consideration come to believe that it thro w s

,
light on man y passages in classical m usic and ,
that some composers at any rate are aware f , ,

o
it and that this is what leads them to express

,
their ideas in compound rather than simple bars .
For the essence f the compound bar is that the

o
first f its two measures is more strongly accen t ed

o
than the second in however slight a degree The

,
.
O pponents f the view we take can point to the fact

o
that composers especially Bach will frequently place

, ,
the first note f a given subject in the first or second

o
64 RHYTHM OF MODE R N MU S I C
hal f f a compound bar indiscriminately but there
o ,
i no evidence that they do not do this with the

s
express in t ention f altering the order f accentuation

o o
in the p irs f Measures

a o .
Be this as it may we propose to allude to this,
alternation f stronger d weaker Measures W here

o an ,
we believe it to exist as R hythmic l Accentuation

,
” a
t
o distinguish it from the accentuation f the single o
Measures ; and we shall speak f R hythmical o

“
Accentuation ” as being f the R ising or Fall “

o
ing order according to whether the stronger

”
,
Measure comes after or be fore the weaker .
In Ex 6 it will be noticed that there

. 1 a re
discords on each alternate accented note L in ,

e .
Measures and 4 in each R hythm and that our

2 ,
inclination will be to s trike these discords rather

more strongly than the concords on the intervening
accents In addition to this the composer has in
.
,
three places marked a d to lead up to t hese

cres cen o
discords one f which has in addition the sign sf

,
o , , .
It seems to us then that he has distinctly singled

out the alternate measures f special accentuation or ,
and that the example gives instance f R ising an o

“
R hythmical A ccentuation ” .
A more striking case occ rs in the Fi fth S ym u
phony i the passage quoted below where th

,
n , e
composer has indicated nothing but conductors , a re
beginning to find out the v lue f giving it R ising a o

HYTHMI C AL AC CENTUATION 6 5
R
Accentuation It was formerly th custom to play

. e
this subject with equal accent on each bar But by .
a Rising Accentuation it gains in e ffect to an

incredible degree let the reader try it on the piano
: ,
first without special accent then as follows , :

1
till more does a certain passage in t h Scher o

S e z
of the same symphony gain by this treatment and ,
we have seen a conductor in order to intensi fy the ,
R ising Accentuation beat thus ,
d o wn
The e ff ect was electrical the passage is energetic : ,
however it is taken but the above b at gave it a

, e
force and fire that would have rejoiced the heart f o
the composer Other cases will appear from time

.
to time in the course f our work o .
We must now speak f the material out f which o o
Periods with their two or more Rhythms Tn M i l

, , a ter e
are constructed A an experiment let a nnm af n/

’
q w zc t
. s ,
us tap on the table a series f crotchets f m d o ,

or e .
giving an accent to each alternate tap thus ,
1
I t mus t be re m e m bered t h a t t h e o rc estra h gi ves fa r m o re effec t
h
t o s uc h nua nce: t a n t h e i
p a no ca n po ss i bl y g i
ve .
66 R HYTHM OF MODE RN MUSIC
J J JJ JJ JJ JJ JJ JJ J
J ,
While tapping let us mentally form a melody f

,
o
sixteen notes one to each crotchet with a C sura

, ,
ae
after the fourth accent We shall then have imagi ed .

n
a Period f two R hythms in Duple Me sure com

o a ,
m i g wi t h the A n crusis and ending wi t h a

en c n a ,
Masculine Close .
But to a listener th taps will represent nothing e
more than a meaningless series f sounds akin to o ,
the ticking f a clock o .
Now let us m ke a second series f sixteen taps

a o ,
but instead f their being ll equ l let two out f

o a a ,
o
th series (one in the first and one in th second

e e
R hythm ) be longer t han the rest and its successor ,
shorter so to form a dotted crotchet followed by

,
a s
a quaver thus ,
The listener will now immediately perceive th t a
it is Rhythm we are tapping f the greater relative ,

o r
v lue f the dotted crotchets singles them out from

a o
t heir ne i ghbo s d gives them a special accen t

ur , an
,
or special import nce which cle rly indicates the a , a
rhythmical form f the whole series f t aps o o .
In the first instance we tapped the fundamental or

Prima y values f a series f eight Duple Me sures
r o o a .
The fact f all the taps being f e qual dur tion

o o a ,
M A TE RI A L O F R HYTHM 6 7
TH E
though we accented e ch pair gav the listener no a ,

e
point on which his mind could rest In the second .

1
insta ce we caused our sixteen taps to form an

n
intelligible rhythmical whole merely by making two

out f the series more prominent than th rest and
o e ,
thereby giving the listener a point in each set f o
eight on which his mind could rest .
To continue our experiment Let us write out .
and harmonise a si m ple melody f sixteen crotchets o ,
using no other kind f note We shall be able to o .
make the form f the Period quite clear now by o ,
placing harmonic cadences at the eighth and i S x
teen th crotchets Thus we shall call Harmony to

.
our aid in making our rhythm clear f the harmonic ,

or
closes will give the mind places on which it can rest .
Let us alter the melody by lengthening two f o
its notes in the manner suggested f our second or
series f taps and we shall find that it at once

o ,
becomes more striking and vigorous This is .
because by bringing two f the notes f the melody

, o o
into greater prominence th n the rest we have made a ,
1
Th e q lly w i h h
e
ye, e i i p bl
ua f m tig t e ea r, s n ca a e o en u era t n a
nu mb i il
er i l pl d l
of s m ar h
a rt c es q l a ce c o se to o ne a no t er at e ua
di wi h
s ta n ces , x l i t T hi
o ut ily b p v d
e t ern a a ss s t a n ce . s ca n ea s e ro e
by pl i g mb
ac n f pi
a i nu b ke w
er o d yi g ns n an un ro n ro an tr n to
h m f m h di
co u n t t e ro U l h
a
y s fi d
o rt s t a n ce . n es s t e e e ca n n
d fi i
e n i g pl
te res t n h bj h pi
a ces , s uc h p as o ec ts n ea r t e n s, o r t e erso n
ig i
co u n t n
ghs
p i i d i i d l pi h w ill
n ea r en o u to o nt at n v ua ns , e
fi d i i m p i bl
n t m o ss h f e to fi co un t o re t an o ur or ve .
R
the rhythm speak f itself in addition to th

or ,
e
assistance it has from th h rmonic const ucti on e a r .
We have made a contr st in the relative values f

a o
the notes This kind f contrast is one f the

. o o
most valuable elements that the composer has at

h nd in the material out f which he constructs his
a o
Periods and R hythms and the lementary principle

,
e
of varying the relative v lues f notes is capable a o
of infinite extension so t h t the possibilities

,
f a o
variety in the treatmen t f the ordinary eight o
measure Period are inexhaustible .
On this principle is founded the sub division f -

o
the Primary value f the Me sure into notes f

o a o
smaller value ; and such sub divisions will group -
themselves naturally into accented and unaccen t ed

notes just as is the case with the Primary values
,
.
Thus f example the time value f two minims

,
or ,
"
o
forming a single Duple Measure might be sub ,
divided i some such w y as this

n a ,
A
I
in which case the upper notes will still form a single

Measure while the smaller notes will at the same
,
time group themselves p irs or triplets as shown

In a
, ,
each f which h a its own proper accentuation To

o s .
distinguish the accentuation f the minims in the o

THE M ATE RI A L OF R HYTHM 6 9
above example from that f the smaller notes we o ,
re fer to it as Primary Accentu tion and the other a ,
as S ubsidiary Accentuation .
The composer has yet another rhythmical resource

at his disposal He can divide his D fi m .
,
M sur s in one manner f his melody Sbffl mi ml

ea e o r ,
6 E7116 !
and m a totally d ff rent manner f the m d g m !
i e o r e .
accompaniment so that two or more ”W W /J ’
arrangements f the rhythmical material

o heard a re
at the same time The simultaneous use f two . o
or more di fferent rhythmical motives familiar though ,
it is to us is one f the most rem rkable character

,
o a
i tis csf music

o Metre is to Poetry what R hythm
.
is to music yet it is impossible to conceive f two

: o
reciters uttering simultaneously two metric l schemes a
di ff ering from one another in all except the position

o f their accents The result would be utter non
.
sense ; and yet in Music some f the sublimest o
eff ects are due to the simult neous use f sever l a o a
di ff erent rhythmical arrangements such would ,

as
produce senseless con fusion i f applied to spoken

Poetry .
R hythmical figures however ingenious never , ,

ca n
have their f ll s t he tic value apart from melody f

u ae o
some kind If a drummer were to beat given

. a
figure and another drummer played another figure

,
at the same time on a second drum tuned to

the same note as th first the e ff ect f the two e , o
70 HYTHM O F MODE RN M U S I C
R
drums would be to the listener not two simul ,
t figures but one only Thus

a n eo u s ,
. :
Ist d rum .
JTj ‘
¢
r =
a
m J J '
5
5 r? D J1 A
.
r
zud d rum J
I J
lJ .
m i ?J m J a m J?
.
—
l
R es u ta n t .
But i f /f th bove rhythmic l schemes were

o ne o e a a
pl yed on a drum d the other in melody on

a ,
an a a
fif f e, ex mple the resultant instead f mono

or a , ,
o a
tonous succession f simil r Measures would be o a ,
a spirited m rch Hence it follows t hat to produce

a .
t h t combin t ion
a f rhythms which is so essential
a o
a p rt f modern music we require tw contrasting

a o ,
o
voices or melodies or instruments mere rhy t hm :
wi t hout melody does not su ffi ce .
Di ff erent rhythmical sch mes must generally ag ree e
in h ving their chie f accents t the beginning f

a a o a
bar or f a chie f portion f a b

, o This unwritten o ar
rule is sometimes broken however by modern com , ,
pos rs w ith xcellent e ffect as in Ex 8 page 9

e , e , . 2 , 10 ,
and the art f R hythm seems likely to develop in

o
this d other directions hitherto unthought f

an o .
Putting exceptions aside most f the ch rm f , o a o
modern music consists f the combination f two o o
rhythmical schemes one f which enhances or com , o
pletes the other we saw in the example f the ,

as o
two drums One f the simplest applications f

. o o
C OMBINED R HYTHMI CAL S CHEME S 7 1
the principle is when a song containing f example , or ,
a succession f crotchets in its melody is

o m ,
a cco
p i d
an eon the piano by quavers The rhythmica l .
schemes f all polyphonic music are a more or less

o
highly developed application f the principle here o
exemplified .
Fro m what has been said it will be seen that ,
there are three kinds f accent ation T/é Tm o u ,

e ,
each f which f lfils its own special Ki d of

o u n r
.
A
function
ccentua ti on .
.
The first is the Pr mary ccentuation whi ch aff ects a ,
one note f the two or t e t ree t go to make

o
up the Duple or Triple Prim ry Measure It a .
forms the foundation f rhythm in general in the o ,
sense that rhythm prim rily arises out f the a o
arrangement f alternately ccented and unaccented

o a
factor s .
But a ingle Measure although it is a rhythmical

s ,
unit cannot be recognised as such by itself Two

, .
meas res at least

u required to be he rd before
a re a
we can know what species is intended A d as one . n
o f the two Measures th t required to satisfy our a a re
sense f rhythm is frequently f more importance

o o
than the other there arises the second kind f

, o
a ccentuati n which we h ve named the R hythmi cal

o ,
a
ntu Its function is to group the ea s u res
together in pairs in R ising ” or ,Falling ” a

“ “
order so as to produce energy or tranquillity as

, ,
7 2 HYTHM OF
R MODE R N M U S I C
required by the composer But it is only present .
in certain cases .
The third or S ubsidiary Accentuation has its , ,

as
offi ce , the f m g f the other two A very en o rc o .
common me ns f enhancing the interest f given a o o a
melody is to add S ubsidiary rhythm t it its o o n
repetition or to increase that which has already

,
been present with it as shown by comparison f ,

a o
Ex 7 with Ex 9
. 1 . .
Ex . 1 7 .
B RA H M S
(O p . 1 1 6, N o .
Ex 9 p g 4 3 sho w s Rhyt hm w hose cce t d

.
,
a e ,
a a n e
por tio s f measuresn m rked b y S ubsidi ry

o a re a a
A ccentu tio while the un ccented

a t t hus
n, a a re no
divided .
In E 7 from t h same composi t ion there is

x . 1 , e ,
an increase f S ubsidiary A cc n t tion ov r that o e ua e
shown in Ex 9 in both melody and mp i .

, a cco an
ment by which ll chance f the somewh t unusual

,
a o a
rhythmical form f th opening bars becoming o e
wearisome through repe t ition is voided and the a ,
interest is incre sed a .

NTUATION A C CE
73
S ubsidiary rhythm plays large part in vocal as a
well as in instrumental music It is generally what .
is alluded to when the rhythm f a piece is

” “
o
specially mentioned The normal four measur .

-
e
phrase is so taken f granted that it is often looked or
upon as having nothing to do with rhythm and ,
only when measures are sub divided in some special -
manner does the ordinary listener notice that there ‘
is an ything remarkable abo t the rh ythm u .

”1
V erse can be set to music in two ways b t is ,

u
usually set in a mixture f both The Syll b d o .
a
'
zc a n
first way what the G g Is t call M /im i re o rI a n i s s e za t c
S g
S yllabic in which each syllable has a
” on .
single note so that the Rhythms f music corre

, o
s
p d
o n more or less closely with t h V erses f e o
the Poetry The second manner is the Melis

.
“
matic in which single syllables are given to

”
,
more than one note or they are even spread ,
out so that they extend beyond the single portion

, ,
accented or unaccented f the musical Measure , o .
The first way is equivalent to the Primary the ,
second to the S ubsidiary rhythm f instrumental o
music .
In purely syll bic melody the music l rhythm a a
corresponds to the metre f the words each syllable o ,
1
We no i
t ced l ly
a te an i l i w hi h
a rt c e n c i
t h e w r t er a d o ca t ed v
th e d i s us e o f th e w o rd Rhy h m l g h
t a to et er as a pp li e d to th e
fo u r- m ea s u re p h ra se !
R
having a single Primary note In Melism atic .

1
melody subsidi ry rhythm plays a p rt Melis

,
a a .
matic song seems to belong to an earlier st ge in a
the development f any p rticular style f music o a o
than S yllabic f the earliest Gr gorian melodies

,
or e
we possess and the ancient Greek and Armenian

,
church music extremely florid whereas in later

a re ,
times they becam more syllabic as f ex mple in e , , or a ,
the Proses f the Roman C hurch A nother

“ ”
o .
instance occurs t us in Italian oper which became

o a ,
remarkable f the florid character f its melodies

or o ,
and only in rece t years have the fi t so fami liar

n o rz ure
'
to an older gen ration f oper goers begun to e o a—
disappea under a more highly developed condition

r
o f the art .
The reason f t his seems to lie i human nature

or n .
The aver ge m can appreciate ski ll in performance

a an
more easily than the expr ssion f deep emotion ; e o
hence his attention is more attr cted by brilliance a
of execution than by earnestness f expression A o . s
the vocal art advances its auditors become more

cultivated the externals , toned down and a a re
,
deeper expression becomes possible to the composer

without fear f being misunderstood If we com
o .
pare the Melos f Wagner and his uccessors with o s
that f the pre Wagner composers we sh ll be

o —
a
1 As, fo r i nsta n ce, i n “

Go d sa ve th e i
K n g, a nd in mo s t
c h urc h hym ns.
SYLL ABI C A N D MELI S M ATI C S ONG 7 5
struck with its more syllabic character the fi i t f : or ure o
Mo art f example find no place in Wagner s music

z ,
o r ,
’
.
But while vocal melodies become more simple

and expressive in the matter f rhythm the m o ,
a cco
pan i m t become
en s more elabor te Instrumental a .
music has developed later than vocal and becomes ,
more and more important and expressive The .
power that has been added to instrumental music

by the development f S ub i d iary rhythm is very o s
gr at It
e . form an outward and non essential
ca n -
ornamentation it be a means f display it

: ca n o :
can increase the attraction f a melody which has o
been previously heard in a impl er form and finally s ,
it can be a means f intense emotional expression o .
In the last way it is used by Brahms in his

Interme o Op 7 No 2
zz ,
f which Ex . 8 1 1 ,
.
, o . 1
shows the opening fo measure R hythm whose , ur — ,
phrasing as given by the composer is quite Greek

, ,
in its dignity and mastery f rhythmical e ff ect o .
Ex . 1 8 .
B RAH M S (O p . 1 1 7, N o .
A n da n te mo lto
’
non tr oppo , e co n p
er r es s zo n e.
76 R HYTH M OF MODE R N MUS I C
In Ex 9 we give the melody alone deprived f

. 1 ,
o
i t S ubsidi ry rhythm
s a I t is in severe I mbics
. a ,
Ex . 1
9 .
V
C
‘ ‘
v
like the S cher o f Beethoven s called Moon
z o
’
so -
light ” S on t ad the composer in t ensifies t h

a ,
an e
phr sing by causing the last beat f e ch b t be

a o a ar o
connected to the succeeding bar as an Anacrusis .
Ex . 20 .
a —
J
—
S YLLABI C AN D MELI S M A TI C S ONG 7 7
Ex 2 shows that the S ubsidia y rhythm naturally
. 0 r
divides itsel f into four phrases f three Duple o
(S ubsidiary) Measures each and these S ubsidiary ,
Measures are further divided into S ubsidiary A ccen
t ua ti f their own
on oMoreover each S ubsidiary .
,
Measure has its own A nacrusis so that in Ex 8 the ,

. 1
A nacrusis f each bar is intensified by a S ubsidiary

o
A nacrusis We have therefore in this piece a

.
, , ,
combination f R hythm within Rhythm RbyMmo ,
which gives a wonderful resource f i n o r w t tn

'
My h ”
expression unknown to the Greeks and
, ,
t
yet following the laws found in their theory .
They would have per force been content with t h e
pure Iambics f Ex 9 We able to go furthero . 1 . a re ,
and to m ke subo din te rhythm accompany the

a a r a
Iambics on principles that the Greeks themselves

,
would have acknowledged to be in accordance with

their artistic theory .
It will be noticed that in setting out the S b u
s i d i y rhythm in Ex 2
ar we give the complete . 0
R hythms as f three Measures each instead f the

o ,
o
usual four This brings us to one f the most

. o
important f modern rhythmical developments

o ,
namely the grouping f M easures by threes or

,
o ,
fives or in some other number than four S uch

,
.
groupings were occasionally employed in isolated

Periods by Mo art and Haydn d by Beethoven z ,
an
in his Ninth S ym phony in the Funeral March ,

R
S onata (last movement) as well as in his Q uartet

,
Op . 1 01But the older composers seemed to

.
look upon this as a departure from the ule that r ,
might be misunderstood so they fi lly m de ,

ca re i a
the matter very evident by their harmonic con

struction while Beethoven sometimes labelled the
,
passage in the score .
Modern composers have rrived at f ller mastery a a u
over these R hythms or perhaps i t is more co rect

, r
to say that modern audiences are more able to

assimilate them and instead f a tentative Period
, o
here and there we now find whole sections nay

, ,
whole compositions in which the t hree or fi

, ve
me sure rhythm prevails and the four measure is

a ,
-
the exception and a peculi r piqu ncy d harm

, a a an C
is thus produced We sh ll go fl t h into t his

. a i r er
q uestion in another ch pter a .

C H AP TE R IV
E ffect of Lo n g er a nd S h o rter N o t es o n Acc en t ua t i o n— An c i en t
T h i
y a n d M o d ern P ra c t ce C o m b n ed R yt m spec
eo r — - i h h i es
Well -
k h h
ma r ed R yt m I n fl u en ce o f N o te-va u es o n
—
l th e
h i Ch
[E s t et c a ra c ter o f M us i c— Repe t t i o ni o i
f D efi n te Rh yt h ~
m i l Fi g
ca ures— Syn co pa t i on
IN any melodic figure containing notes o f unequal

value there will b a tendency to feel e
E
the longer notes as having more w ight e ,
Long ” 4 724
S/torter N ote:
more accent than the shorter Th s
, . u , M Am m m
i f we write W ithout bars ti on
JJJ JJa
J J a ' '
we shall feel that the natural accentuation o f the

notes is
! '
J J a
a J J J o
l
c
l
that f the last three min i ms being established by

o
that f the first two Measures f when once a

o : or
rh ythmical figure or scheme has made itsel f felt the ,
mind desires its accents to continue i their co r n u s e,
even i f the note v lues change -

a .
R
The above division f the Duple Measure into o
one long followed by two short notes produces the

,
form known to the Greek musicians as the Dactyl .
I f w pl ce the two shorter notes be fore the ccented

e a a
long note we obtain the A p t na a s ,
I I
which owing to its An c usis is f more exciting

,
a r ,
o a
ch r cter th n the Dactyl The Greek dramatists

a a a .
frequently used A pm t i rhy t hm t t h end f na s c a e o
their choruses clim x as a a .
The transition from the Dactyl to I I I and

from the A p t to J J J J is very simple it
na a as :
is merely t h division f both measure por tions

e o -
,
inste d f one into tw equal notes In the case

a o ,
o .
o f the Dac t yl i t lessens t h ccent on t h first not e e a e
by taking away from its v lue The same result is a .
O btained in the A nap st whose accent is not so ae ,
strong when th accented no t e is divided as when

e ,
it is undivided .
The other forms f four note M e sure are both o —

'
JJJJ
a n a cru s i c , and J J J J; so that it will be
seen that out f ll the above forms f a four note
o a o -
Measure three have Rising and only one has

, ,
Falling A ccentuation .
The division f the Duple Measure into fouro

NOTE V ALUE S AN D A CCENT — 8 1
notes is one f the commonest forms in both modern

o
and ancient music and is known as the four time ,

-
Measure If it is desired to divide both portions

.
“
of t h Measure into two notes each and yet retain

e ,
the strength f the accen t we can use the figure

o ,
or in which the longer note

I
J JJ J
\
J J J J ‘
obtains the feeling f a stronger accent on account o
of its greater prominence .
In Triple Time the most natural form the one

m
,
that we most quick ly feel is that known to the

“ ,
Greeks as the Trochee J or its inversion the

I
‘
, C, ,
Iambus J J in which the accented note is in the

, ,
proportion f two to one f the unaccented S

o o . o
strongly is this felt by us that when we divide the

long into two equ l short notes di ff ering in pitch a ,
we not in frequently join them by a slur so to ‘
,
as
strengthen the impression f accent thus o ,
SE E
When ll three notes are joined by a slur a smooth
a
e ff ect is produced and the opposite is the result when

the ccented note is detached and the other two
a ,
are slurred f in this case a disturbance f accent

,
o r o
takes place which will be discussed under Sy n co
pa ti o n .
R
By dividing the accented portion f Triple o a
M easure i to two nequal notes f which the first

n u ,
o
is greater than the second we enhance the weight f ,

o
the first and thus give it additional accent as we

, ,
have already shown wi t h regard to Duple Measure ,
thus J I J If w giv two subsidiary notes to

: .
e e
the second half f the accented portion thus o ,
{
J J! J we to some extent weaken the accent
I
and in this case i f we wish to retain t h relative

,
e
force f the accented no t e w must make a slight

o ,
e
f d on it
orz a n o .
We give subsidiary notes t the unaccented

ca n o
portion thus ,
J: I d th accented note will
0
1 a n e
stand out more strongly t han i f the unaccented

portion w ere undivided .
We can divide t h accented and unaccented por

e
tions into equal subsidi ry notes thus a , :
This gives a smooth d flowing e ff ect to the an
music and is much used i accompaniments to

, n
Prim ry note melodies to produce movement with

a -
out special emphasis Thus f example the .

, or
,
accompaniment f the opening troch aic subject f

o o
the Eroica S ymphony is in equal subsidiary notes

the A d t n an em t f Brahms
co n Piano forte o o o
’
Q uartet in G minor and the passage from his D ,
major S ymphony quoted in Ex 6 how similar . 0 S

NOTE VA LUE S A N D A C CENT
- 83
treatment and other instances will easily occur to

,
the reader .
When used in slo w t mp the division f the e o, o
Triple Measure into six subsidiary notes is o ften

connected with R hythms f two Meas res each o u ,
and the Periods are f four not eight Measures

o ,
.
We shall discuss this form f Period later o .
In all that we have said in this chapter we have ,
re ferred only to the accentuation that is felt i ti ns nc
ti ly in connection with the various arrangements

ve
o f long and short notes alluded to What we may .
call the natural accentuation f a given passage can o
be and very frequently is entirely reversed thro gh

, ,
u
f d f
s o rz a n o s , specially emotional or dramatic
o r
effects ; f the element f the unexpected plays a

or o
very large part in musical composition .
We have alluded to the Greeks It might at .
first sight seem as i f the rhythm f A o

nct ent
modern m can have l ttle common n ) m;
u S IC i In ew , a
with the dactyls and spond es and iambics gi g; e
o f this ancient people and i f we expect

,
to find compositions entirely written in these simple

forms we shall have to confine our attention to the
Hymn tunes f the Anglican or the medi eval
o , a
Proses f the R oman C hurch But the simplicity

o .
o f the ancient forms is occasionally met with in short

passag s f classical music thus the ll g tt f
e o : a e re o o
Beethoven s S eventh S ymphony is founded on an

’
R
alternation f dactyls and spond es the minuet f

o e : o
” S
the same composer s c lled Moonlight on ta ’
so —
a
“
a
is in Iambuses S chubert uses dactyls as the foun

.
dation f the melody f the slow movement f his

o o o
posthumous D minor quartet d anap stic rhythm ,

an ae
occurs (accompani d by subsidi ry accentuation) in

e a
the finale f S chumann s pi no quintet and in the

o
’
a ,
finale f Beethoven s first sonata

o
’
.
Our rhythmic l struc t ures are as a rule f more

a , ,
ar
complicated and i t his respect they reflect the

,
n
complicated conditions f modern li fe but funda o :
mentally they follow t h s m principles as those e a e
o f the Greeks who developed th art and science

,
e
o f R hythm to the furthest point it could attain so

long as only unison melody existed In rhythmical .
theory they were in adv nce f us and there is a o ,
much in their teaching that be f the highest ca n o
m th t i value i f applied t
s e c modern art But the o .
‘
power peculiar to mo d ern European civilisation f

, ,
o
combining various melodies in counterpoint and ,
o f using independent accompaniments to a given

melody has resulted in command f rhythmical
, a o
resources unknown to unison m elody .
S ince about the ye r 88 much attention has

a 1 0
been given on the continent to ancient Greek h yth r
mical theory in its application to the conditions f o
modern musical art d edi t ions f classical works

,
a n o
have been issued in which the phrasing is arranged

IENT THEO RY AN C 85
in ccordance with Greek theory But this we

a .
,
think is going too f

,
The per former is after all
ar .
, ,
an individual and however much he may admire

,
a given theory he should only use it to develop

,
and train his individuality not to sw mp it The , a .
application f Greek theory to classical works in

o ,
print involves the

, f sundry str nge and fu se o a or
bidding looking signs and it is better f the

—
, or
student to use his judgment ( fter duly studying a
theory)than to slavishly follow stereotyped edition a ,
which may or may not be in accord nce with his a
own feeling in every respect A edition f a . n o
familiar d cherished work full

an f strange and ,
o
novel signs is apt to prove repellent Th more

, . e
strongly the phrasing is indicated the more is the ,
performer f small experience likely to overdo it

o ,
and to acquire a hard unsympathetic method .
Theory cannot do everything it can only guide : .
The human element f feeling with its i m p f o , er ec
tions must be present to move the e m otions The

,
.
conventio al existing signs which

n familiar ,
a re
to all i f us d with knowledge and discretion

,
e ,
are su ffi cient f nearly all purposes and he who

or ,
plays without understanding will do s however ,

o ,
strongly the phrasing may be indicated by new

signs .
This applies more particularly to the older cl ssical a
music to which the composers have as a rule given

, , ,
R
f w indications f phrasing
e Brahms d mos t f o . an o
the moderns are careful to show the renderings they

wish f d it will generally be found th t sthetic
o r, an a ae
re sons f their indications

a or be deduced to a ca n
l rge extent from Greek theory in other words

a : ,
our composers instinctively feel rhythmic l e ff ects a
in much the same way the Greeks felt d as an
described them It h been observed also that our . as
gre t executants feel the rhythmical structure f the

a o
older classics in very much the Greek w y and their a ,
power f expressing it contributes in no sm ll

o a
degree to m ke their per formances appe l more than

a a
do those f the musician who relies solely on

o
brilliance f technique o .
The possibili t y f being able to listen to two o o ur
0 ”d0 ,
or more melodies at once makes equally
t y lm possible as we have shown the pp i
tz , ,
a rec a
Wm c
tion f t w or more rhythmic l forms
'
o o a
simultan ously A a rule one supplements the

e . s
other as w have explained in re ference to the

,
e
accompaniment to a song which is the simplest f , o
the rhythmical c mbin tions as a rule More com o a .
plicated and non supplementary

, combinations -
, a re
o f triplets against duplets or against quadruplets ,
and so on A further development f this kind f

.
o o
opposition f species is where one p rt has Prim ry

o a a
triple and the other has Prima y duple time so that r

,
the whole Measure is involved rather than a portio , n

OMBINED RHYTHM S PE C IE S
C 87 —
f it as in the S oldiers C horus in Berlio La ’ ’ ”

o z
,
Damnation de Faust ” .
Another well known inst nce f con fl icting

—
a o
rhythms is that f the passage in Don Giovanni

o ,
where the con fusion in the minds f Zerlin and o a
M tt is graphical ly shown by a con fusion f

a se o o
rhythms combined into a homogeneous whole in

, ,
an artistic manner only possible f a genius f the or o
highest order to conceive and carry out The .
minuet forms the rhythmical b sis It is in slow a .
triple time its Prim ry accents being marked by

,
a
relatively longer notes M tt divides the indi . a se o
vidual beats f the Measures into three time S b

o -
u
s i d i y rhythm in other words he sings in triplets

ar : , ,
and so f the rhythm would not ppear unusual

ar a
were it not f the not tion employed

o r a .
But Don Giovanni sings in duple time in such a

way as to bring his Primary accents on all three
beats f th min et bar in turn and t h us adds to
o e u ,
the con f sion f the lovers The principle involved

u o .
is the same as that f the passage in R S trausso .

’
V iolin S o ata quoted in Ex

n , 8 page 9 . 2 ,
10 .
Great ingenuity was exhib i ted in complications

,
such as this in the sixteenth cent y The di ff erence ur .
between them and modern examples is that they

were usually pu les or jokes f no artistic value
zz o ,
while our composers use them f highly dramatic or
or emotional purposes .
88 HYTHM OF M ODE RN MU S I C
R
When w say f a composition that it has well

e o
W lt m k d
e -
markedoc e
or striking ”
rhy t hm W “
, C
Rfiy fim f mean as a rule that the notes within , ,
its Measures are arranged as to produce a so
strong accentuation The word rhythm is here used .
in its general sense f i f we wish to call ttention ,

or a
to well d fi d punctu t ion f the individual

a -
e ne a o
R hythms we should prob bly use some expression

,
a
indic tive f clearness f phrasing it is not generally

a o o
recog ised as yet that Phrasing and rhythmic l con

n a
struction are the same thing .
Let us imagine a Period f Measures o
cont ining only notes f Primary value and having

a o ,
no accentuation beyond t h t given by the posi t ion a
o f the notes in the bars I f it is in slow t mp . e o
the e ff ect will be solemn dignified stately or tran , , ,
quil repose ful languishing according to the harmony

, , ,
employed In any cas the rhythmical form f

. e o
itself will not produce energy and emotion t hough ,
the e may arise from th employment f speci l

s e o a
dyn mic force or speci l orchestration and harmony

a ,
a .
I f we add a second Period likewise only in no t es ,
o f Primary value we sh ll be apt to produce beavi ,

a
ness d monotony unless we can invent some

an
,
specially striking h rmony a .
If our Period is in fa ter t mp as All g tt s e o, e re o,
or All g it will still be f a more or less tranquil

e ro , o
ch racter though with more movement

a , d the : an
WELL M A RKED R HYTHM - 89
a ddition f a second similarly constructed Period

o
would still be apt to produce monotony .
I f the t mp is very fast p t f example

e o , res o , or ,
there will be a feeling f pleas n t exhilaration with o a ,
out excitement such as one would experience in a

,
ship sailing with the tide and wind on an bsolutely a
smooth sea but even a p t move m ent consisting

: res o
only f Primary notes would soon become mono

o
tonous i f continued long .
S uch a Period would become modified in its

e ff ect i f we were to single out f stronger or a ccen
t uati on any one note either by special stress or , ,
still more by making it longer than its neighbours

,
.
The R hythm ” would become more or less

“
Marked ” the p ssage that is to say would

: a , ,
become more energetic and make more impression ,
th n in its original condition

a .
The application f the principle f singling out o o
notes f speci l accentu tion or wh t amounts

or a a , ,
a
practically to the same thing f special relative ,

o r
length impresses phrase on us more forcibly than

,
a
harmonic variety f th function f harmony in : or e o “ .
its relation to R hythm is to define the boundaries

o f the phrases rather than to influence their internal
rhythmical e ff ect If the notes are all Primary
.
,
certain f them can be singled out f special

o or a ccen
t ti
ua on by f d Even i f only one note in
s o rz a n o .
a Rhythm is made shorter or longer than the

90 HYTHM OF MODE RN M US I C
R
Prim ry note the ethos f the passage di ffers from

a o
that f a similar passage containing only Prima y notes

o r .
For contrast is produced and contrast within the ,
measure affects accentuation and this attracts atten ,
tion by breaking t h m onotony f a succession f

e o o
equ l notes
a .
But though it is rare to find Period containing a
only equal notes f Primary v lue it is almost as

o a ,
rare to find a Period in which only one note is

lengthened described The two portions f a
as . o
Measure are capable f an infinite variety f t reato o
ment by being broken into subsidiary notes by

, ,
being joined together and by being given speci l ,

a
accentuation all f which means the composer uses

,
o
to produce variety and interest If he wishes f . or
a speci lly marked rhythm in the usually accepted

a
sense he constructs a Me sure or pair f Meas res

, a ,
a o u ,
with a certain definite distribution f longer and o
shorter notes a certain rhythmical figure or

,
“
motive and repeats this distribution in successive

”
,
Measures until it becomes well impressed on the

mind Triple me sure seems to lend itself to this
. a
treatment more readily th n duple owing perhaps to a

,
the fact that its natur l arrangement f long and short

a o
notes gives f d ti f well m rked accentuat ion

a
'
o un a on o r a .
Hence the frequent use f a repetition f a definite o o
figure f one or two bars in length in /

o and , s c zerz o s
other three time m ovements f r pid t mp

-
o a e o .
WELL M A RKED R HYTHM -
9 1
S ome kinds f S ubsidi ry figures seem to be

o a
as ociated to a cert in extent with pa ticula musical

s a r r
forms though not confined to them

,
Thus what .
,
we may f convenience call Dotted note rhythm

or
” -
,
in which there is frequent repetition f dotted a o
notes alternating with relatively shorter notes is ,
often a featu e f the March form d it is also

r o , an
met with in slow movements in whic h a strong ,
impression f sol mnity or dignity is required

o e .
We have already noticed that a longer note will

give a greater sense f ccent by cont ast with o a r
an adjacent shorter note th n would be felt in a a
succession f two equal notes This holds good

o .
whether the longer not is sustained or is cut ff e ,

o
by a rest it is the division f time that here gives

: o
the sense f accent and hence f rhythm Thus

o , o .
,
the d rum which cannot sustain a note and the

, ,
organ which has no pow er f stress can produce

, o ,
Dotted note rhythm just as forcibly as any other

-
I nstrum ent .
The esse c f the M ch form is that it should

n e o ar
h ve some strongly m rked S ubsidiary Accentuation

a a
a pplied to R hythms in well d fi d four measure —

e ne -
form .We require to appeal in a certain sense

through the ear to a real or imagi ary exercise f n o
the muscles as the drums excite soldiers to march

,
.
One f the most convenient ways f strongly

o o
marking S ubsidiary A ccentu tion is through th a e

R
alterna tio f long and shor t not s and Marches

n o e ,
that are en tirely withou t Dotted note rhy t hm “ -
form t h xc ption Handel s Dead March ’

“
e e e .
in S aul is one f the exceptions the rhyt hm f

” o : o
the slow sol m major chords in Primary Time

e n , ,
is h re punctu t ed by the qu lly slo w b ats f the

e a e a e o
drum In S chubert s well known piano forte march

.
’
-
in D major t h rhythm is made prominent t by

,
e ,
no
dotted no tes but by dactyls both in the Primary

, ,
and S ubsidiary notes ; d ctyls within dactyls But a .
th eprinciple is practically th same as t hat f dott d e o e
notes f it is t h alt r ation f long and short

,
o r e e n o
notes in the dactyl that gives it rhythmical force .
But here g in we meet with another p r dox

a a a a .
For while Dotted note rhythm can m rk t h

” —
“
a e
time in a March and can impress us with dignity

”
,
an d solemnity in a slow movement (the opening

passages f the S onata Pat h é tique f xample) i t is
o , o r e ,
also c p ble f expressing light he rt ed jollity in

a a o —
a ,
as
th eFin le f S chubert s S on t in D Op 5 3 and

a o
’
a a ,
.
,
in that f his great D Minor Q uartet which

o
, ,
although in 3 time has ex ctl y the same ff ect as , a e
Dotted note rhythm This kind f accentu t ion

—
”
. o a
can also be c p ble f irritating frivoli t y and m pti

a a o e
ness i f carelessly used .
A these di fferences f ethos due to the rhythm

re o
alone ? We think not we believe they due to : a re
the insight f the composer who knows how to fit the

o
WELL M A RKE D RHYTHM 93
-
right h rmonies and melodies to the rhythms to ex

a
press what he requires A d in its ability to express . n
di ff erent feelings by the similar figures R hythm does ,
not di ff er from tonality f the Minor key usually ,

or ,
supposed to be associated with melancholy feelings ,
can equally with the major be used f brightness

, ,
or
and pleasure No one could c ll the Finale f the

. a o
S chubert quartet a melancholy movement it is :
more suggestive f the f f the pantomime t han o un o
anything els e.
When there successions f even S ubsidiary

a re o
notes whose normal acc ntu tion is not l e a

fl f
o n uence
Interfered W th by external means such as N l

I , ote- va ues
f r d or y p t place f the E b k
n on t e
s o za n o s n co a 10n , 1n o
fl fl
t m
exc 1 e t or energy that
en suggested Cb f 18 a ra cter o
M i
by t h unequal arrang men t f notes
e e o ,
us c.
the even distribution gives character f tranquillity a o
and repose or f languor Especially is t his t h

,
o . e
case when the t mp is moderate or slow when the e o
p ce is fast there will almost alw ys be tendency

a a a
to m rk the natural accents strongly and thus to

a ,
give an energetic character to the music .
The tranquil character that arises from even S b u
i d i y notes is exemplified in Brahms In t erme o

’
s ar zz ,
Op 8 No
. 1 1 S ,
Ex 3 In the R omanc
. 2 . ee . . e,
No 5 f the same set there are S ubsidiary crotchets

. o , ,
qu vers and semiquavers all f which in their turn

a , ,
o
contribute to the quietly flowing character f the o

94 HYTHM R O F MODE R N MU S I C
piece This does not however hold good when

.
, ,
equal notes are phrased in such a w y as to bring a
the accents into prominence f example the : or ,
S cher o f the S erenade Op

z o has crotchets t h ,
. 1 1 ,
a s e
accomp niment to the melody but their phr sing

a ,
a ,
produces an accentuation equiv lent to a
IJ J a J I
and the movement is f a vigorous character It is o .
in co trast to both M
n tt i which t h even en u e o s, n e
flow f the quaver accompaniment is not disturbed

o
by any special accents produced by phrasing g , e . .

,
Ex . 2 1 .
B RA H M S
( S E RE N A D E Op
. 1 1 . M E N U E TT O
IN FLUEN C E OF NOTE VALUE S 9 5 -
With a S ubsidiary rhythm f equal notes the o
general e ff ect is frequently modified or even entirely ,
reversed by a strong Primary accentuation as in ,
Ex . In cases like this the cha acter f the

1 1 . r o
music whether g i t t pp
,
t etc is given
a a o, a
'
a ss zo na o, .
,
by the more strongly marked rhythm whether it ,
occurs as Primary or S ubsidiary and the equal notes ,
form a backg round which welds the whole together .
What we say about the reposeful character f o
e en S ubsidiary rhythm applies more especially to

v
movements f a moderate t mp With great

o e o.
rapidity and with special accent on the first note f o
each group equal notes can be given great energy

, ,
as f instance in S chumann s Toccata in C

,
or ,
’
.
In the majority f cases the notes f a R hythm

o o
are distributed unequally so that variety is imparted ,
to the various parts f the Period and interest is o
aroused A melody which would be f no particular

. o
interest with equal notes may be made beauti ful by

an unequal distribution whereby the longer notes ,
form a contrast to the shorter and we have already :
alluded to the importance f a S ubsidiary accentua o
tion in the accompaniment whereby the charm f , o
a melody f Prima y notes may be greatly increased

o r .
A very favourite device in the construction f a o
Rhythm is to form some definite fi ure in the

g
first Measure repeat it ( rhyth m ically not necessarily
, ,
m lodically ) in t h cond and then introd uce new

e , e se
96 HYTHM O F MO D E RN M US I C
R
figures f the th i rd and fourth Measures or to

or :
form a pair f measures and repe t its o a

R m f
égfgz rhythm cal figure By th s m ans the
o
i . i e
speci s f rhythm is at onc stab e o e e
li h d f the listener can more sily

s e ,
o r ea
gr sp it when the first two Me sures or t h first tw

a a e o
pairs are alik than w hen they d i ff r Hence i t w ill

e e .
be found t h t this construction is met with i almost

a n
every composition especially in i t opening subject ,

s .
1
Beethoven somet imes construc t ed Periods i w hich n
nearly every me sure di ff ered from every other a ,

a
di ffi cult form f compositio but one which when o n, ,
successf l generally gives a feeling f deep t hough t

u ,
o
and introspection Thus is constructed f x mple .

,
o r e a ,
th openi g Period f t h slow movemen t f t h

e n o e o e
So ata Path é tiqu

n w hos rhythmic l scheme is as e, e a
follows
Ist h h
R yt m . 2n d .
1 2 3 4 I 1 2 3 4 I 1 2 2
1I
NIJ J IJ I
_
O O:
"
J a
I a
I ’
o C
I
o o o
I ‘
a
r I I '
c o
l
a .
. r
The bars m rked A d B like but since they

a an a re a ,
occur in di fferent parts f their respective R hy t hms o ,
th y give no feeling f a repetition

e o .
A tempor ry disturbance f the regular flow f

a o o
Sy p accents is an i mportan t and much used

'
nco a ti on .
means f expression It is produced eith r by

o . e a
Th1 i ere i y g iv sx m pl h
no i
n e cess t to e an e a e : t e c o n s t ru c t o n
all d d
u ill b f d i h g
e to w mb f eq i o un n t e rea t er nu er o o ur uo ta t o n s .
YN COP ATION S 97
f d
s o rz a n by which
o, a single unaccented note is
made prominent so that the attention is attracted
,
away fro m the normal accent or by what is known as ,
”
S yncopation a word which means ,
a cutting ff o .
S yncopation can occur in both Primary and S ubsidiary

accentuation It is brought about in the following way
.
.
A accented note is cut short or is represented by

n ,
a short rest and the succeeding note entering be fore

, ,
its expected time is made longer than the shortened

,
accented note or rest hence it receives an accent :
by its relative value not by its position in the ,
measure It may be followed by other notes f

.
,
o
equal value to itsel f so that the disturbance f accent ,

o
is continued sometimes through many Measures

,
(Primary or S ubsidiary) in succession To produce .
a co tinuous syncopation the notes must be str ck

n u
on the weaker and sustained into the stronger por

,
tions f measures and i f an Anacrusis occurs it

o , ,
must be tied to its accented note If it is necessary .
to strike a note on any strong portion f the measure o ,
and yet to continue the eff ect f S yncopation there o ,
must be a fresh cutting ff and the S yncopation o ,
starts anew When applied to Primary accentua

.
tion S yncopation can be a means f kindling the

, o
strongest emotion as in a well know n passage in ,

—
the Eroica S ymphony where the accented portion ,
o f the M asure is represented by a rest and the full

e
orchestra bursts in with a tremendous chord on its

G
R
weaker portion Everyone has felt the intense.
eff ect f this passage

o .
Another way f producing S yncopation is not by

o
a cutting ff but by tying an unaccented note to the

o ,
succeeding accented note The long note thus arising .
receives the accent that would fall on its second portion

i f the two notes were not bound into one .
Ex 22.
( S YMP HO N Y
.
BRAHMs No . 2, Op .
'
P res to ma n on a ss a z.
Ex 2 2 shows syncopation in the Prim ry rhythm

. a
the first note f each measure is cut ff and the

o o ,
succeeding note being f double its length and

,
o
,
being brought into the accented portion f the o
measure causes a fresh accent to occ within th

, ur e
measure .
Ex 2 3.
M YMP N Y
.
B RAH S (S HO No .
YN COPATION S 99
Th melody f Ex 2 3 shows the same treatment

e o .
in duple measure The bass is syncopated in the

.
second way described above namely not by a cutting , ,
Off but by tying the unaccented note to the succeed

,
ing accented note It there fore receives an accent

.
,
not by position but by value ,

.
Ex . 2 4.
B RAH M S
( SYMP HO N Y No .
Tra n qu i l/o .
Ex 24 hows syncopation f the S ubsidiary

. s o
rhythm The disturbance f the regular accentua

. o
tion here produces an undercurrent f movement in o
the accompaniment in contrast to the regularity f , o
the Primary rhythm in the melody We have .

,
therefore simultaneous rhythmical figures di ffering

,
in ethos a most expressive device

, .
1 00 R HYTHM OF MODE RN M U S I C
Ex 2 5
YM P NY
. .
B RA HM S
(S HO NO .
poco f ben ma r e .
In Ex 2 5 the disturbance f accent is more

.
, o
pronounced and it is prob ble that Brahms w t h

, a as e
first to use syncopation in exactly t his way The .
melody continues its even course in Primary notes

the accompaniment is in S ubsidiary dactyls The .
dactyl as we have seen has an accen t ual signifi n e

, , ca c
o f it w on its first note ; but Brahms here with a

s o n
,
wonderf l fine ess f rhyt hmic l perception disturbs

u n o a ,
its natural order and places an accent on the last note

,
o f each dac tyl by syncopation Other composers .
have doubtless done the same kind f thing b t as f o , u ar
as we know their dactyls have been in the Primary

,
notes while Brahms syncopates them in the S b

, u
si d i y rhythm against a S ustained Primary rhythm

ar .
S yncopation can give to music a f away d r amy ar , e
ch r cter In the Adagio f Beethoven s S onata in

a a . o ’
B Flat Op 6 fiv bars after the change f key

, . 10 , e o
to D m jor the melody first in the bass then

a , ,
repeated in the treble contains f about ixte n , or S e
measures only the three notes f the tonic triad

, o
,
YN COPATION S Io 1
while the accomp niment is merely in tonic and a
dominant h rmonies with the addition f a f w

a ,
o e
ornamental notes There is S ubsidiary rhythm in

.
the accompaniment increasing in movem nt from , e
duple to triple the Primary rhythm f three qu vers

,
o a
in a measure being represented by the melody .
To reiterat the three notes f the tonic triad

e o
through sixteen bars and accompany them by simple ,
tonic and dominant harmony would seem to be ,
commonplace its e ff ect there fore all depends on

:
how it is used in connection with rhythm We .
could by altering this passage very slightly reduce

, ,
it to absurdity so delicate is Beethoven s handling

:
’
o f it that like a fine piece f filigree work

, , rough o ,
a
hand could instantly destroy it Th beauti ful . e ,
etherial f away e ffect f the melody is produced

, ar o
entirely by the syncopation f the first note f each o o
R hythm together with the contrast e ff ected by the

,
composer s resisting the temptation to repe t the

’
a
syncopation in the corresponding place on the note A .
S uch a passage as this would prove i f proo f were ,
wanting how much the greatest masterpieces f

, o
music depend on an extreme delicacy f handling o
i regard to rhythm to which the executant i f he

n , ,
wishes to realise them in their f ll grandeur must u ,
give at least as much attention as to the correctness

and tone quality f the actual notes This is not
o .
always recognised even by some eminent per ,

R
formers and it is not in frequent to hear a per form

,
ance in which brilliancy f technique is relied on to o
evok e appl use rather than caref l d intelligen t

a ,
u an
accentuation and phrasing .
Where l ngthy syncop ted p ssage occurs t h

a e a a e
normal ccent is generally heard ither in the syn

a ,
e
co t d pass ge itsel f or in some other part

a e a but :
p ,
there are cases especially in S chumann s music in

,
’
,
which the syncop tion is carried on without t his a
support so t h t the h
,
unless he is f miliar with
a ea t er, a
the pass ge is apt to become bewildered and to

a , ,
lose sight f the normal accent altogether in which

o ,
case he no longer feels the yncopation such In s a s .
the well known p ssage in his Piano fort C oncerto

—
a e ,
S chumann omits every l t rn t e normal accent thus a e a ,
Ex 2 6
U M NN
. .
SC H A ,
PIA NF TO OR E CO N T CE R O .
1 2
YN C OP ATION S 3 19
The listener who does not see the conductor may ,
easily imagine that the time is Duple and the phrase ,
one f six Measures thus

o , ,
J J Ij J J e
l
C J J Ij JJ Ij J
r
-
r n
‘
r r
- a J
‘
r r 1
‘
\
r 7
until he is undeceived by the repetition f the o
passage in which all the normal accents are heard

,
.
The rhythmical scheme is that f the called o so -
t m p V alse in which Falling accentuation

”
D eu x e s
takes place and the steps f the dancers are guided

,
o
by the accents on each alternate bar rather than by ,
those f the single bars

o .
H ngarian and Bohemian music is notic ble by

u ea
its well d fi d rhythms This is due to the con

-
e ne .
stant use f S yncopation which involves a strong

o ,
increase f accentuatio on the naturally accented

o n
notes f the individual Measures or portions thereof

o .
The kind f S yncopation speci lly peculiar to this

o a
music di ff ers from that usually found in classical

music in that t h lengthened note completes the
,
e
Measure or Hal f measur and a fr sh S yncopation

—
e, e
ls begun after each long note Our meaning will .
be made clear by the following comparison

C haracteristic Hungarian S yncopation f j f:
Ordinary Classical S yncopation FTEJ P
F ‘ ‘ ‘
The result is that the per former instinctively

makes a strong stress on the short note and through ,
1 04 HYTHM OF MODE RN M US I C
R
this me ns the music becomes intensely vigorous

a
and exciting S yncopation in all its forms seems

.
peculiarly to suit the temperament f these peoples o ,
and it abounds in their melodies as well as in the

accompaniments It is this peculiarity th t distin
. a
g i h
u s their
es music from ours f their use f ,
or o
harmony is simple enough Wi t h them S yncopation .
is the rule ; with us it is the exception T h n tural . e a
vigour f the music itself and still more the intense

o , ,
fervour with which it is executed by native per

formers gives i t a peculiar charm to us there is a :
spontaneity an enthusiasm that carries us aw y It

,
a .
is good f us to play it d to h ar it som times

o r an e e ,
f
or it kindles in us a feeling f the importance f or o
accent mor than perhaps any other music ; and

e , ,
accen t is f gr at importance in most music

o e .
In the early part f the seventeenth centu y o r ,
when as yet Folk music was looked upon as -

un
worthy f the attention f serious musici ns the

o o a ,
attraction f syncopation was felt and composers

o ,
would sometimes deliberately it and ll it the use ca

“
Lomb rdic style f composition It was sup
” a o .
posed to have been invented by V ivaldi .

1
1 S ee S p i ’
t ta s B h ac ,
E ng li h E d i i
s t o n, Vo l I . .
, p 414
. .
C H APTE R V
Du p l e i
a ga n s t Tr pil e i
T me —
T e m po ra ry C h a n ges o f S pec es i
i i
T m e S g n a t u res —
Ch an
ge o f th e Acc en tua t i on of a g en iv
M e o dy—
l ra B h
“
ms
’
M a s tery o f h h
R yt m — Qu i n tu l
p e an d
Sept u pl T i m
e e
TH E ability to make simultaneous use f Duple o
and Triple Measure introduces an element D pl g i ” u e a a n
f contrast and variety which especially T ip/ Ti m

’
r f
o
appeals to the intellect al side f our artistic feeling u o .
Bach employs this device rarely ; Mo art makes z
more use f it and Beethoven still more These

o , .
com posers apply it f the most part in the familiar or
form f a triplet accompaniment against an even

o
time melody and the accompaniment frequently

,
consists f the repetition f some simple arpeggio

o o
figure In this form it is a development f the

. o
so called A lberti Bass which consists f keeping

-
, o
up an undercurrent f S ubsidiary rhythm by means o
o f broken chords .
It goes without sayi ng that modern composers

have not neglected the possibilities f combination o a
of so intellectual a character ; d in place f the an o

R
occasional triplet arpeggios f Beethoven we find o ,
whole pieces by Brahms f ex mple in which the

, ,
or a ,
melody is Duple and the ccompaniment Triple a
throughout ; and the triple measure whether Primary -

,
or S ubsidiary is not confined to simple arpeggios

, ,
but often forms a definite and beauti ful figure as ,
interesting as the melody itsel f .
The use f two opposing species f rhythm at

o o
the same time is one f the paradoxes in which music

o
d elights It is also anot h er instance f the remarkable

. o
stage f development to which th musical bra in

o e
has advanced In ordina y li fe it is suppo ed that

. r s
he who tries to do two things at once is liable to

fail in each No two things could be more pposed
. O
to one another than the division f given space o a
of time into two equal p rts d into th ee equal

a an r
parts yet musicians are able to do the one with

:
their right hand d the other with the le ft and not

an ,
only to find intellectual ple su e in the task but to a r ,
give pleasu e to their listeners th ough the refinement

r r
of artistic sense that such work demands .
The feat re we all ude to is familia to ll who

u r a
have to do with classical music It is as we h ave .

,
said very much more used now th an formerly d

, , an
in place f the triplets being merely an

o mp i a cco an
ment to the melody they sometimes take their place

,
as a double counterpoint to it A p rticul ly . a ar
beauti ful example is that in Brahms F Major Sym ’

DUPLE AG A IN S T T RIPLE TIME 7 10
phony which we quote in Ex 2 7 The triplets are . .
here syncopated into one another as are the dactyls

in his D Major S ymphony quoted in Ex 5 but , . 2
the triplets form a double counterpoint to the

melody while the d ctyls are merely an
, mp i a a cco an
ment .
Ex . 27 .
B RA H M S
( S YMP H O NY No .
3, F . Op .
A n da n te.
In this A ndante the chief melody is at first heard

simply without S ubsidiary rhythm S ince the e ffect
, .
of a particular passage is mostly due to its con

n ecti with what has gone before the composer
on
will as a rule seek to enhance the interest when

, , ,
he repeats a melody by some ch ange ; and one f , o

1 08 HYTHM O F MODE RN MUS I C
R
the most potent means at his disposal is the addition

to it f subsidiary rhythm which h not previously
o as
been heard In the present case Brahms adds orna

.
mental passages f S ubsidiary rhythm in even

o
semiquavers at the first repetition f the melody o .
At its second repetition he gives it the syncopated

triplets f Ex 2 7 and whether our readers agree
o . :
or not with our contention that the use f triple o
against duple subsidi ry measures is f more intel

a o
lectual than emotion l significance those who a ,

a re
familiar with this symphony will probably feel with

us that the slow triplets above the melody make a
strong appeal to the intellect and that the passage ,
is f deeper import than its predecessor with duple

o
ornamentation .
In the first movement f R ichard S trauss V iolin o

’
S onata Op
, 8 the intermingling
. 1 , f duple with o
triple measures is used in a striking manner The .
normal rhythm is duple and each b contains two , ar
Primary Measu es r .
The first chord f Ex 8 is the final note f th

o . 2 o e
preceding R hythm The new R hythm commences

.
with the D which is Anacrusis d is tied to

,
an
, an
its accented note receiving something f its accent

, o
,
the second and third Me sures being contracted into a
one triple Measure At this point the violin enters

.
with the Anacrusis f the third Measure f its o o
R hythm whose two previous Measures are e r re

,
p
DUPLE AGA IN S T T RIPLE TIME 9 10
sented by rests But since the piano has contracted

.
its second and third Measures into one and has ,
Ex . 28.
R S
. T U
RA SS (VIO LNI SO NT A A Op . 1 8— F I RS T MO V M NT )
E E .
I 1
V IOL 1 N .
E nd o h h
f R yt m .
f A na cru s i s . An a crus i s.
2 a nd 3
Ana crus i s .
changed its rhythm species from dupl to triple the -

e ,
last note f the violin s R hythm falls on the first f

o
’
o
the piano s new R hythm forming on Overl p A d

’
, a . n
the Overlap occurs both with the two i t n s ru

1 10 HYTH M OF MODE RN MU S I C
R
ments together and with the piano alone ; f the

,
or
latter s three time bar is a kind f telescoping

’ - o
together f two R hythms as indic ted by the

o ,
a
numerals in our example This eeming con fusion . s
results in a novel and delightful combination f o
duple with triple rhythm which gives both players ,
and audience a pleasurable exercise f th intelligence o e .
Moreover it is by no means a d y experiment it

,
r :
has sthetic significance in the tumultuous feeling

a n ae
with which it introduces the succeeding pp t a

'
a ss zo na o
melody .
A temporary change from duple to triple species ,
T mp
e y
or
ora r
i in the principal
v ce ‘ melody
v ers a is , ,
Cb g f
n
a much
es o used in modern music nd o ften , a
Sp ma
produces a d light fully fr sh and e e u n ex
p t d e ffect
ec e The change can tak place in the
. e
Primary values in Ex 2 9 but it more f

,
as .
, re
quently a ffects the S ubsidi ry Measur s as shown in a e ,
Ex . 29 .
B R AH M S ( S E RE ND
A E Op . I I— FI RS T M V M NT) O E E .
I st Rhy h m t .
TEMPO RARY C H A N GE S OF S PE C IES 1 1 1
2n d h h
R yt m .
Ex 3 where the fourth bar leads the mind to

. 0,
expect a series f t iplets and a surprise is p i

o r , ex er
30 .
B RA H M S
(S Y MP N YHO No .
3, O p .
A n da n te .
e n ce on the last beat f that bar by the sudden

d o
return to the duplet form f S ubsidiary Measure o .

1 1 2 HYTHM OF MODE RN M U S I C
R
The various combinations f five notes against o
four seven against six and so on are extensions f

, , ,
o
the principle f duple against triple They are

o .
rarely used as yet f leng t hy passages d are most or ,

an
frequently found where scale or rpeggio requires a a
one or two extra notes t arrive t its des t ination o a ,
while the accompanying passage can get there with

its normal number f notes S ometimes however o .
, ,
such mixtures f notes can be used to produce a

o
highly agitated e ff c t as in the S t orm in Bee te ,

“
hoven s Pastor l S ymphony where t h disturbance

’
a ,
e
o f nature is expressed by the violoncellos and double

basses playing quadruplets d quintuplets simul an
t ly ; and f
a n eo u s such purposes they are comi g
o r n
more i to now than formerly

n use .
In C hapter I I we re ferred to the relations between

.
Ti m e the Time S ignatures and the Measure and

“fl w a
the Bar The reader will by this time
“ :
.
hav become well accustomed to the idea there

e
expressed and we m st w discuss t h sub ject

,
u no e
further It will be noticed in Exs 2 7 9 and

. .
, 2 ,
3 that
0, although the Time S ignature is th same in e
each w give two minims to the Measure in

,
e
Ex 2 9 and two crotchets in Exs 7 and 3

.
, . 2 0 .
In other words the Measure equals the B in the

, ar
first instance and the hal f bar in the other two cases
,
-
.
The methods f indicating t h Time or R hythm

o e
species in our system f Notation have been allowed o

TIME S IGN ATU RES 3 1 1
to grow up more or less at random and much has ,
always been and still is le ft to the insight and

, ,
experience f the performer This is only natural

o .
,
f
or no system f notation can possibly be devised
o
that will meet all the requirements f so subtle an o
art music and unless there is sympathy betwee

as n
co m poser and per former a composition must fail f

, o
its due e ffect even i f everything that can be intimate d

,
by notation is conscientiously obser ed to the letter v .
The performer must feel what he plays no amo nt

"
o f printed signs can supply th w ant f u derstanding e o n
the composer s intention ’

.
We do not mean by this to imply that n a
absolutely correct per formance will be entirely with

out alue ; such
v id a would be dispelled at once
ah e
directly we think f t h d light given to thousands

o e e
by the many mechanical musical instrume ts that n
have f the last three c nturies been playing music

o r e
with an exactness that is unapproachable by human

fingers We mean that good as a purely correct
.
,
performance may be it never represent the spirit

,
ca n
o f the music in t h e sense f mind speaking to mind o
hence it is that a piece played by a h man being who u
understands what he is about will give more ti f sa s ac
tion even i f it is mechanically less perfect than the

,
same piece played without understanding by a

machine or a mechanically perfect human bein g
,
.
A a guide to the construction f the R hythms

s o
H
1 14 HYTHM R OF MODE R N MU S I C
the Tim S ignatures are still vague d undecided

e an ,
though with t h r pid increase that is t aking plac in

e a e
the means f expression t his di ffi culty is gradually dis

o
appearing and composers are becomi g more care ful

,
n
to in d icate their rhythmical wish s by their sig atures e n .
The called C ommon time Bar is f tw kinds

so — -
o o .
In the first t h b is equal to the v lue f t w

,
e ar a o o
minims the minim being the Primary value and the

, ,
Rhythm d Period occupy t h

an s me number f e a o
Bars Measures Properly speaking when t his

as .
,
is t h cas t h S ign ture ought to b (I ; d

e e, e a e a n
though the p rpe dicul r lin t hrough t h C is stil l

e n a e e
fr qu ntly omi t t d y t modern composers ho w a

e e e ,
e S
t ndency to b
e more car ful in t his mat ter t han
e e
their pred cessors The tw minim bar wi t h t h

e . o -
e
proper sig at ur will be found in Ex

n e pag e . 1 1 ,
5 d with the signatur C in Exs

0, a n 5 page 5 9 and e . 1 , ,
2 9 p ge
,
a I such cases as these the per form r
1 10 . n , e
must discov r f himsel f that t h Bar and t h

e o r e e
Measure are f equal value but the car ful modern

o e
composer sually indicates t h fact by his legato

u e
signs In Exs. and 3 all ambigui ty is obviated

. 1 1 2 .
The signatur (I: indicates w hat is technically

e
known as All b time It signifi s t hat the breve

a rev e . e
is to be divided i to two minims ins tead f four n o
crotchets or according to our theory t h t the minim

, , ,
a
is the Primary and the crotche t the S ubsidi ry

, a
val e The conductor is at liberty to make four

u .
TIME S IGNA TU RE S 5 1 1
beats in the bar i f he wishes in what ought to be ,
All ba time whether marked by (I: or by C ; but

re‘
ve ,
in that case he w ill be counting the S ubsidiary and

not the Primary rhythm he will requir sixteen : e
instead f eight beats f the four measure phrase

o or —
,
and as a result he will probably take the movement

at slower pace t han the composer intended
a .
In the second kind f Commo Time in wh i ch o n ,
the signature is properly C the bar is really com ,
pound since i t contains the value f t w Measures

, o o .
The crotchet is here the Primary note and many ,
composers w indicate this fact by using the signa

no
ture g instead f C o .
Ex .
31 .
T S C H AI KO W S K Y RO MN A CE .
A n da n te Ca n ta bi le. I st h h
R yt m .
2n d h h
R yt m .
E nd o f P er i o d.
1 1 6 HYTH M OF MODE RN MU S I C
R
In Ex 3 the first Period commences at

. 1
bar the first bar being occupied by two Pre

2,
liminary Measures T h Full Close on the sub . e
dominant at bar 3 cl arly i dicates the end f the e n o
firs t Rhythm and t h full close in the pri cipal key

,
e n
at bar 5 shows t h completion f the first Period e o .
The Bars evidently therefore f t w Measures

a re o o
each the Primary note is the crotchet and the

: ,
quavers give S ubsidiary rhy t hm .
Th f t h C signature as in Ex 3
e use o f e ,
. 1 ,
o r
compound b rs that is in its right s se gives rise

a , ,
en ,
t
o the question f Rising and Falling A cc ntua t ion o e ,
whos existence is denied by some t heorists When

e .
a bar co tains what is usually k own as Quadrupl

n n e
time it is generally accepted that the first and third

,
crotche t s are accen ted d the second d fourt h are ,

an a n
unaccent d d that t he first is slightly more

, an e
accented than the third We re dy t admit . a re a o
th t th
a di fference f accentuat ion is so slight in
e o
most cases as to be almost imperceptible b t t hat it , u
does exist will hardly be denied v n i f in so small a ,

e e
degr e as to be ignored in practice A ssuming that

e .
it exists t h phrase i f its first accent occurs at the

,
e ,
Bar line will fall into p irs f m asures in each f

-
,
a o e , o
which the first will be slightly more accented than

the second Hence a Falling Rhy t hmical A ccentua
.
tion will take place If on the other hand the first .

, ,
acce t occurs on the third crotchet f the first bar

n o ,
TIME S IGNATU RE S 7 1 1
Rising Rhythmical Accentuation will occur There .
are isolated cases in which a composer seems to wish

to specially point out the Rising A ccentuation by
writing in Common time instead f and beginning o
with a half bar For inst nce t h last movement f

. a , e o
Mendelssohn s Pianoforte Trio in D minor com

’
m en ces in this way Did he arrange it thus in order

.
to bring the closes on the first note f their bars o
according to rule or did he feel the di fference

,
between Rising and Falling A ccen t ation ? u
Where there are two measures in a bar the con ,
cluding chord f a Period will fal l either on the first

o
or the second accent according to whether the

,
Accentuation is Rising or Falling I Ex 3 3 . n .

,
page 20 the Period ends on the secondary accent

1 ,
in Ex 7 page 4 the suspension in the

.
,
2,
Feminine Close comes on the same place In .
Ex 3 the closes fall on the third measure and are

. 1 ,
sustained into the fou th to complete the Rhythm

r ,
w hich has Falling A ccentuation .
All that we have said regarding the S ignatures (I:

and C is applicable to the other Even time signatures -
,
the only di fference being that the others have no

means f distinguishing whether there are to be one
o
or tw measures in the bar so that the performe r

o ,
must rely on the Closes and C esuras In Ex 6 a . .

,
page 4 the phrasing is distinctly shown by the

1 ,
composer to consist f one measure to a bar In

o .
1 1 8 HYTHM OF MODE R N MU S I C
R
Ex 7 page 4 the Feminine Cadence occur

.
,
2, ,
ring as i t does t th second hal f f the b equally a e o a r,
clearly shows that there are two me sur s in t h bar a e e .
In Ex 5 page 9 4 the dac t ylic form f the

. 2, 1 ,
o
bars leaves no doubt t hat th y contain one measure e
each .
T h S igna t ur se d g in t h majority f cases e a n e o
indic te b rs contai ing one measure each the

a a n ,
Primary Time f which is the crotchet and the o
qu ver r sp c tiv ly The bars are simple d

a e e e .
,
an
th Periods will contain the same number f bars as

e o
m asures This form is shown in man y f our

e . o
examples .
But the S ignatur (or 35 ) sometimes be used e ca n
wi t h compound b rs f duple measures in which a or ,
c s t h bar contai s thre me sures and t h

a e e n e a ,
e
R h ythms consist f three six or nine measur s o , ,

e .
Ex 5 p ge 3 8 shows an ins tance f t his It w ill

.
,
a ,
o .
be see t hat the first R hythm here quo t d contains

n ,
e ,
six duple me sures in the form f pm t The a o a na s s .
succeeding R hy t hm ( not quoted )contains nine such

me sur s The duple give w y to triple measures in
a e . a
the form f t ripl t s t bar 3 In t h second section

o e a 1 . e
o f th piece where the key ch nges to A m jor the

e ,
a a
,
signature is repeat ed but the bars are simple as , ,
indicated by the l g t signs Thus in t h course f e a o . e o
a short composition the signat re } is used both f u 3 o r
compound and simple bars .

TIME S IGN A TU RES 9 1 1
No doubt the idea that this signature be used ca n
f or duple measures will come as a surprise to those

who are accustomed to the orthodox view that the
bar is equivalent to a measure But i f we take it as .
such in the piece from which Ex 5 is quoted the .

,
result will be a phrase f unmanageable length and o ,
we shall not only ignore the composer s intention as ’
distinctly indicated by the l g t signs as well as by e a o ,
the hal f closes in bar and 5 ( showing that the first

-
s 2
two Rhythms are to consist respectively f tw and o o
three bars ) but shall leave unnoticed the fact that

,
the succession f pm t gives the impression f

o a na s s o
duple rather than triple measure .
With the S ignature 3 or g the Primary Measures .
are either duple or triple When they are duple the .
two portions f each measure are divided into S b

o u
si d i y Measures f the triple speci es as in Ex 8

ar o ,
.
,
page 4 2 This arrangement f 3 time is more con

. o 7
v i t f
en en quick than f slo w movements and the
or or ,
bar is simple .
In his Interme o Op 8 No 4 Ex 3 2
zz ,
. 1 1 , .
, .
,
Brahms shows this kind f barring not by g but by o ,
with quaver triplets as the S ubsidiary rhythm .
3 would probably have been the signature here with

the majority f composers but Brahms seems to have
o ,
chosen to en force t h fact that the Primary duple e
is divided into triple S ubsidiary and the four ,
measures f the complete Rhythm occupy the space

o
R
of four bars t two as migh t b in ferred by the use

,
no ,
e
ofa signature The most ge eral use f g in slow

. n o
movemen t s is wi t h bars containing the value f two o
Ex .
32 .
BR A H M s ( IN T E RM E zzo Op . 1 1 8, No .
A lleg r etto
'
nn p o co a g zta t o .
measures ch as in Ex 3 3 T h mind c nnot

ea , . . e a
appreciate large interv ls f time and it is necessary a o ,
to keep the groups f m asures which consti t ute a o e
complete Rhythm wi t hin a m asur bl space f t ime e a e o
hence arises the di fferent use f g in slow and quick o
movements .
Ex .
33 .
B RA H M S (T H R E E I N T E RM E zz1 O p . 1 1 7, N o .
A n d a n te m o d er a te . I st h h
R yt m .
TIME S IGNATU RE S 1 2 1
2nd h h
R yt m . E nd o f I st i
P er o d .
en di n g .
But there is another and more subtle reason

f
or this di fference Ex 3 3 might have been . .
written with bars f thr e quavers each i wit h

o e ,
. e .
the signature 3 but it wo ld have lost in that

: u
case its rhythm accentuation or this f ature would

-
,
e
have been at the mercy f the player By giving two o .
Measures to the bar we obtain a stronger accent on

the first f each pair f measures ; the full close at
o o
the end f the period falls on the weaker f the

o o
pairs f measures and hence we have Falling

o ,
accentuation in keeping with the cradle song

,
—
character f the movement while an inward str ength

o ,
is given by the A nacrusis and the masculine

closes
.
The bars in g or time are either equivalent to

t h ree Primary Measures each or to one Primary ,
Measure In both cases the rhythm whether

. ,
Primary or S ubsidiary is f the Triple species Ex , o . .
34 shows a peculiarly beauti ful use f bars f six o or
measure Rhythms The first accent is Preliminary

.
,
1 22 R HYTHM OF MODE RN MU S I C
Ex .
34 .
B RA H M S
( SYMP HO NY No .
3, O p .
'
1 st h h
R yt m .
Gr a zzo s o .
n zezza vo t e. Cms u ra .
zud h h
R yt m .
F em ii
n n e c o s e. l E nd o f P eri o d
.
and the rhythm proper begins with the A nacrusis E ,
F sharp S ince e ch Rhythm and hal f R hythm

. a
begins on the unaccented por t ions f bars d ds o ,

a n en
with t h b cce t the acce tuation is f t h rising

e a r- a n , n o e
order The charact r f the music is indicated by

. e o
the word g i to which the feminine close at the

ra z o s o ,
end f the first R hythm gives e ffect while t h

o
,
e
seco nd R hythm commenc s wi t hout t h A nacrusis e e .
The end f the Period is decisively shown by the

o
complete full close .

H ANGE OF AC CENTU A TION
C 3 1 2
A peculiar charm is given to the second R hythm

by a device made familiar by Beethoven ,
Cb g f b an e o t e
cons st ng f the p t t
i i f a f w notes
o re e I i o n o e
of melody and harmony with a w dis f 3 M ” ne

" “
t ib t i
r uf the accents on them L the
o n o : e.
first four notes f the first R hythm E F sharp o , , ,
G sharp A are repeated in the second Rhythm but

, , ,
not only is the accent here on F sharp instead f o
C sharp but the E is cut ff by the bowing and

, o ,
given to the preceding Rhythm This may . nu a nce
be conveniently called D i i f Melody ”

It “
a zres s o .
may seem unnecessary to go into such minute

d tails but it is these details which in their coll ctive
e , ,
e
whole go to make up the character f a composi

, o
tI O n .
example f S ig ature in which the Bar is

An o n ,
simple will be found in Brahms Piano forte quartet

,
’
in G minor Op 2 3 in which the first Period f the

, .
,
o
Interme o ending with a full close on the d omi

zz ,
nant contains three four measure Rhythms and

,
-
,
each R hythm occupies four bars .
Whether the bars f any particular signature are o
to be considered as compound or simple must be

decided as we have shown by the closes and
, ,
cm and the t mp will also have to b con

s u ra s , e o e
sid d when no i dications are given f

ere ,
it must n : or
always be remembered that too long a phrase without

a break conduces to a sense f weariness owing to o ,
R
its want f easily grasped rhythmical divisions It is

o .
probable t hat the dryn ss formerly associ t d in

“
e a e
the public mind with Bach s wonderful organ fugues ’
so full f rhyth m ical inter st w chiefly d to the

o e ,
as ue
idea which seems to have prev iled in t h minds f a e o
many organists that these works must be played

in one long w arisome l g t from begi ning to
e e a o n
end .
B fore l aving this subject we cannot re frain from

e e
B m
ra }
noticing
, one more f th m ny c s s in o e a a e
M y qf
a s ter which Brahms shows his peculi r gr sp a a
“ fi lm”
f the sci nc f rhy t hm and its most
o e e o
e ffective method f o t tion I his S co d R hap

o n a . n e n
sody Op 7 9 M lt p i t m
,
.
, o t pp
o ll g a ss o n a o, a no n ro o a e ro ,
the S ubsidiary M asur s t riple t hroughout and

e e a re ,
are written as quaver triplets Many c mpos rs . o e
would have been temp ted to use the 1 sig 3

2
nat re here ; but Brahms u erring i nstinct c used

u
’
n a
him to use the C signatur and m ke each bar e, a
contain two Primary lVI whil i t is the ea s u res , e
S bsidiary R hy t hm t h t is triple
u No doubt t h a . e
same general e ffect could ha e been ob tained by v
the 1 32 signature and the avoidance f triplets but o ,
the notation would in t his case have suggested t riple

Primary instead f S ubsidiary Measures whereas
o ,
the C makes it clear that the Primar y Measures

are duple .
We have now to spea k f a method f combining o o

QUINTUPLE AN D SEPTUPLE 5 1 2
the two species f Rhyth m which is gradually o
being more and more used as composers ,
are beginning to realis its opportu ities d S p pl e n an e tu e
R fiyfl m
f fresh means f expression We allude
'
o r o .
to what is called Five time Rh ythm represented by —

,
the signature ; g or by alternate bars f triple and

5
7 , o
duple time .
Quintuple time was m ch in favour with the u
ancient Greeks and is found in the folk songs f

,
—
o
the Finns Turks Negroes B squ s and in Bavarian

, , ,
a e ,
and Boh mian dances It can th re fore hardly be

e . e
said to be an unnatural kind f rhythm ; in fact it o
was perh ps too much connected with the people s

,
a ,
’
music to find favour when our classical instrum ntal e
music began to rise Whatever the cause Quin .

,
tuple rhythm is so rare wi t h us that it is not

familiar to the musical public or even to musicians , ,
and it is there fore apt to b looked upon as e
something f an eccentricity
o
There is othing unnatur l in a succession f fi

n a o ve
measure R hy t hms Brahms has show n us this d : ,

an
our En g lish poetry m kes use f verses f fi feet a o o ve
in bl nk verse If the mind can easil y appreciate a

a .
R hyth m or a verse f five measures th re see m s no o ,

e
re son why it should t grasp a bar f five portio s

a no o n
it is only because such rhythm has fallen in t o disuse

that our appr ciation f it h beco m atrophied
e o as e ,
while we can enjoy t h f more complicated triplets e ar

R
against duplets wi t h which the great masters have

,
made us familiar .
We have explained in C hapter II that the m ind .
does not accept a group f more than three notes o
without imagining a secondary accent that directly :
we have four equal notes in succession we i ,

h
s ti ti
nc ly place an acc nt on t h first and a secondary
ve e e
accen t on the third In the bar f fi beats the . o ve
same instinct leads us to place an accent on the first ,
and a secondary accent on t h third or fourth beat e
i f we attempt to imagin the bar with only one e
accent and t h r st f t h beats ll equally

,
e e o e a
unaccented as som h v suggest ed we shall find

,
e a e ,
fi time rhythm r p lsive and peculiar i f not

v e- e u ,
impossible The o ly question is as to which beat

. n
is to receive the s condar y cc nt whether the bar is

e a e ,
to be divided in the order Triple Duple or Duple —

,
Triple ; and in many cas s t h composer arranges e e
the matter f us i t her by placing a dotted b li

or ,
e ar ne
be fore the secondary acce t or by w riting Triple and n ,
Duple bars alternately If he dop t s neither f these . a o
ways we must be guided by the har m onic constru

, e
tion or by the phrase indications ; and i f t hese give

,
—
no clue we shall have to t rus t to an arbitrary

,
distinction in whichever way we feel it to be best .
Moreover the ord r f the grouping will be some

,
e o
times changed ei t her by the composer , by our or
feeling That a g roup f five equal notes with only

. o
QUINTUP LE A N D S EPTUPLE 27 1
one accent is possible we do not believe ; and i f it ,
is attempted it can only lead to an unsatis factory

vagueness f e ffect o .
F ive time r hythm is used f the portrayal f I

'
or o
—
intense agitation f mind in the second scene f the

o o
third act f Wagner s Trist n and in H ndel s

o
” ’ “
a ,
a
’
opera Orlando f which p ssage Burney steeped

“
, o a
,
as he was in Italian me t hods remarks that it is a ,

“
division f time which can only be borne in suc h a

o
situation ”
.
1
C hopin uses I } rh ythm in the l w movement f s o o
his sonata in C minor The first two b rs are in . a
crotchets the third and fourth f which are joi ed by

, o n
a l g t sign the rest being t t moreover the

e a o , s a cca o : ,
third cro tchet is a chord f the diminished seventh ; o
it is thus singled out from the other crotchets which ,
are tonic triads hence everything combi es to place

: n
th
e secondary accent on the third crotchet and the ,
bar th refore consists f a Duple followed by a

e o
Triple Measure S ince we maintain that a composer

.
nearly always indicates his general rhythmical idea in

the first two or three me sures we must take t his as a ,
the prevailing accentu tion f the succeeding bars a o .
Paderewski makes use f time in the second o
section f his Chants des V oyageurs No 4 The

o
”
, . .
mov ment is h d d A d ti mi ti
e ea d there is a
e
'
n an no s co , a n
further direction ml t in the first bar The '
, s erzo s o , .
1 B urn ey, Hi s to ry, V o l IV . ..

p .
3 64 .
1 28 HYT H M OF MODE R N MU S I C
R
character t hus indicated i the he ding is supported n a
by the rhythmical schem the accen t s i t h first e, n e
sec t ion ( in 3 t ime )bei g displ c d by v rious means n a e a ,
and t h ccentu tion f the b au t i ful hord successions

e a a o e C -
o f the second s c t io in time being rranged i e n, ,

a n
a sort f orderly disord r w ith the in t e t ion f

o e ,
n o
mys t i fyi g the b Thn whol f this section ea rer . e e o
consists f r p ti tions in v rious keys f a single

o e e a o
P riod f four bars in l gth whose unusual

e o en ,
accentu t ion becomes gradually impr ss d on the

a e e
mind The first two b rs owi g to t h co s t ruction

. a ,
n e n
o f th ir melody giv t h impression f b i g divid d

e ,
e e o e n e
into Tripl Duple M asur s ; and by t h s me mea s

e— e e e a n
th second p ir f bars give the opposit impression

e a o e ,
v zi f Dupl Triple
. o Hence we g t mix t ure f g
e- . e a o ,
d 2 withi a singl P riod

2
59 an 3 n e e .
Th phrasing f Q uintupl time is lik ll

e o e ,
e a
o th rs generally by four m asur Rhythms the four

e ,
—
e e ,
Measures consis t ing f altern t t hr e and two tim s o a e e -

e .
Thus f exampl i the pass ge f Tris tan

, o r e, n a o
“ ”
r ferr d t the or t hodox form is re t ained in spite f

e e o , , o
the g i t t ch r ct r f t h music The harmonic

a a o a a e o e .
s t ructure in w hich t h closes are ar tf lly conceal d

, e u e ,
so as not t check t h on w rd flow f the music o e a o ,
makes R hy thms f four Measur s each t h measures o e , e
being alternat ly tripl d dupl and t h fi time e e an e, e v e—
bars cont in t w measures e ch a o a .
In t h Padere w ski example exactly the same

e
QUINTUPLE AN D SEPTUPLE 9 1 2
relations obtain between the Bars Measures and , ,
Rhythms ; b t here there is no attempt to conceal

u
the closes The Chopin movement is like that f

. o
Paderewski the first Period f two four measure

:
, o -
R hythms ends with a full close in the fo rth bar

, u ,
hence each bar contains two Primary Measures .
The second Period f 4 + 5 Measures ends with a , o ,
full close in bar 9 .
In his song Agnes Ex 3 5 which is funda “

, .
,
mentally i time Brahms show how expressive

n , s
Ex .
35 .
B RA H M S (
“
AG N E S Op .
1 sr H a f-R yt ml h h .
Con mo to .
I 1 po co f
Ro s en ze i t, w ie sc h ll ne vo rbe i , sc h ll
ne vo rbe i
2n d l h h
H a f R yt m .
bi s t d n d o c h ge ga n g en .
music can be made through phrase construction -
alone By an exquisite delicacy f touch he con

. o ,
trives throughout the so g to give intense pathos n
to certain salient ideas by echoing them in a

repetition f the second measure f the first Hal f
o o
Rhyt h m while retaining the normal form in the

,
second Hal f R hythm -

.
R
Tschaikowsky uses rhythm in his S ixth S ym

phony i the ord r n ch bar having its secondary
e ea
acc nt on its third crotchet throughout the move

e
ment .
S ev n tim rh ythm is either a combination

e -
e f a O
triple with a measure f four Primary values or it o ,
forms a seven measure Period —

.
T h first is exemplified in Brahms V ariations a ’

e o n
Hungari S ong Ex 3 6 i which the crotch t is

an ,
.
,
n e
Ex .
36 .
B RA H M S V A RI A T N
IO S ON A H U NG AR I A N NGSO (O p . 2 1 ,
No .
I st R yth hm .
zud h h
R yt m .
the Primary note and t h measures succeed e o ne
another in the order 1 The Theme consists f a . o
Period f eight Measures and its first Rhythm is

o ,
divided by the harmo ic construction into Half n
R hythms as shown by our a alysis

, In t h first n . e
R hythm each group f seven Primary notes forms ao

QUI N T U PLE AN D S EPTUPLE 3 1 1
Hal f R h ythm clearl y defined by the half and full

-
,
clos s In the second R h ythm the four measures

e .
are continuous and the result f the whole is

,
o
delight ful .
Ex .
37 .
S L A N CA F MRO C HA
“
N N SO S NA T NL
IO A ES DES S L V DU
A S SU D .
F . Z . KU HA C .
I st Rhy hm t .
N e- o bo l
s a n ca ad la ze
pj pa p na —
a nd h h
R yt m . I st h h
R yt m .
gvi Sn o
le- n e tra vn ik e bo O-m o - ri la vs et e
za p
E nd o f 1 st i
P er o d .
a nd R yt m .h h
d ro bn e
E nd o f z ud i
P er o d .
1
R
The other m ethod is sho w n in Ex 3 7 The . .
words are in ordinary verses f four feet each but o , ,
as frequently happ ns in vocal music the single fe t

e ,
e
of th words do not correspond to t h single

e e
measures f the music In the present case the

o .
verse f four feet covers seven Measures and the

o ,
'
ends f the Rhythms are care fully defined by closes

o .
The result is that the four verses are applied to four

R h ythms f seven Measures each making t w
o ,
o
Periods .
S ain t S aens in his Etude Op 5 N 4 changes 2, O

-
.
,
.
, ,
the Di r sis f two sets f notes having exactly the

ae e
1
o o
same ppear nc on paper by l t ering the sign t ure

a a e ,
a a
from to 3 thus m Jj ,
becom s ci
1
,
e
0
In th crotchet is the Primary note t h first

e : e
crotchet is divid d into a t riplet the second i t o

e , n
a duplet In 3 the quaver is the Prim ry not e

. a ,
and a triple time measure is succeeded by a duple ,
making a compound 5 time bar .
1 S ee pa g e 4 3 .
C H APTE R VI
I mpo rta n c e o f t h e Fo ur- M ea s u re h h

R yt m h
Sc ubert s R yt m s
—
’
h h
B h v Rhy h m
eet o en s
’
t s l h h
H a f R yt m s hT ree M ea su re
R hy h m
t F iv M s e- ea s u re h h
R yt m s h h
R yt m s o f Se en v
M ea s u res
UP to the present we have confined our a t tention

to the four measure R h ythm with an
-
,
I mp f orta nce o
l ll
o cca S IO n a to t da nto p ”
u s 1o n i s IV I S I O n 1 07 .
Hal f rhyt h ms Upon this form f phrase M m

-
. o
f d f’ ’
is built and must always be built by f

, ,
ar
the larg est portion f all music whether classical or

o ,
otherwise For the balance f

. whe t her applied o 2 2,
to the bar or the R hythm is ndoubtedly the easiest u
rhythmical structure f the mind to grasp and or ,
therefore the one that gives the satisfaction to the

greatest number Moreover an easily grasped .
,
rhythm leaves the mind free to appreciate the sub t le

ties f the Melos with which it is clothed The
O .
essence f rhythm is balance and due proportion

o ,
and by dividing time into four equal parts we btain O
the most satisfactory balance .
Our readers will ha e noticed that in some f our v O
examples the close which ends a phrase falls on the

R
third me sur instead f t h fourth but t h t by

a e o e ,
a
extension or repetition f the final chord or ot t h o n e, e
due proportion f four m asures f time is pres rv d o e o e e .
T h s me result would btain i f the final measure

e a O
were represen t ed by a rest f t h b l nce f t ime , or e a a o
w ould s t ill be k pt t hough t h R h ythm would not e , e
be entirely fill d wi t h sound ; and tim aft r all is

e e, e ,
th essential subst c out f which rhy t hm is

e an e o
m de a .
A compos r w ill sometimes how ver place his

e ,
e ,
concludi g chord on the t hird m sur and t ff

n ea e, cu o
t h fo rth ltoge t her ; and the R h ythm w ill then

e u a
consist f three me sures o ly This bri gs us to

o a n . n
the important subj ct f th divisio s f t h R hythm e o e n o e
i to other than four measures more especially i to

n ,
n
une en numb rs such as t hree and fi

v Th s
e ,
ve . e e
divisions which w ll know in cer t in folk

,
a re e n a
music wer occ sionally us d by t h lder com

,
e a e e O
posers but becoming more in evidence in t h

, a re e
present day because audiences becomi g more

,
a re n
cultivated ; and w i t h i creasi g cul t ivation they n n
enjoy departures from the beaten tr ck Thus a .

,
where we find in Mo art or Beethoven an occasio l z na
P riod with two or more three measure Rhy t hms

e —
,
Brahms and his successors base whole sections f o
compositions Rh ythms f other than four

0 11 o
measures A d these composers greatly daring

. n , ,
O ften obscure the endin g s f such phras s so t h t i o e ,

a t
I MPO RT A N C E O F FOU R ME ASU R E 3 5 -
1
is di ffi cult to say wher ends and the next begins

e o ne ,
and a keen intellectual pleasure is experienced .
In the classical music f the eighteenth cent ry o u
( apart from that f Bach) the R hythms are very

o
precisel y shown by cadences so that the most ,
unlearned or careless listener cannot fail to perceive

them Into the formal moulds which resulted the
.
,
great composers poured the inspir tions f th ir a o e
genius giving expression to the highest aspirations

,
O f their time with marvellous skill The courtly .
grace the formal etiquettes and ma ners f the

,
n o
centur y are reflected in the music f Handel Mo art o ,

z ,
and Haydn and their contemporaries who used

, ,
well d fi d forms f their own purposes and pro

—
e ne o r ,
d d through them music that like the ancient

u ce ,
Greek drama will continue to make appeal to

,
generations y t unborn in spite f a implicity f

e ,
o S o
construction that is no longer in keeping with the

spirit f the age o .
The human feeling that is expressed in the highest

e fforts f artistic genius makes its appeal to all ages
o ,
f o rhuman nature never changes only th methods : e
o f expression vary with the di fferent generations and ,
f a modern composer to t y and give expression to

or r
his emotions with the formality f a Mo art would o z ,
be much t h same as i f he were to appear in public in

e
a powdered wig and knee breeches .
B t M o art and Haydn sometimes tried

u z p i ex er
1 36 RHYTHM OF MODE RN M U S I C
ments with new forms f Period For instance they o .
,
would construct one f t hree me sure Rhythms o —

a ,
or they would extend the orthodox form by one or

more measures ; but they never failed to indicate
clearly what they int nded Thus they obtained e .
variety in t h ir rhythmical schemes w ithout o ffend

e ,
ing t h tastes f their day

e o .
To w ards t h end f t h eighteenth c ntury man

e o e e
kind w beginning t weary f formality and the

as o O ,
courtly order f t hi gs b gan to change f more

o n e o r
freedom f manners and a gr a t er liberality

o f ,
e O
outlook D mocracy commenced th t ascend ncy

. e a a
which has been growing ever since and f which th , o e
first gre t x t ernal videnc w se n in the French

a e e e as e
Revolution The feeling naturally began to be

. re
fl t d in art ; f art is t h expression f the emotions

ec e o r e o
o f those f whom and by whom it is produced

or .
Democracy is not concerned wi t h forms and st yles , ,
and etique tt s What i t requires is to giv free expres

e . e
sion to its f elings and under the lder eg i m the

e , O r e
enjoyment f art was a privilege f the upper classes

o o ,
so that artis t s expressed the promptings f t heir genius o
in a style that was congenial to t h onl y audiences e
that they had When Beethoven came to the fore

.
ne w ideas had begun to obtain Though he was .
one f the people the new power that was making

o ,
itsel f fel t had advanced to such a point that he could

dare t set at nough t the etiquettes and formali t ies f
o o
I MPO RTA N CE O F FOU R ME AS U RE 3 7 -
1
the aristocracy on whom he depended f his living o r ,
and to go his own way with impunity While .
adhering to the four measure Rhythm more closely —
than his predecessors he made it l ss evident by , e
rounding ff its edges and thus he laid the f d

O , o un a
tions f the continuous Melos which t kes so large a

O a
place in modern music .
The formality which is so mark d feature in t h e a e
music f Mo art and Haydn is te m pered down by

o z ,
Be thoven ; and with him came that remarkable man

e
S ch bert
u who forestalled modern methods in
,
another way to be shortly referred to After them

, .
came Mendelssohn and S chumann both f whom , o ,
especially the former returned to some f the ancient

, o
fo rmality in phrase construction The influence f . o
Mendelssohn was para m ount f many years and or ,
while this was the case critics while admiri g the ,

n
wonderful melodies f S chubert found fault with o ,
him because his phrases do not always co form to n
the orthodox four measure construction But S chu

—
.
bert was in adva ce f his age ; and the n o
irregularity f from being a fault con ROW

,
ar ,
“
sti t t
u es one f the chie f charms f his delight ful
O O
music He had as keen a sens f rhythm as any f

. e o o
the great composers and well kne w how to use it ;

,
and h i une pected phrases t t li g as they must

s x , s ar n
have been before they became familiar were like , ,
Beethoven s novel use f discords merely a com

’
o ,
1
R
p li with
a n ce t h d mand that was maki g itsel
e f f lt
e n e
f freedom from t h strict formality f a previous

o r e o
generation .
Thus f xample in the S cher o f his A mi or

,
o r e ,
z o n
S on ta Op 4 we find c re f lly constructed

a ,
. 2, a u
R hythms f fi d s ve o measures in l rgeve an e n a
numbers which are evid ntly not t h r sult f

,
e e e o
ch nc though t hey mus t have pu l d early

a e, zz e
list ners In t h S onata i B major Op 4 7

e . e n ,
. 1 ,
a
l rg portion f t h All g g i t consists f delight

a e o e e ro us o o
fully fresh six me sur R hythms I the first mov

—
a e . n e
ment f th S onata in B fl t fi measure R hythms

o e a ,
v e—
are int rmi gled wi t h t hose f four d three

e n o an
measures i w
y tha t giv sn cont mpla
a t ive and
a e a e
mystical feeli g to the music Other instances m ight

n .
be found f S chub rt s intention l d parture from

o e
’
a e
the four measur phrase not in the formal and

-
e ,
conscious m nner f his pr dec ssors or from w nt

a o e e , a
o f m st ry f his mat rials but wi t h a design to

a e o e ,
exci t e the imagination by not allow ing the rhythmical

scheme to be too bvious O .
B ethove s strong and novel e ff cts

e n
’
produce d e a re
more by telling harmonies and syncopations than by

vari tions in the length f his R hythms and when he
a O ,
departs from the four measure construction he some —
times labels the passage so that th per former may ,

e
make no mistake as to what h means Thus in the e .

,
S cher o f the Ninth S ymphony a pass ge is marked

z o , a ,
HUBE RT S RHYTH M S
SC 39
’
1
R i t mo di tre battute Rhythm f three bars

'
“
,
t e . . o ,
and lat r when he returns to the four measure he

e ,
—
,
marks it Ritmo di q attro b tt te To intensi fy u a u .

”
the excitement f the movement he shortens his o ,
Rhythms without marking them by closes ; on the

contrary the co ductor is expected to feel this
,
n
most d licate e f accentuation and t com

nua n ce o ,
o
m i t it to his audie ce and th composer here

u n ca e n ,
e
seems to h ve anticipated the advent f those

a o
famous modern musicians w h have raised the o
art f conducting to a special branch f their

O o
profession .
Beethoven b gan the modern practice f trus t ing

e o
to the intelligence f his udience in B m m o a e w

i
,
rhythmical matters In his Quartet Op ”WM ” .

, .
1
3 1 ,
he constantly uses the expressions R itmo d i ,
quattro battute R i t mo di tre battute ,

”
and “
,
”
Ritmo di due battute this case there is no In
conductor s beat to assist the audience But the

’
.
appeal to the intelligence f the listen rs began f o e ar
be fore this late work ; f in the Pia o S onata Op o r n , .
2 8 the first Period

,
f the opening subject contains o
ten bars undivided by an ything equivalent to a close ,
and the carried at the end f t h Period 0 11 o e
without by the repetition f the bass notes o
in bar This Period is f an unusual

10 . t o c o n s ru c
tion it dema ds Falli g Accentuation to produce its

: n n
1 B a tt u t a , li t era lly a bea t , m ea n s a ba r i n m u s i c.

R
quiet pastoral e ffect th first R hythmical accen t will

: e
fall on the first D in the bass and the alternate b rs ,

a
must be slightly more accented than the rest It is .
one f the f w exceptions from the four measure

o e -
structure found in Beethoven s works The m ’

. co
poser himsel f indicates Falling Accentuation later on

‘
by the f d thus Ex 3 8
s o rz a n o s ,
. .
Ex .
38 .
B T VN
EE HO E (O p . 2 8— FI RS T MO V M NT)
E E .
The practice f obscuring the ends f the Rh yt hms

o o ,
instead f sharply defining them has been developed

o ,
in our own time by W gner Brahms and t hers a , , O .
By its means the intellig nce is called into play and e

,
the imagination f the audience is stirred and the

o ,
e ff or t required forms no sm ll portion f the pleasure a O
o f listening to music The more intelligent the

.
public becomes t h greater is the freedom available

,
e
to the composer to express himsel f in a manner that

would have seemed abstruse and impossible to an
earlier generation But in t his matter the nineteenth
.
H ALF RHYTHM S 4
-
1 1
century composers were anticipated by Bach whose ,
Rhythms and Periods are not so sharply defined as
those f Mo art and Haydn

o z .
Let us now examine how composers use Rhythms

of other than the normal number f measures o ,
commencing with the two measure or Hal f rhythm -

,
—
,
since this next to t h four measure is the

,
most e -
,
o ne
in evidence It may be said indeed that the Hal f

.
, ,
rhythm takes a place equal to t h four measure in e —
importance since the greater number f Rhythms

,
o
show some sort f di ision into measures

o v .
A R hythm f instrumental music is the equivalent

o
to t h singl verse f poe t ry which is H y/

e e O , a
4;
fund mentally such a sentence as can b

a
My h ” e
t
com fortably utt red in a single breath But bo h

e . t
the V erses f poetry and the R hythms f music

o o
may be f dramatic purposes di ided into shorter

or v
than the normal lengths so that they b come ,

e
verses f tw feet f instance or R hythms f two

O o ,
o r , o
measures .
A succession f verses f two feet is possibl

O g O e : e
in the Midsummer Night s Dream ’
,
”
On th e g r o un d
Sleep s o u n d,
I ll
’
a
pp ly
To y r ou e
ye
1 42 R HYTHM OF MODE R N MU S I C
r 2 3 4
G en t l l
e o ver rm
e e dy
W h en th o u w a kst
T h ou ta k st
T r ue d li g h
e t
In th e s i gh t
O f t h y fo rm er l a dy s
’
e
ye .
hort phrases a alogous t t h s are much m re

S n o e e o
frequent in music t han in Poe t ry By some th orists . e
t h y are called t w
e measur R hy t hms by o t hers o -
e ,
H lf rhythms or Portio s f rh yt hms T h nome

a —
,
n o . e n
l t
c a is t f gre t impor t nce wh t is f
u re no o a a : a o
impor t nce is t u ders t nd tha t such short phras s

a o n a e
a re rh yt hmical s c tio s which mus t be mad viden t e n ,

e e
by t h p r former w h ther w call th m t w measur

e e e e e o —
e
rhyt hms or hal f rhythms In our view th most -

. e
conv ie t w y is t look upon t h m as h l f rhy t hms

en n a o e a —
,
except w hen t h complet P riod co sis t s f four e e e n o
i s t ead f ight m asures as is o ft en t h c s in

n o e e , e a e
slow movements .
I f w w ri t S hakespear s li s four f e t vers s

’
e e e ne as —
e e
th erhym s will divide the m i to hal f vers s d th

e n —
e , a n e
e ff ec t wh n re ding t hem aloud is t h s me

e abe fore e a as
On the g ro u n d , S l ee
p so u n d
,
I Il
’
a
pp y l to yo u e ye, r
l l r r G en t e o ve ,
e m e d y
1
.
1
I G nk hy h m i l h y v re e r t ca t eo r a ers e or a R yt m i s c ah h ll d e a
C l l f m i l v
” ”
o o nTw m . o o r o re co o ns or 3
“
Pe r o d Ha f .
-
ers es
o r h l f hy h m
a h h b v li
-
r t s, s uc as t e a o e n es , a re ll d S m i l
ca e e c o o n s,
an d y pan i f v hy h m
o rt o n o a ers e or r t s ma ll h hi i
er t an t s s a
H ALF R HYTHM S 43
-
1
It will be noticed that the final verse f each o
stan a is not divided into hal f verses but contains

z —
,
the normal number f four fe t o e .
S hakespeare could scarcely have known anything

f the Greek rhythmical theory on which so much
o
light has been thrown f late years ; b t he like all o u ,
great poets and musicians i stinctively constructed ,

n
his periods in forms that can be best explained by

re ference to Greek t heory The Gre ks noticed . e
that when the verses f poetry or the R hythms f o ,

o
music (which with t hem were identical ) are divided ,
into hal f verses or hal f rhythms the rhythmic l

— —
,
a
instinct seems to demand that the final verse or

Rh ythm f the Period shall be co m ple te
o d an
nbrok n This instinct led S hak speare t give

u e . e o
the full number f four feet to the last verse f ach o O e
period and i t is r markable how frequently ins tinct

,
e
leads our musicians to treat such periods as begin

with hal f rhythms i t h same way Many instances
—
n e .
might be adduced but f considerat ions f spac or o e
w ill strate it by a passage from Br hms C larine t

’
e u a
S onata Ex 3 9 ,
. .
Co m m a . i
T h e g ra m m a r a n s o f t h e Ro m a n E m p re m a r e d i k
t h ese d ivi is o ns b i i
y certa n s g n s , a n d i n c o urs e o f t m e th e n a m es i
w ere t ra n s ferred fro m t h e d ivi is o ns of po et ry t o t h e s g n s t a t i h
ma r kd h
e t ese ivi i d d h ig s o n s, a n t e s ns w ere u s ed fo r pro s e a s w e ll
as
po et ry . Th y w k e a re no no wn as
pu n c t ua t i on s ig ns ; t he re
is as yet no hi g x ly q iv l
t n e a ct e u a en t to t h em in M us i l
ca
no i
ta t o n .
1 44 R HYTHM OF M ODE RN MU S I C
Ex .
39 .
B RA H M S (C L N TS N T
ARI E O A A Op . 1 20 , NO . l— S E CO ND M V M NT)
O E E .
A lleg r o
'
a ppa ss zo n a to .
C L NT
ARI E .
f
-
W
Fu ll C lo s e .
In this example there are tw well d fi d Hal f o —

e ne
rhythms f two measures each followed bv a com

o ,
pl te eR hythm f four undivided measures which

o ,
concludes the Period A further example will be .
found in the A d t m t f the same sonata

n a n e co n o o o .
T h Rhythms are in the la t t er case divided by the

e
phrasing signs into single Me sures each bar contain a ,
ing two M asures The first Period concludes at

e .
t h fourth bar with two undivided measures

e Every .
one knows that similar short phrases are very

common in all classical music ; but it is perhaps t no
H ALF R HYTHM S 45
-
1
generally noticed that a succession f s ch phrases is O u
almost al ways succeeded by an unbroken phrase f o
double the length f the shorter phrases It is o .
probably our sense f balance that demands this o
treatment the rhythmical faculty is not satisfied :
with small doles f accents but requires a complete o ,
rhythm to succeed and counterbalance them .

1
1
Fo r a co n fim i r at on of w h a t is h ere a dd uced a vl o ume o f
B hvee t o en s
’
S o n a t a s fo rms
y m ea n s o f referen c e W e refe r an ea s .
only to i
t h e o en n g Per o ds : t h e rea d er ca n
p n ves t g a t e t h ei i i
f h
urt er hi l
c o urs e o f mo vem en t s fo r mse f .
S N
o n a ta Ad g i Th fi f o m . 1d fi i ly
. a o. e rs t o ur ea s ures a re e n te
d i i d d by h l f l
v e i h lf h y hm b a d 4 h
-
c o s es n to a -
r t s at a rs 2 an : t e
l d i g hy h m f h p i d i f f
co n c u n r b k m t o t e er o s o o ur un ro en ea s u res ,
en d i g w i h h f ll l
n b 8t t e u c o se a t ar .
M T h m l dy p
enuetto . wi h m f ll w d by e e o O en s t 1 1 ea s ures , o o e
an b kun ph f w m
ro en ra s e o t o ea s ures .
i m Th m l dy f h fi hy h m i b k i
'
P res t sst o. e e o o t e rs t r t s ro en n to
1 1 m 1 h w d i g hy hm
1 f f
ea s ures t e t o s u cc ee n r t s a re o o ur
co n n ec t ed m ea s u res .
So n a ta N O . 2 . La rg o appa ssi ona to Th e rs t per o d . fi i co n s s t s i of
2 + 2 m ea s ures ll
fo o w ed by fo ur u n d v ded m ea s ures ii .
Sc/zerz o . 1 + 1 fo ll o w ed by 2 .
So n a t a N o .
3 . A llegro con bri o . fo ll d by 4
o we .
A da g i o . Th e ba rs a re co m po u n d , an d th e fun d a m en t a P l h ra ses
a re h ere t w o no t fo ur-mea s u re R yt m s In ba r 7 t ere a re t w o h h . h

h lf hy hm ll
a — r i t s, fo o w ed m m ed a te y by t h e fun d a m en t a t w o i l l
m hy h
ea s u re r t m ( In th e E m n o r po rti o n th ere i s a ra d ca
. i i l
ch g f hy h m i l
an e o r t ca c o n s tr u c t o n i i n to w hi h c we ca n n o t en t er
h ) ere .
So n a t a N O .
4 . La rgo . 1 + 1 1 1 fo ll o w ed by 4 .
S o n a ta N o 5 i n C m i n o r Allegr o molto con bri o

. . . Th e peno i n
g
ba r i s i n t ro d uc t o ry Th e r yt m pro per co mmen ces
. h h w th i an
x
46 R
The principle may be briefly stated thus when a :
Period commences with a series f short detached o
phrases it will usually conclude wi t h an unbroken

,
phrase f double the leng th f th single detached

o o e
phrases with which it commenced .

1
An a c rus i s o f t h ree n o t es in t hi s ba r, a nd i ts fi rs t a c cen t is in th e
s eco n d h i g h ld b
ba r . Th e p d h ra s n s ou e o wn to t e
thi h
r t een t hi h h l di g f m
ba r, i n w hy hm f c t e co n c u n o u r- e a s u re r t o
t h fi e
p i d h ld
rs t mm er o ihA i B hi
s ou co en c e w t n a cru s s . ut t s co n
i i
s t ruc t o n h i h di y di i s no t s Th G i o b
wn n t e or nar e t o ns . e n a rs
9 ,
d
1 1 ,3 h ld f m h
an d 1 h b gi
s ig f h
ou or t e an , no t t e e nn n o t e
ph d h F E fl
ra s e s , a n f h b t h ld f m h A
e ,
i a t, o t es e a rs s ou or t e n a c rus s .
L h et td pl y h p
e rea
g h d h
er ill p b bly g
a t e a ss a e t us , a n e w ro a a ree
wi h t h i g i g l y i b illi
us t a t d
t gy i k p i g
a ns rea t n r a n ce an en er ,
n ee n
wi h
”
h
t t o i e f h mp r o o t e co o s er.
Ad gi m l a o f ll d by 4
o to . o o we .
Fi l +
na e f ll w d by
. 1 1 o o e 2 .
S N
o n a ta 6 A ll g o f ll d by 4 I e ro o o we t
p fl
. . . .
s eem s su p erh f uo us f h b m g to urs u e t e re eren c es u rt er ; ut a o n st
th l e a t er w fi d so n a ta s e n
S N
o n a ta 7 Op 9 E mi o Fi
. m v m
2 , + . 0, n o r. rs t o e en t . 2 2
2 f ll 2, d by ph o o f igh m
we b k by a ra s e o e t ea s u res un ro en res t s .
S N
o n a ta
9 Op 6 i B fl o . 2 All g , f ll w d by. 1 0 , n a t . e ro . o o e
4 wi h I
t o u t res ts h l f hi .h i gl m n t e sc zerz o o t s so n a ta t e s n e ea s u re
ph ra s esi f c o n t n ue l im d ill h ig h h
or an u n us u a t e, a n no t t t e e t een t
b d ar h mp l m
o es
y f
t m
e co hy h m e en ta r o u r- ea s u re r t en t er .
Ch i m
1
m y hi k h f ll
o r i g xp i m
a s t ers h yi g
a t n t e o o w n e er en t w o rt tr n .
I y h ym w hi h
n an i f q lv n ch l co n ta n s o ur e ua ers es to ea c s t a n za ,
et
h b li gh p f b h m ki g m m y b k i
t ere e a s t a use or rea t , a n a o e n ta r rea n
th i iy f q l b
e co n t n u C t h o d f h fie d ua a rs , a a es ura , a t t e en o t e rs t a n
th dv
e s e co n h l hi d d f h v b g i herses ; t en et t r an o u rt erses e su n w t o ut
a C ( By
ae s u ra . m f h i gl li f h
vers e w e ea n , o c o u rs e , t e s n e ne o t e
p y ) T hi w ill b i
o et r . d wi h
s h G k h i e n a cc o r a n ce t t e re e aes t et c
l w h
a twt d h d ph
at h ld b f ll w d by i gl
o et a c e ra s es s ou e o o e a s n e
H A LF R HYTH M S 47 — 1
In symphonies long successions f Hal f rhythms o -
are o ften found more especially in the working out ,
section f such passages have the e ffect f carrying

,
or o
on an unbroken Melos while the Hal f rhythms are ,

-
not indicated by any C suras or closes but by the ae ,
melodic construction A two measure figure repeats .

-
itsel f over and over again befor it comes to any e
conclusio so that an unbroken phrase f more

n, o
than ordinary length is produced This w ould seem .
to militate against our contention on page 2 that 1
the mind cannot grasp a large section f time ; but o
we quickly sei e t h two m asure nature f the z e -

e o
melody and this t i fi our rhythmical sense W hile

,
sa s es
-
,
the Melos continues an unbroken course A y . n
number f such passages are to be met with

o
in symphonies and not always in the working ,

“
out section only L t the reader listen care

7,
. e
fully to the middle part f t h first movement f o e o
almost any symphony and he will notice how ,
much f it falls i to t w me sur fractions f the

o n o —
a e o
Melos .
un b k
ro ph q l h
en p vi ra s e m bi d d e ua to t e tw o re o us o n es co ne ; an
we t hi k h h h i m
n ill p b bly fi d h
t a t h
t e c o r a s t er w ro a n t at suc a
t rea t men t w ill g i ve a v ig hy hm w hi h

o ur a n d s ig ifi
n ca n c e t o th e r t c
w ill q i k ly b
u c e se ze i d d pp an by h g g i
a d rec a t ei d t e co n re a t o n , a n
w hi h w ill b m
c e i f y h m h i lly i d h i
o re sa t s a c t o r t an a ec a n ca s tr c t a es o n
to h
t l f
e va u e o t h e i ”
n o t es p d i g
“
b hl as w r t t en , ro uc n a rea t ess
ef
fec t , o r a pa u se f h li w hi h i p gi h y d
a t er ea c n e, c s a t to ve a ea v an
w ea r i so me resu t . l
R
In E 4 0 we quote the first two Rhythms f a

x. o
composition in which the t w measure phrasing is o -
carried out through a whole section .
Ex .
40 .
Dvo iui x ( S L Av1 s c n a TA N ZE )

h h
.
1 st R yt m .
li i
P re m na
a nd h h
R yt m .
This is rare It is folk music and the perpetu l

.
—
, a
flow f well marked hal f rhythms gives the e ffect f

o - —
o
res t less activity S uch a construction can be very

.
e ffective f a short composition b t it would soon

or , u
weary us by its restlessness To give repose D i ak .

,
vo
'
constructs his Trio f unbroken four measure o -
R hythms as a contrast to the hal f rh ythms that

,
-
H ALF R HYTHM S -
49 1
precede and succeed them It is remarkable that .
the A nacrusis does not occur throughout this dance .
In very slo w movements f Triple time it is not o
rare to find Periods Whose Rhythms are complete in

two Measures and in this case the phrase is really a
two measure R hythm while the hal f rhythms consist
-
,
-
o f one measure only The reason f this lies in the

. o
limitation f our power f time measurement which

o o , ,
at the outset f the book we have shown to be the

o ,
fu damental cause which necessitates the division f

n o
music into short phrases .
Ex 4 1 . .
B s a r no vw (O vs k
'
ru a a LE O N O RE No .
I st h h
R yt m .
a nd h h
R yt m .
1
R
It will be seen th t in Ex 4 t h Period is strictly a . 1 e
made up f tw R h yt hms the first f which ends

o o ,
o
wi t h a h l f clos t h second with a full c lose in the

a —
e, e
tonic not hi g could be more defini t But t h

n e . e
R hythms f tw Me sures only in length

a re o S ucho a .
p ss g s o ft n con t in quavers which m ke even

a a e e a ,
a an
S ubsidiary acce t u tion so t h t t h lo g drawn not s

n a ,
a e n - e
do not weary and the bar in t his form is llud d a e
to by t h Gr ks under the n m f a S i time

e ee a e o x-
Measure f w hich t h q v r is t h Prim ry value

,
o e ua e e a .
Followi g Gre k r le some modern th orist s have

n e u ,
e
expl ined that in music h ving six Primary Times in

a a
a measure ( w ith t h Di resis n I? I?) the e ae
normal phr ses are lw ys f tw and the norm l

a a a o o a
Periods f four me sur s B t we do not think

o a e . u
i t necess ry t complic t e our theory by r fere c

a o a e n e
t o a six time measure we t hi k t her is no

-
: n e
d i fii lty in accep ting such me sures as cont ining

cu a a
t hr Prim ry v lues ach f w hich is divid d f

ee a a , e o e o r
rhythmic l purpos s in t o t w S bsidi ry v lues

a e o u a a .
Moreov r compos r can i f h w i sh s cons t r c t

e , a e ,
e e , u
R hythms in slo w Triple time f four measur s o e ,
by th repe ti tion f some s triki g subsidiary figure

e o n
,
as in the slo w mov me t f the Four t h S ymphony e n o
o f B ethoven lready lluded to on page 9 and

e a a 2 ,
in so doing h appli s the principle f m king e e o a a
l ngthy phrase int lligible by r pe titions f a short

e e e o
H A LF -
RH YT H M S 1
51
figur eThe m th ti value f the three time

. s e c o -
Measure in l w t mp with Periods f e o o
Rhythms is very great ; f , while solemnity and or
depth f feeling is more usually expressed in even

o
slow time the possibility f using triple measure

, o
f the same purpose gives opportunities f contrast

or o r
and variety It is perhaps worthy f r mark that

.
o e
this kind f movement is less o ft en found in very

o
modern music than in that f the older masters o ,
owi g p rhaps to the greater strenuousn ss f

n e e o
modern li fe which is reflected in our music ; we

,
have less necessity than our forefathers f variety or
in slow movements .
The Rhythm f three Measures is us d in several o e
ways A ormal Period may be

. n
Th ” m
u n ex
r
p t d ly curtailed by the cutting ff f M m

ec e o o aa ra
one f its m asures usually the l s t so

o e ,
a ,
t ha t t h succeeding Period compels attention by

e
ent ring be fore i t due time A example f this

e s . n o
e ff ct occurs t th very outset f E lg S ymphony

e a e o ar s
’
Op 5 5 S Ex 7 page 8 9 This example

. . ee . 1 2 , 2 .
,
however sho w s a somewhat novel

, f the three u se o
measure R hythm to curtail th Period f it is e , or
combin d with apparent Overlap as explain d on

e a n ,
e
page 9 2 0 .
A more i l use f the isolated three measure

u s Ja o -
R hythm is found in Ex 4 . 2 .
1 52 RH YTH M O F M O DE RN M USI C
Ex .
42 .
S T U
RA SS
“
I T LYA S Y MP NY HO —
T HI R D MO V M NT
E E .
C L NT
AR I E
4
.
I: ii
F em n n e en di ng T
¥
“
r
.
o f 4 Meas u re
‘
7
h
R yth m .
V LN IO I .
3
o
—
4
i F em m i n e en di ng o
f i
3 Mea s ure Rh yth m .
The three measure R hythm here occurs i the

-
n
midst f a Period bet w een two normal Rhythms

o , .
TH REE ME AS U RE RHYTHM S 53
-
1
The clari et ends its phrase on the B and the violin

n
,
enters with a new phrase whose com me cing chord , n
sho w s t hat here ther is no kind f Overlap Isolated e o .
t hree measure phras s like this

—
ery common in e a re v
modern music and w shall meet w ith them when w

, e e
come to the analysis f composi t ions They are found o .
in the old r music but more r r ly Their m th ti

e , a e . s e c
v alue is that t h ey keep t h movement going with e un
fl gging n rgy f
a e monotony is possible with an
e
,
o r no
intermingling f thr e and four measure Phras s

o e —
e .
W h ve noticed t hat Mo art Haydn and Beet

e a z , ,
hoven occasionally employ short successions f three o
measur Rhyth m s Brahms goes mor boldly into

e . e
the matter and makes the three m sur t h funda

,
—
ea e e
mental Rhy t hm f a whole section f a movement o o ,
as f example in his G minor Piano forte Quartet

, or , ,
o f w hich Ex 4 3 shows the openi g b rs . n a
Ex .
43 .
B RA H M S PI A NF T O OR E
Q U A RT E T IN G MI N OR (O p .
—
R 0N o o
A LLA Z I N GA R E S E .
I st h h
R yt m . zu d R yth m h .
is headed Rondo all Z i g

It and its “
a n a res e,
three measure R h ythms are suggestive f wild gipsy

-
o
li fe A con t rast is produced by the strictly four

.
me sure s t ructure f the second sectio and f part

a o n, o
R
of the m p t but the prevailing R hythm

o no res o ,
throughou t is that f three me sur s o a e .
r vr rM
1 2 3
Mo st po t e n t , g a ve, a nd re e en t S i gn i o s,
as c . en d g
in .
v ry l r
1 2 3 4 5
My e no be a n d a
pp o ve d
g o o d m a s t e rs ,
F em .
5
h h
I 2 4
3
T
’
a t I a ve ta en a w a y t h lS o ld m a n s d a u g h t e r,
Fem .
s
r
a
hv
3 4
It m o st I m a rr i e d h e r ;
M
IS t ru e ; t u e, a e
a s c.
s
v yh
I 2 3 4
T he er ea d a n d fro n t o f my o ffen d i n g
'
F em .
x r
I 2 3
Ha t h
.
t h IS e t en t , no mo e.
C at s.
The bove lines from Othello w ill s rv as an

a e e
Th Fi ,
an /a
r
logy in v rse f t h rhy t hmical t a e o r e s ru c
M m ea t ur
re we are abou t to d scribe the ef e ,
u se o
w hich ex t ended sc l has be n o n a n a e e
a tt mp t ed by Brahms alo e mo gst the gre t

e n a n a
m st rs so f as w are aw re
a e ,
ar e a .
The Rhy thm f fi me sures h al w ays bee o ve a as n
r cog is d d is described by H C Ko h in his

e n e ,
an . . c
“
A l i t ung
n e musikalische Composi tio 787
z ur n, 1 .
H giv s it the tech ical t erm f F ii f and s ys ”

e e n o n er, a
t hat it aris in s ver l wa ys I t can b

ca n ext n e e a . e an e
sio f t h Vi rer (four m sur ) by repet i tion

n o e e
"
—
ea e ,
a
o f its fin l chord w i h or wi t hout ornamen ta t ion

a ,
t .
Or one f t h intern l measur s f a V ierer can be

o e a e o
rep a ted ; b t in bo t h th se cas s h considers that i t

e u e e e
is not tru F f b t merely

a xten d d V ier r
e u n er, u an e e e .
FI VE MEAS URE R HYTH M S
-
55 1
The real F f which is rare he says is one in

u n er, , ,
which there is no extension or repetition but t h ,

e
phrase comes to its natural ending masculine or ,
feminine on its fi fth m asure

, e .
The above kinds f fi measure phrases can be

o v e—
fo nd in almost any classical work but they are

u ,
used as a rule in such a manner th t t h y do not a .

e
disturb the even flow f four or two measures since

o ,
they overlap the succeeding R hythm so that their ,
last accent coincides with the first f the next phras o e .
Hence the 5 + 4 measures only make a Period f o
eight measures between th m e .
Ex .
44 .
R . S T U
RA S S, E IN H E LD N L N
E EB E (O p .
O v erla p .
1
R
This constructio is so common as a means f n o
carrying on an u broke Melos th t we need not go n n a
f rther into it
u But Br hms v r expressing himself
. a ,
e e
by means f w rhythmic l forms utilises the fi

o ne a ,
ve
measure Rhythms w ithout Overl ps as the basis f a o
whole sections f composi t ions so that a music l o ,

a
equivalent to the lines f S h k speare quoted above o a e
results Thus t h piquant ff ct f t h Trio in the

. e e e o e
G minor Pianofort Q rtet is largely due to the fact e ua
tha t after t h two i t roduc tory triplets it is entirely

,
e n ,
built on R hythms f five measures each A contrast o .
to the Trio is formed by the In t rme o which is in e zz ,
very regular four m asure Rhy t hms -

e .
He saw the value f fi m sure rhythms early in o v e— ea
his career In Ex 4 5 from his Ballade Op O

. .
, , . I
No . Nach d scho ttisch n Ballade Edward

1 ,
er e ,
the fi measure Rhy t hms with their alternately rising

v e- ,
and falling accentuat ion s em to reflect th horror , e e
of the story in which a son murd rs his father at his

,
e
mother s instigation ’
.
Ex .
45 .
B RA H M B LL D
S, A A E D
E W AR D (O p . 1 0, h e
zu d i
P er o d .
SH 1 2 3 4 5
P Fa lli ng a cc . R ii s n g a c c. Fa lli n g s ee .
In his song A m S onn t g Morgen Op 4 9 ,

“
a , .
,
No the fi f e t f the verses are wedded to

. 1 , ve e o
fi measure Rhythms wi t h ch rming fl t

v e- a e
'
ec .
MEAS U R E R HYTHM S
S I! -
57 I
Next to Rhythms f four and f two measures o o
those f six are the most used A a rule Th Si

o . s
e x
they are made by adding a Half rhythm to M m -

aa ra
My m
an ordinary four measure phrase and this -
,
t ’
is frequently done in such a way that the whole

Rhythm is distinctly divided fro m the hal f which
follows it so that we can speak f the six measure
, o -
as having a C sura at its fourth measure a .
But there are cases f S i measure Rhythms o x—
without perceptible C sura such as the second ae ,
o f the two in Ex 3 4 page 2 ; and they are .

,
1 2
very beauti ful Si measure can also be divided . x-
into as in the first f Ex 3 4 or o .

,
by C es r as
a u .
A very common use f the Si measure Rhythm is o x—
shown in Ex 5 2 page 9 4 from Brahms Rhapsody

.
,
1 ,
’
Op 9 No 4 where it overlaps the next Period

. 1 1 ,
.
, ,
in the same way and f the same reason as we ,

or
described in connection wi t h the fi measure on v e-
page 5 5 In this example the overlap does not

1 .
disturb the fl ow f fi measures upon which the o v e—
composer builds this Rhapsody ; but w here there is

a six measure with overlap in the midst f four
- o
measures the result is a Period f nine measures

,
o
instead f eight and an intentional slight disturbance

o ,
o f the regular fl ow f normal phrases o .
In Ex 5 page 3 8 we have shown six measure

.
, ,
-
Rhythms produced by Duple S ub i d i ry in combina s a ,

1
R
tion with Triple Primary Measure ; but such cases

are rare .
R hythms f s v n measures o only met wi t h in

e e a re
Rfiy /m f
t
isolated
uo
c ses t h ir most usual place beinga ,
e
S
ew n at th end f ser es f Per ods where
e o a i o i ,
M m
t hey formed by several rep t itions f
ed i u
a re e o
the concluding chord f t h full close The y are o e .

,
however sometimes used with an Overlap so t h t

, ,
a
th eimpression f s ver l six measur Phras s is

o e a —
e e
give ; b t a Phrase f so consid ra ble a lengt h as

n u o e
se M sur s almost alw ys r peat s som defi i t e

ve n ea e a e e n
short figure which as w have lre dy expl ined

, , e a a a ,
satisfies our sens f rhythm e o .

C H APTE R VI I
Va ri ia t o ns o f T em po —
T h e P a use —
Res ts a nd E mpty T m es i
H a yd n
’ ’
s h u m o ro us u se o f R es t s —
Res t s i n R Stra u ss
.
“
To d
un d V er kl a ru n g
”—
E x mpl f D i
a es o ae res s i in B hmra s an d
i
G r eg —
U n ba rred M us i B hv
c : ee t o en , Op . 1 06 .
SI N CE the fundament l element f rhythm consists a o
in the division f time by definite groups ” i m” f

o r , o
o f accents it would seem to follow that Tm ?

,
"
the more precisely we can measure fl these intervals o

’
o f time the more satis factory will the rhythm be

, .
But t his is by no m eans always the case and a ,
performer who plays with absol tely mechanical u
precision f time is apt to weary his listeners

o .
O artistic feeling resents the presentation f

ur o
anything connected with the emotions with rigid

mathematical exactness f detail ; and in all p o er
f m
o r in which the feelings as well as the fingers
a n c es
t ake part there will inevitably be slight variations

,
f o
t mp
e almost imperceptible perhaps due to the
o, ,
“
personal equation f the pl yer S uch variations o a .
from mechanical precision give a performance living a ,
human expression which is absent from the most ,

1 60 HYTHM OF MODE RN MUS I C
R
perfect f mechanical e fforts whether carried out by

o ,
the fingers on a keyboard or by the revolutions f o a
w heel .
The principle involved in the slight variations f o
temp due t
o the varying emotions f the ar tistic
o o
pl yer is enlarged upon by composers to enhance t h

a e
effect f cer t ain passages by a deliberate

o d grad al an u
quickening or retarding f the gener l speed f the o a o
music I . ll d p ssage the interval f

n an a cce era n o a o
time between t h successive acc nts is gr dually e e a
reduced more e ffort is called f and increase f

: o r, an o
vivacity is t h result The ll m d f music maye . a cce e n o o
perhaps be comp red t t h ac t ion f t w p rsons a o e o o e
walking t ogether d engag d in a frie dly argu , an e n
men t or an exciting convers tion It will be found

,
a .
that t h pace f t h w lk increases in rapidi ty with

e o e a
the i cre si g heat f t h argume t or the greater

n a n o e n ,
excitement f the conv rs t ion The increase f

o e a . o
excitem n t produc s e increas f r pidity f e an e o a o
motion increase f e ffor t and in the music t h

,
a n o , e
exciteme t and e ffort is purposely augmented by the

n
ll d
a co e era n f the composer or per former
o o .
The i t d d the gradual increase f the interv ls

r a r a n o, o a
o f time between the accents has the e ffect f giving , o a
more weighty utterance to the rhythm i f the force ,
o f tone is sustained or as frequen tly with Bee t hoven , , ,
a ugmented If t h i t d d is accompanied as is
. e r ar an o
,
more o ften the case w i t h d i mi d it results in a , a n uen o,

I TION S OF TEMPO
VAR A 6 1 1
relaxation r fl t to prepare f a fresh start a

o e
'
or , or ,
rene w al f e ffort when the original t mp is again

o e o
taken up ; or it impresses the passage more forcibly

by calling attention to it ; or it has a contemplative ,
languorous e ff ect .
To produce a true ll d or i t d ’ de a cce era n o r a r a na o
mands a certain artistic capacity Those who have .
not this capacity whe t her instinctive or acquired , ,
will be apt instead f making a gradual increase or

, o
decrease f pace to suddenly change the t mp from

o ,
e o ,
say d t to ll g or i w m and will thus do

,
a n an e a e ro , v ce ar ,
away with the intended e ffect For a sudden change .
alters the character f the music while a gradual o ,
change only slightly modifies it and serves to ,
impress a given passage more forcibly on the

bea rer .
In dramatic music great use is made f ll d o a cce era n o
and t d d f expressions f joy grie f and other

n
'
ar a n o or o , ,
emotions the music following the ever varying

: ,
—
feelings f the actor quickens or slows down in

o ,
accordance with the sentiment to be expressed .
Beethoven ever alive to the importance f moving

,
o
the mind rather than merely pleasing the ear m de ,

a
great use f the ll d and

o Thus a eo e er a n o ,
in his sonata in E fl at Op 3 No 3 the rhythm is , . 1 ,

.
,
established by the pair f measures which we have o
shown to be the smallest number that can produce a

~
sense f rhythm The accentuation f these tw o

o . o
R
measures is driven home to us by strong discords

w are meant to feel the rhythm to be this and no
e ,
other A d soo er is it established i our brain

. n no n n
than the composer relaxes the movement by a

mt d
'
combined with a
a r a na o
’
d ( a paradox cres cen o
which seems to have been invented by him ) leading ,
us we do not know whither in key or rhy t hm until

, , ,
w sudd nly find ourselves happily launched into t h

e e e
principal k y with the origin l t mp f the two

e ,
a e o o
ope ing measur s established

n e re- .
It is said that when playing his w w orks Beet o n
hoven sometimes adopted a t mp b t in which his e o ru a o,
ever varying moods had free play This delicate

-
.
nua nce, which consists f here and there slightly o
al tering the t mp wi t hin t h me sures w hile the

e o e a ,
R hythms retain their normal rela t ive t ime is ,

un
doubtedly a powerf l means f expression in the u o
hands f a compet nt executant It is f course

o e . o
absolutely opposed to a mechanically exact t ime

division ; and the personality f the player comes o
p rhaps more into evidence by it than by most other

e
means On the orchestra it would scarc ly seem

. e
possible yet such is the growing discipline and

:
sympathy between orchestras and their cond ctors u ,
that w never know what d velopments may take

e e
place and it is quite possible that the t mp b t

, e o ru a o
will be attained i f it has not been alr ady

, e .
R hythmical movement may f dramatic and , o r

PAU S E TH E 63 1
expressive e ff ects be interrupted by sustaini g a

, n
note or rest beyond its relative value Te F m . e a e.
The F m t or Pause causes us to concentrate

er a e, ,
our attention on the single note or on the passage ,
that immediately preceded it or in the case f a , ,

o
rest on that which follows The succession f

, . o
time intervals which has been established in our

—
mind ceases ; the rhythm is deliberately broken and ,
we are compelled to take notice f what is happening o .
The Pause attracts our attention i f it occupies the

last note f a Period m ore i f it is on the last note
o :
o f a Rhythm and still more i f it is within a Rhythm

, .
Beethoven in his Fi fth S ymphony and elsewhere

, , ,
has shown that pauses can be e ff ectively employed

be fore the establishment f the rhythm with very o ,
dramatic results In our Ex 4 the movement

. . 0
opens with a pause This however is not f .

, , or
dramatic effect but merely to strengthen the i m

,
pression f the preliminary or exclamation note

o .
The Pause like the i t d ,

and /Z d r a r a na o
’
a cee era n o,
can be made to fail f its due e ffect The con o .
i ti
s c en unimaginative player or choirmaster who
o us , ,
carefully gives a pause a definite value with relation

to the preceding rhythm ntirely misunderstands the , e
nature and object f the pause The result f this

o . o
proceeding is mer ly to prolong the R hythm in e
which it occurs so t h at say a four measure R hythm

, , ,
-
becomes one f four and a hal f or five measures as

o , ,
R
the case may be Ex 5 3 show s two R h ythms in . . ,
each f which a single note is dwelt on f the space

o or
o f two definite measures The dwelling on these .
notes does not constitute a Pause f there is no ,

or
br ak in the continuity f the rhythmical flow the

e o :
sustained notes have a definit relation to what h e as
gone be fore and we feel the accents though they

,
are not yet expressed .
A Pause consists on the other hand f i t , ,

o an n en
ti l rupture in the even flow f accents

o na It is in o .
its very nature indefinite and whether it is held f , ,

o r
a longer or shorter period this does not aff ct its ,

e
nature so long as the t ime allotted to it has no

,
definit relation to the pr ceding measures

e e .
1
A Pause is sometimes introduced by unintelligent

or uncultured singers on the penultimate note f a o
full close especially at the conclusion

,
f a song o .
1 M o d ern co m po sers so i
m et m es , h o we v er, a dd h lf m
a a - ea s ur e a t
t h e en d o f a R yt m, h h so a s to ma ke a de fi i x i i pl
n t e e t en s o n n a ce
o f fii
th e i n de n te ex ten s i o n i din ca t e d by th e Pa us e, a s, fo r
e a x mpl B hm e, ra s
’
T i
r o fo r H o rn , V i li
o n, a nd P i ano ,
O p 4 0, i n
.
t h Ad g i
e a o,
THE PAU S E 65 I
This note is frequently a high one and the final ,
cadence as its name implies falls from it to the

, ,
tonic There is as a rule no dramatic or ex

.
, ,
p i l
res s o n areason f breaking the rhythm here ; on
o r
the contrary there is usually e ery reason against it

,
v .
The introduction f an unwritten pa se in this place

o u
is due entirely to the vanity f the singer and it o ,
generally results in a large amount f applause from o
an uncritical audience who are pleased w ith the ,
mere sound f the powerful high note without

o ,
noticing that it i ridiculous from every point f View

s
o
other than the personal display f the performer o .
If a public speaker were to make nonsense f his o
sentences by d welling f an indefinite time on some o r
single syllable f a word merely because he found

o
that it suited his m outh the same audience that ,
applauds the senseless Pause f the singer wo ld o u
laugh at him In the older display pieces in am

.
,
o un t
so gs in instrumental concertos and similar com

n , ,
positions there is usu lly a Pause indicated by the

,
a ,
composer on the antepenultimate note f the final

,
o
cadence that is on the chord that precedes the

, ,
domi nant This pause is f an e tirely di fferent

. o n
nature from that to which we have alluded though it ,
is introduced f the express purpose f giving an

o r o
opportunity f display It is not the result f

or . o
caprice or vanity the preceding Period is so con

:
structed as to lead up to it and the audience expects ,

R
a break in the rhythm at this point The display .
does not take th form f a senseless prolongation f

e o o
a singl high note as long as the brea t h w ill last

e .
On t h contrary t h perform r is ex pected to

e ,
e e
embellish the Pause with passages in w hich he

exhibits his own individuality d these p ssages in , an a ,
the hand f fi t rate artis t frequ n tly take t h

o a rs —
,
e e
form f a masterly development f the themes

o f o o
the composition T h composer in fact h re gives. e , ,

e
place to t h performer who t do his subj ct j ust ice

e , , o e ,
must be more or less on t h same ar t istic level as e
th ecompos r whose work h is interpreting

e e .
Mendelssohn opens the Midsummer Nigh t s ’
Dream O ert ure with a series f lo g held Pauses

v o n ,
in which there is no attempt at establishing a

R hythm These Pauses
. on a series f Pre a re o
liminary chords and serve t keep the mind on t h

, o e
alert w i t h expectat ion they are an extension f the : o
principle involved in th Preliminary Pause seen in e
our Ex 4 . 0 .
That t h whole f a R hy t hm whatev r its number

e o , e
Rm e dan
f Measures is not n cessarily e tirely
o , e n
E mfl ) Ti m
’
occupied with sound needs t to be
“
no
mention d f everyone is familiar with passages in

e ,
o r
which n merous rests occur S uch res t s also

u .
occ rred in ancient Greek mus c under t h pic

u i e
t u res
q nam
ue f Empty times They are t
e o
“
. no
the places where a melody ceases f a moment and or

E T S AN D EMPTY TIME S
R S 67 1
the accompaniment continues its course ; the

“
Empty times f which we have to spea k are
"
o
those in which sound entirely ceases and the rhythm ,
continues to exist though it is no longer heard

,
.
A fter a rhythmical form has been established rests , ,
or cessations f sound on the unaccented portions f

o ,
o
measures whether primary or subsidiary are natural

, ,
enough ; we hear the accents and that is ll we ,

a
require in order to appreciate t h rhythm and such e ,
rests are as a rule f the nature f C esuras But

, , o o a .
cessations f sound on accented places make a con

o
sid erabl demand on the intelligence and this is

e ,
more especially the case i f they occur early in the

piece be fore the rhythm has had time to become
,
established .
To the cultured m usician they give little e ffort

his musical faculties are trained to sei e on and enjoy z
every rhythmical feature without conscious e ff ort .
But a fairly high degree f intelligence in an audience o
must be presumed before a compos r w ould venture e
to write such a passage as the opening bars f the o
R ondo f Bee t hoven s S onata Op No 3 ’

o ,
. 1 0, .
,
Ex 4 6 ( see next pag )

. e .
Wer it not so familiar to us it would prove

e
bewildering i f we he rd it without seeing t h notes

a e ,
and this is evidently the intention f the composer o .
The first Period ends with a f ll close in the u
dominant the two chords forming the close being

,
R
both paused upon and embellished with d li bi m

,
a at
grace notes so that the rhythm is broken up almost

,
as soon as it is established It is in the beginning f .

o
the Period that the strange cessations f sound occur o .
Ex .
46 .
B T VN
EE HO E SO NT N
A A 1 D (Op . 1 0, No .
3) RON Do
—
.
1 st h h
R yt m . a nd h h
R yt m .
2 3
The bars contain two measures each this is evident :
from the f ll close ending the Period in t h fourth

u , e
instead f the eighth bar The second and fourth

o .
measures f the first R hythm are left entirely to the

o
imagination f the listener They exist f the per

o .
, or
former care fully counts them but they are unheard , .

E S T S AN D EMPTY TIMES
R 69 1
To appreciate the existence f a thing that is in our o
presence y t is unheard and unseen makes a great

e
call on our faculties and presupposes a cultivated ,
mind If we had the m sic before us when first

. u
hearing this passage the matter would be plain

enough ; but Beethoven could not have supplied
copies to his audience .
The strain on the imagination is relieved or we , ,
may perhaps say the pu le is sol ed f us with ,

zz v o r ,
the second R hythm which is f ll f notes Other , u o .
t tli
s ar
g silences occur in this well kno w n movement
n -
,
and similar instances f the use f rests in place f o o o
accents will occur to the reader .

1
In the Ad g i f the Waldstein sonata the i m

a o o
pressive e ffect caused by the silence on the first beat

o f the second and fourth bars is familiar to ll The a .
bars contain two measures each the Rhythms four ,
measures A silence on the last measure f a Period

. o
is not at all ncommon but a silence on t h thirdu ,

e
accent f a R hythm is rare and in this case produces

o ,
a profound fl t f earnestness e
’
ec o .
S delicate a rhythmical device must be treated

o
l An a m us ig x
n e a mp l e o f th e ii l
d ff cu ty t h e o rd n a ry s t en er i li
h as in pprec a t n
a i ig res ts o c c u rre d a t C a m br d g e m a n
y yea rs a go i .
An u n d ergra d ua t e o rc h es t ra
p a yed l B hv
e et o en s
’
F i rs t Sym p h on
y,
and th e l l o ca re
po rt er, h i ea r n g t h e i i
c u r o us n t ro du ct i on to th e
l a st mo v m en t
e fo r t h e fi im rs t t e, an d b i g e n i ly
en t re un a bl e to
a
pprec i a t e t h e re s t s, re m k d h ar e t a t th e ba n d h a d so m e d ffi c u tyi l
in i
s t a rt n g th e l a st m v m
”
o ! e en t
1 70 HYTHM O F MODE RN MU S I C
R
very care fully ; it could easily become commonplace

i f repeat d too o ften
e Hence when B ethoven .
,
e re
peats the same phrase lat er in the movement the ,
silence is filled up and to make it clear that this is

,
deliberat attention is called to the fact by the

e,
somewhat elaborate Anacrusis in the bass .
In the Interme o Op No 3 Ex 4 7 Brahms

zz ,
. 1 0, .
,
.
,
carries t h pri nciple f Empty Times to an

e o
“ ”
Ex .
47 .
B RA H M I NT M
S ER EZZO ( Op . 1 0, No .
I st h h
R yt m .
rs t i n tro d ucto ry 2 n d i n tro d u c to ry

mea s ure . m ea s ure .
extreme point f he allows only the A nacrusis f

, or o
the two Preliminary Measures to be heard without

the acce ts that would make them intelligible It is
n .
impossible f a person listeni g to this piece f the

o r n o r
E T S A N D EMPTY TI ME S
R S 7 1 1
first time and not seeing the music to know that

, ,
the first two chords are the Anacrusis f two o
measures whose accented notes are omitted The .
player cannot short f visibly beating the time make

, o ,
them sound otherwise than as accented notes For .
the whole f our experience leads us to expect single

o
introductory chords to occur on the first and ,
certainly not on the last note f a bar ( g Beet o e

. .
hoven s Eroica Mo art s Jupiter

’
“
,
Not
z
’ “
,
”
till the unexpected entry f the C sharp in the third o
bar are we aware that t h introductory chords are e
unaccented ; and the sudden apparent change f o
rhythm thus early i the movement causes a shockn
and astonishment and has all the elements f energy

, o
and alertness f which Brahms gives so many

o
examples .
A t the end f the first section f this piece a fter

o o ,
the orthodox full close in the dominant t h e Intro ,
d t y Measures are repeated in rhythmically the

uc o r
same form as at first but we are now aware f their

,
o
significance and are t taken by surprise Th ir

,
no . e
m ti
o vo is developed at the end f the second section o ,
be fore the return f the princip l subject ; but here

o a ,
as there is no longer any rhythmical novelty about it ,
the composer takes advantage f the fact to introduce o
p i i i m chords on each ccent which are sustained

a n ss o a ,
until the A nacrusis is heard low down in the bass .
A d since the pec liar rhythmical structure f the

n u o
1 72 HYTHM O F MODE RN MUS I C
R
Preliminar y Measures is now quite apparent to the

listener the composer is able to linger on it repeating
, ,
it ma y times as i f he was particularly pleased with

n ,
it The thing is treated with such consummate art

.
and such in w ard delicacy f feeling as only Brahms o
is capable f o .
A favourite orchestral device with the older com

posers is the silence f one or more measures known o r
in Germany under the name f the Generalpause o .

"
A movement is suddenly interrupted by a total

cessation f sound just where the listener would
o
expect the rhythmical figure to be carried on It .
generally occurs at the end f a R hythm and usually o , ,
though not always towards the end f the movement , o
itsel f Mo art makes use f this device in his three

. z o
great symphonies and it is not i frequent in those f

,
n o
Haydn The latt r composer makes a

J
. e
H m u Um humorous use
orous f it in the finale f his o o
w E flat Q u rtet No 3 8 by leaving not
"
a ,
.
,
only the end f a rhythm but the beginning f the

o , o
next entirely to the imagination aft er having how , ,
ever prepared his audience by several General

,
“
Pauses in the preceding periods Ex 4 8

"
. . .
The humour consists in this a full close has :
already occurred several times and always in the ,
wrong place namely at the first half f a rhythm

, , o ,
the second hal f being occupied by a half close A -

.
f w bars f d g have followed one f the full

'
e o a a zo o
HUMO R OU S U S E O F RE S TS 73 1
closes and subsequent repetitions f both full and

, o
half closes have been followed by general pauses

-
.
The joke is complete when three whole measures are

E x 48 . .
HA Y DN , Q U TT
AR E IN F LT
A —
FI NL
A E— ( LAS T EI GTB
H A RS
) .
E nd o f P er o d i .
given in silence a fter which the full close at last

,
appears in its proper place namely at the end f a , ,

o
R hythm .
But in contrast to this R ests can be used f the

, ,
o r
most tragic expression The opening Te R m i . e e

’
x
S m Td
bars f R chard S trauss
o iTod und d V e/a ‘
an
tra z
er
o
V k lii
er
g consist f the pi i m g
ru n
”
o a n ss z
'
o run .
”
repetition f a single chord on the unaccented parts

o
of each measure the accented parts bein g represented

,
1 74 HYTHM O F MODE R N M U S I C
R
by Empty Times or by r sts gainst sustained

“
,
e a
notes The soft reiteration f a single minor chord

. o ,
in rhythmical figure which it is impossible to sei e

a z
owing to th absence f acce ts depicts in a vivid

e o n ,
and gh stly manner the scene described in the first

a
stan a f the po m prefixed to the symphony The

z o e .
unearthly Death motive rhy t hmic l d yet without ,

a a n
accen t the rare changes f harmony t h occ sio al

, o ,
e a n
intervention f a melody f four measures in length

o o ,
o ly one f whos norm l accen t s is struck the

n o e a ,
Sigh f the two measure phrase

o -
all help to complete t h weird picture Then e .

,
again in the All g m lt g i t t the tragic ton f

,
e ro o o a a e, e o
the f ti i m opening phrases is enhanc d i f not

or ss o e ,
altogether produced by t h same device the R est in ,

e ,
place f accent ; and although the full orchestra

o
is at work yet the normal accent is everywhere

,
obscured by syncopation i f t by rests A d no . n
y t again
e in the stormy motive that starts at
,
A ll b a there are Empty times in place f

rev e,
“
o
accents ; f ilence is o ften more expressive than

o r S
sound .
EX A MPLE S O F D UE RE S IS 75 1
A favourite change f D i m i with Brahms o re s s ,
already alluded to on page 3 is that f E mfl f 1 2 ,

o xa “ o
'
Di i n
which Ex 4 9 shows the construction
’
a rerzr
.
B /m d .
ra z r a n
Gri eg
{
.
Ex .
49 .
B RA H M S RO MN A CE (O p . 1 1 8, N o .
'
rzt .
1 a 3 b 4
E nd o f P er i o d .
lt ough not written so the change is really due

A h ,
to Syncopation The latter bar is equivalent to

.
Ex .
50 .
The e ffect can only be introduced at or near the

end f a Rhythm after the accentuation has been
o ,
established Grieg makes use f it in S ubsidiary

. o
notes in the last movement f his Violin S on ta o a
i
n F Op 8 ,
. .
1
76 R HYTHM OF MODE RN MUS I C
Ex .
50 a .
G RI E G (V I O LN S NT
I O A A IN F, O p . 8 —
LA S T MO V M NT )
E E .
E q ui vl a en t to
The passage looks d ifli lt to read at sight but i f cu ,
it is imagined as a change f Di resis from o ae
Pri m ary to g S ubsidiary accentuation as shown in

. ,
our example all di fficulty v nishes

,
a .
The L g f Beethoven s S onata in B flat Op

a r o o
’
,
.
U em a
n a 6 is unbarr d 10I t is preceded by a
,
e .
M i
B
a r e,
fi
long
eet o o en,
contemplative Ad g i f a haracter a o, o C
6 so noble so elevated so dignified that it

10 .
, , ,
could only have bee written by a composer who n
w as completely t f touch with the everyday o u o
world whose thoughts w re en t irel y occupied with

,
e
the highest expression that music is capable f o .
That such a movemen t as the d g i t t f a a o s or en u o o
this sonata could ver have been prod ced even by e u ,
th e genius f Beethoven i f t h composer had not

o , e
been cut ff by his deafness from the trivialities f

O O
li fe is inconceivable It is the expression f a lo fty

,
. o
soul communing with itsel f wandering in a region

, ,
o f sound that existed in his brain and made acces ,

UNB A RRED MUS I C 77 1
sible to ordinary mortals by a genius so transcendent ,
so grand as occurs only once in many centuries

, .
The L g is the logical outcome f the Ad g i

a r o o a o .
The rhythm f the Ad gi is continuous through out

o a o .
In spite f its length there is no change f t mp or

o , o e o
o f rhythm species ; there are no pauses to break the

-
fl w and only two i t d d

o , The massive wealth r ar an os .
o f sound pours forth in a never failing stream and -

,
in a O ti l regularity f triple rh ythm A great

c n n ua o .
tension has been placed on the faculties in sustainin g

so lo fty a height there must be a temporary break :
be fore encountering a new rhythmical movement .
To subject such a movement as the L g to the a r o
dissecting kni fe seems almost like sacrilege Yet we .
venture to do it in the hope that our readers when once

, ,
they have followed our analysis will forget all about ,
it and give themselves up to enjoying the emotional

,
e ffect f the music without thinking too much f the

o , o
technical skill exhibited in it great though it is , .
B ethoven gives the direction P [ mi

e i ,
“
er a s ura s
co n ta n el L a rg o s em re p qua ttro s emi ero me, ri b e
0
h h OR R
0
For the bars in the Largo four
.
“
,
semiquavers must always be counted The move

”
.
ment is a Recitative The composer talks to his .
audience but not in regular rhythm He w ishes

,
.
to make a contrast to the long sustained rhythm -
of the previous movement He keeps to his key .

,
only enharmonically changing the notation .
M
R
The signature 4 is not in use hence f 1 75 : ,

o r
purpose f an lysis we have in Ex 5 changed

o a , . 1
semiquavers to crotchets .
Ex .
51 .
B T VN
EE HO E SO NT
A A
(O p .
L a rg e . I st h h
R yt m .
( Co n mo to ) .
P re m li i n a ry
M ea s ure . An a c . An a crus i s .
A n a c rus i s. An a crus i s . A n a c rus i s.
zud h
R yth m .
UNB A RRED MUS I C 1 79
Ad d t ii l
o na l h h
H a f-r yt m .
Beethoven himsel f gives a b li in the place we ar ne
have indicated There is a f ll close here in the key

. u
o f G flat major which shows that this at least i the

, , , s
end f a Rhythm In order to get at th underlying

o . e
rhythmical scheme we must work backwards from

,
the b li in measures f four s miquavers ( in our

ar ne o e
example they will be four cro t chets) We shall then .
obtain the following results The first accent in the .
mo ement occurs on the pause on the high F This

v .
is the accent f a Preliminary Measure and to it is

o ,
joined an A nacrusis f three quarters f a measure

o -
o ,
divided into triplets whose final note is tied to the

,
accented preliminary note hence the Preliminary :
accent is not struck but imagined since it is, ,
incorporated into the A nacrusis .
The Pause this unstruck Preliminary acce ted

o n n
n ote breaks up the expected phrase A w A . ne na
i opens the four measure R hythm but instead

cru s s -
,
o f its first accent being heard or even tied to the ,
A nacrusis the sound ceases altogether the accent

, ,
being represented by a rest This is the case with .

R
all the remaining measures and the Rhythm itsel f ,
ends with the pause on the high G flat The

composer makes a strong appeal to the imagination .
He allows us to perceive rhythmical accent ; no
not hing but the unaccented portions f the measures o
are heard and even these are made more i m

,
n co
prehensible by the pauses ; we in a r l m f a re ea o
mystery .
In the second R hythm he is more explicit C m . o
m i g with an A nacrusis almost a whole measure

en c n ,
in l ngth he lets each accent be heard and the

e , ,
Period f two R hythms ends with the full close in

o
G flat already alluded to I t is succeeded by an

, .
additional Hal f rhythm which also ends like the

-
, ,
first R hyt hm and t h Preliminary Measure wi t h a

e ,
Pause and the movem t th n goes by asily

,
en e , e
understood rhythmical phrases into the key f F o
Sharp m jor a .
To re t urn to the pening A nacrusis We are led

O .
to the conclusion that the firs t t hree triplets on the

note F are A nacrusis notes and tha t the movement ,
does not commence with an accent by working ,
backwards from Beethoven s b li ; and this is ’

ar ne
confirmed when later on the same passage occurs i n
another key precede d by an additional note and

,
triplet which undoubtedly form the accented por tion

o f the meas re f which the three triplets on F at the
u o
commencement form the unaccented three quarters —

.
UNB A RRED MU S I C 8
I I
This contemplative and intensely suggestive move

ment is divided into t w portions by a short f g t
o u a o
passage which suddenly breaks ff in the midst f

, o o
its course and leads back to a repetition f the

, o
opening Anacrusis in a new key The distribution

.
o f the s bsidiary rhythm between the two hands

u
after the final pause is very striking ; it gradually

quickens to a p ti i m and leads into a vigorous
res ss o,
fugue.
C H APTE R V III
Sta eea to — Forte, P i a no, C rereert do , and D i mi nuerzdo —
Th e O rga n
an d Ac c en t —
M ec h i l
a n ca I n s tru m en t s an d Ac c en t — Th e
h h i l h
R yt m ca S c em e o f a C o m p l e te C o m po s ii
t on I ll u s t ra t e d
byB h
ra m h
s
’
R a ps o d y, O p 1 1 7 .
A sounds may be closely connected

S E RI E S o f
Sta eea to together in a l g t style or t h y may be
. e a o ,
e
played t t i detached from one a other ;

s a cca o, . e. n
or as with every other musical feature the two

, ,
styles may be interm ixed .
The principle f detachment is the same whether o ,
indicated by rests be t ween the no t es or dots over ,
t hem or a combinatio
,
f dots or sl rs it is only n o u :
a question f degree To explain what w believe

o . e
to be the principle i volved in the staccato style we n ,
will again have recourse to poetry .
Except f certain dramatic e ff ects each verse f

or , o
poetry is recited in what may be compared to the

l g t st yle in music ; the verse is only broken i f a
e a o
punctuation ign a Cm occurs in its midst

S ,
s u ra , .
Single words may be occasionally detached from

others but we can hardly imagine ingle syllables
, S
TACCATO S 83 I
being separated by a distinct break in the sound ,
unless perhaps f a humorous object

, ,
o r .
But instrumental music on the contrary obtains , ,
some f its most striking e ffects by the detachment

o
o f its notes in the t t and again we have a

s a cca o , , ,
feat re in which poetry and music so like in the

u ,
fundamental principles f their rhythm are very f o , ar
apart in its details .
But a verse can be divided by rhymes or C esuras a
into half v rses j ust as a R h ythm can be divided into

-
e ,
hal f rh ythms and single measures by rests C e uras

-
, ,
a s ,
and closes .
In our view t t is simply the principle f

,
s a cca o o
division carried a step further and applied to ingle ,

S
n otes instead f single measures This separation f

o . o
musical sounds whether f the measures composi g

, o n
the R hyt h m or f notes forming the measure has no

o ,
e ffect on the f nda m ental rh ythmical structure and

u ,
W hether we play a passage t t or l g t the s a cca o e a o,
grouping f the music into R h ythms and Periods

o
will not necessarily be obscured .

.
But a ta t rendering will produce a totally

s cca o
di fferent m th t i e ffect from the l g t If a m lody

s e c e a o. e
which has been conceived and constructed to be

played in the l g t manner is per formed t t it
e a o s a cca o ,
will sound either ridiculous or meaningless ; and i f ,
on the other hand what was intended f t t is

, or s a cca o
played l g t it will have a heavy a d dull effect or

e a o, n , ,
R
at y rate will lose the vivacity which the composer

an
intended In eith r cas the m t h t i character f

. e e s e c o
the passage would be damaged just as much as i f we

arbitrarily omitted Rests where they are w ri t ten or ,
made C m where they wer not intended to be

s u ra s e .
Let us take f example one f the most beauti ful

,
or ,
o
f Bee t hoven s early movements the well known

’
o ,
—
A d t with V ariations in the S onata Op 4 No

n a n e
,
. 1 ,
. 2,
whose whole e thos depends on th contrasting inter e
change f t t with l g t passages play it l g t

o s a cca o e a o : e a o
throughout but W ith strict observance f its phrases

,
o ,
and what do we get ? A mere s t udy in harmony

Or play it t t throughou t we get a t iresome
s a cca o :
succession f detached chords

o .
No doubt this will appear a mere platitude to the

experienced musician but h w ft en do we hear ,
o O
enthusiastic am t eurs completely ruining master

a
pieces f which they have the greates t admiration

, or ,
by their want f insight into the important di fference

o
between t to and l g t ; by their cutting a l g t

s a cca e a o e a o
melody to pieces with unwritten C suras or joining ae ,
together what ought to be played t t or a s a cca o ,
mi ture f both styles

x o .
The t t has in instrumental music as impor

s a cca o , ,
tant an sthetic value as l g t We have already

ae e a o.
seen ( page 8 ) how the slurring f tw notes at the

1 o o
beginning f a measure intensifies their accentuation

o ,
and a imilar treatment f two notes the first f

S o , o
T A CCATO S 85 1
which is in an unaccented place will produce the ,
e ffect f syncopation The detaching f the notes

o . o
on either side f the slurred not adds additional

o es
force to the passage g : e

. .
is more forcible than
When all the notes are to be played t t s a cca o ,
the intelligent performer instinctively gives the

proper accentuation just as he does in a l g t e a o
phrase.
It makes little di ff erence in the rhythm whether a

phrase is played loudly or softly as long F d ,
o rte a n
Pi
as the passage in question is sustained at C d d a no ,
rescen o a n
an equal degree f force from beg nning Di mi d

o i nuen o.
to end But the C

. d and D i mi
res cen d have a
o nuen o
good deal f influence on rhythm By gradually

o .
increasing the power we at the same time increase

the force f the accentuation Each successive
o .
measure is slightly more accented than its pre

decessor and hence we get a R ising A ccentuation
,
carried through several measures instead f being ,

o
confined to pairs f measures as we have hith erto

o ,
explained it We belie e that to the increase f

. v o
accentuation is due in no small degree the tre

mendo s emotional e ff ect f many well known
n o -
passages in orchestral music ; and the conductor who

has his band well under control can utilise this means
1 86 HYTHM OF MODE R N MUS I C
R
o f expression m ore power fu lly than can be done on

any solo inst rument .
The D i mi d has f cours the reverse e ff ect

nuen o ,
o e,
o f the C d It consists f a lessening f the

res cen o . o o
successive accents f a gradual relaxation f e ffort,

o o
a Falling A ccentua tion is produced on a large scale ,
and from energy we are brought to t ranquillity or ,
to a less demonstrative expression .
A C d usually leads to a F t or F ti i m
res cen o or e or ss o.
A long as this is sustained t h

S rh ythm is t ,
e no
a ffected by the loudness f t h music but by t h o e ,

e
arrangements f its long and hort notes its f

o d S , s o rz a n os
and acc nts etc A d exactly the same e ff ects are

e , . n
available f en forcing the rh ythm in a P i

o r a no or
P i i i m passage so t hat mere loudness does not

a n ss o
,
give strength nor soft ness w kness Power f

, ea . o
expression in both depends on whether the h yt h r
mical construction is conceived and c rried out in a a
way that appeals to us The tremendous e ff ect f . o
the first mov ment f the Fi ft h S ymphony is due

e o
more to the inte sity f its accentuation than to its

n o
harmony or its loudness frequently sever l me sures : a a
consist f the repetition f a ingle chord which i f

o o S , ,
played without a vigorous accent would be m ore or

less meaningless A certain pi i i m passage tow rds
. a n ss o a
the end f the S cher o consists f rhythm alone

o z o ,
with unchanging harmony It is not weak ; on .
the contrary its emotional e f ect is just as great

,
FO RTE A N D PI ANO 87 1
as that f the f t parts It is said that at the

o or e .
first per formance f this work in Lo don the

o n
audience gradually m lted away C it be that

e . an
the conductor failed to appreciate the importance

of accent and rhythm or was it that the audience
, ,
accustomed to look upon the sweets f Italian o
Opera as the highest form f musical art were o ,
unprepared f music that strikes fire in the human

or
breast
I f rhyth m depends so much upon A ccent with ,
all its fine shades f Rising Falling T3 O g

o , , , r an
d ncopation etc how can it 4 4m ”

f S “72 1
s o rz a n o,
y ,
.
,
exist on the Organ and on the whole tribe f

,
o
mechanical instruments which are incapable f ,

o
placing a stress on individual notes ? For no one

will deny that rhythm can exist on these instruments ,
in spite f this limitation

o .
In this matter there comes to our a i d one f the o
most subtle and mysterious parts f our nature o ,
namely the faculty f imagining that w feel or

, or e
hear a thing which does not exist and yet which we ,
wish to exist The organ and the machine made

.
-
m usic have the same mea s f making their phrases n o
int elligible by harmonic structure and by C suras ,

ae ,
as are available else w here accent only is absent and

: ,
this is supplied by our imagination The harmonic .
structure and the combination f longer with horter

,
o S
notes leads us to expect and desire accent and we ,

R
instinctively feel t h t what w want is there though

a e ,
not in tangible form .
A d the organist who feels the accents but who

n ,
has not the power f expressing them through his o
instrument is very care ful to give every note its

,
exact v lue and especially to take ad antage f

a ,
v o
every longer note in Dotted no te rhythm He “ -

”
.
will never yield to the temptation f breaking up the o
time by holding on a ote beyond its d len gth in n ue
order to change his stops and he never indulges in a ,
trick f holding meaningless rhythml ss note at

o a ,
e
the beginning and end f his piece For he knows o .
that owing to its accentless nat ure th organ punishes

, ,
e
any defects f time and note value more than does

o
any other instrum nt O other instruments i f the

e . n ,
time is accident lly lost the rhythm can be quic k ly

a ,
recovered by marking the accents ; on the org n i t a
cannot The organist knows t hat a rhythmless and

.
undecided manner f playing produces insupportable

o
weariness in the listeners who are at his mercy in ,
this respect i f they are in a church In a concert .
room they have at any rate the pportunity f O o
getting up and leaving as we once saw done in ,
Germany during a rhythmless performance f some o
very fine music on a fi t rate org n In this case rs —

a .
the technique was faultless the tone f the org n ,

o a
irreproachable Only the rhythm was wanting and

.
,
the performance was ruined thereby .

ME C H ANI CAL I N ST RUMENT S 89 1
Everyone who has listened to the machine known

as the Piano organ m ust have noticed M d ” !
-
,
e an
that when it plays a properly constructed I m

, ns tru ents
d A m
Wal t it entirely satisfies our rhythmical
z,
an d "
feeling in spite f its inability to produce accent

, o .
One reason see m s to be that the single bass note at

the beginning f each bar is more prominent than o
the r st f a bass string has more power ful

e , or
vibrations tha strings f the higher pitches This

n o .
prominence f the single bass note coming in the

o ,
expected places in addition t the harmonic structure

, o
o f the tune acts to all intents and purposes like a

,
single stroke on a drum and thus satisfies our ,
demand f an accent A d what we have said f

o r . n o
the w lt applies also to other music in which the

a z
construction is very imple and the accents would S ,
be on a musical instrument somewhat marked

, ,
.
But if the music is not very simple in its harmonic

construction or i f it is not already familiar to us
, ,
a piece played by mechanical means may be i mp n co re
h i bl
en s We remember hearing a modern com
e .
position which was un familiar to us played on a

pianola many tim s over b t we never succeeded in e , u
making out where its accents should come and ,
from being at first meaningless it became with

repetition an irritation to us .
While investigating the question f rhythm in o
connection with mechanical instruments we had an ,

1
90 HYTH M OF MODE R N MU S I C
R
opportunity f visi t ing t h fine collection f musical

o e o
instruments at the D t l M m d N t eu s c zes us eu er a ur
wi l ft d T l i l at Munich
ss ens c za un Two mechanicalec zn c .
organs w re set in motion f us one being an

e o r ,
ancient pecimen the other contai ing ll the most

S ,
n a
modern improvemen t s We found th t both i t . a n s ru
ments had b en prep red to play the same piece

e a ,
namely Weber s Overtur to Oberon A a

,
’
e
“
. s
coincidence w remember d th t some thirty years

,
e e a
ago a gentleman wishing to exhibit the powers f ,

o
his newly acquired Orchestrion had selected t h

—
,
e
same pi ce as the first on his progr mme Why is

e a .
the Overture t Oberon so especially favoured by

o
the owners f mecha ical i strum nts ?

o n n e
The r ason struck us t once on hearing it at

e a ,
Munich The frequent repe t i tion f the figure

. o
ffi ?
in various melodic hap s gives this piece a specially S e ,
marked accent ation ap rt from s t ress so t hat it is

u a ,
found to suit mechanic l instrumen t s par ticularly well a .
In Engl nd and Fr nce it is the custom to play

a a
marches on the organ in pite f the fact that , S o
the march requires to be speci lly accent d and t h a e ,

e
organ has no accent f its own Here ag ain the o .

, ,
Simple harmonic for m f the march and t h juxta o , e
position f longs and shorts come to our assistance

O .
The ease with which an Organ March can be “ ”

ME C H A NI CA L IN S T RUMENTS 9 1 1
composed and executed has led to its abuse in the

hands f incompetent organists who have not
o ,
su ff cient intellectual development to discern that the

i
cold cal m accentless organ is relentless in its exposure

o f anything approaching poverty f invention or o
want f intelligence on the part f composer or

o o
player The Organ March can only be really

.
e ff ective when written by a composer f high intel o
lectual power and played by an exec tant f con

, u o
s idera bl intelligence ; otherwise it w ill sound either

e
trivial or vulgar both f which qualities are parti

,
o
l ly out f place on
cu a r o noble an instrument SO .
S pace forbids us to enter into discussion f the a o
rhythmical structure f contrapuntal and other music

o
more closely associated with the organ Our only .
reason f alluding to th ins trument at all is to

or e
show how large a place our imagination takes in

listening to or performing instrumental music .
A ll compositions that are conceived and carried

out at a reasonably high l vel f art will e o
be found more or less interesting from a Rfiy fimi ml t
f
rhythmical point f View ; f while gféz o
gi o r,
i z
t
d
melody and harm ony produce grace and BC m/”mW ” a
ra tr
/ 01
s
’
beauty rhythm giv s force and dignity to Rfi p dy

,
e a so ,
of ” 7
the music .
“ '
From the big drum f the S alvation A rmy to the o
dign i fied accents f a Beethoven or Brahms is a f

o ar
cry Yet the big drum which drives the ccent home
.
,
a
1
R
into the heads f those f w hom it is intended has

o or ,
the same function as the rhythmical feat ures f o
cl ssical music namely to give character to the

a , ,
melody The di ff erence is that the big drum

.
,
hammering at the accents incessantly le ves nothing ,

a
to the imagination while the classical composer often

,
sug gests more ideas than he allo w s to be heard as , ,
f ins t nce when frequent rests occur T h big

or a ,
. e
drum makes its ppeal to those that c nnot think

a a
f themselves The rhythm f classical music is

o r . o
intended f cul t ured and sensitiv brai s and the

o r e n ,
more the rhythmical sense is cul t ivated t h greater ,

e
pl asure does an imaginative rhythmical st ructure

e
giv Bo t h methods f pp al have their pl ce in

e . o a e a
the world ; but each method would annoy rather

than stimulate i f o ffered to an udience f which a o r
it is not intended We propose to examine h w

. o
rhythm which in its most elem ntary form is p

, e re re
sented by the S alvationist s drum a ff ects the ethos ’
o f ar t istic compositions when used i its most n
highly dev lop d form e e .
To analyse a number f compositions would swell o
this work to too large dimensions We mu t . s
there fore be content with a f w only leaving to the e ,
reader the fascinating task f examining others and o

,
he will find that there is no lack f material S o . o
enormous is the mass f rhy t hmically interesting o
music that it is embarrassing to have to make a

HEME OF A COMPO S ITION 9 3
SC 1
s lection but w will take Brahms Rhapsody in

e , e
’
E flat Op 9 N 4 as an example f dignity and

,
. 1 1 , O .
,
o
strength combined with a d licacy and an imaginative

,
e
rhythmical structure f the highest order o .
The tempo is All g i l t The general form e ro r so u o .
is a modern development f the old Rondo in which o ,
a chie f subj ct recurs several times with contrasting

e ,
subjects between its recurrences .
The principal subject is follo w ed by a second “
subject in the dominant a fter which it is repeated ,

.
Then comes a third subject in the relati e minor a ,

v ,
fourth in the subdomin nt and a return through

,
a ,
the second to the first The piece ends with a cod . a ,
O f fresh material .
The R hythms f the pri cip l subject are f fi

o n a o ve
Measures each a form f which Brahms m kes con

,
o a
sid bl use in his shor t er piano forte works

era e Its .
appeal to the imagination its freedom from , co n ve n
tion and its broad ou tline give such pieces as it

, ,
occurs i a peculiar charm which while it makes

n , ,
them particularly attractiv to the c ltured musician e u ,
is found a little di fficult perhaps by those who are , ,
only accustomed to simpler forms We have already .
alluded to it on page 5 4 where w compared it to 1 ,

e
the Heroic V erse f English Poetry

“
o .
Opening with strong masculine dactyls in which ,
the accented not s are made more forcible by e
f d the
s o rz a n o s , first R hythm ends with a solemn
N
1 94 HYTHM R OF MODE R N MU S IC
Spondee w hose two notes are likewise impressed on

,
us by f d and as i f to strengthen the e ffect f

s o rz a n os, ,
o
the po dee the unaccented note which precedes i t

S n ,
is also given a f d s ot z a n o .
Ex .
52 .
B RA H M S R HA P DY
SO (O p . 1 1 9, N o .
A lleg ro R i s a /zeta
i
.
P er o d 1 .
P eri o d 2 .
P er i od 3 . F i rs t h
R yth m .
O v lper a .
SC HEME OF A C OMPO S ITION 1 95
Th id
r h
Rh yt m .
F o urt h Rh yth m .
O v lp
er a .
In the dactyls the contrast between the sustained

,
f d
s o rz a n crotchet and the quavers hortened by
o S
t t enhances the accents which in the first three

s a cca o ,
measures are marked as s t rongly as possible Then .
there is a lessening f accent the fourth measure

o ,
having on its s t rong portion two quavers and ,

a
crotchet on its weak plac This cha ge f accentua

e. n o
tion has the effect f keeping the attention on the

o
alert .
The fourth measure leads us to expect feminine a
full close and a four m easure R hyth m

-
but we get
instead an unexpected chord a fresh form f ,
o
accentuat ion and an additional unexpected measure

,
in the Rhy t hm .
R
The same f atur s foun d in the second R hythm

e e a re ,
e xcept t hat here the fourth measure ends with no

chord t all only the b r octave We
a ,
le ft in a e . a re
the air as it w re and the firs t Period ends with

,
e ,
no thi g approaching a close f any kind

n O .
For we have a big work be fore us in which the ,
ex p ct tion must be kept aliv and not checked by

e a e,
co ve tional formali ty
n n .
The second P riod p ns with a repetition f t he O e o e
first Rhythm f the piece B t in the fourth m e sure

o . u a
there is an important ch nge Instead f t h chord a . o e
o n i t second h l f showing pl i ly that t h r is to be

s a ,
a n e e
no full close th re is gain a b re octave

, We are
e a a .
again le ft i suspense f moment and an

n o r a ,
u n ex
p t d modulatio occurs l d i g t t h domin nt '
ec e n , ea n o e a
o f t h pri cipal key

e n .
T h second R hy t hm f t his Period h

e six mea o as
sures and ends on t h low B flat marked fp There

, e .
is an Overl p here f wi t h this not e commences the

a , or
ne w Period The f re f rs to the Period w hich has

. e
jus t concluded and the p t the w Period which

, o ne
commences t the same moment on the same note

a .
The fourth measure f t his R hy t hm ins t ead f o , o
havi g i t natur l accent w eakened as in the pre

n s a
,
ceding Rhyt hms has it strengthened by a f , d s o rz a n o
and the weight f the pondee which is he rd in t h

o S , a e
bass is lightened by t h subsidiary semiquav r

, e e
accompaniment f the right hand Let us play t h

o .
e
HEME OF A COMPO S ITIO N
SC 97 1
second Period apart from its context d we hall , an S
find that it seems to demand a masculine close on

the fp note thus prod ci g a i measure instead f
, u n S x- O
a fi measure R hythm The structure f the

v e- . o
harmony and melody are su ff cient to account f i or
this demand and it is strengthened by the fact that

,
w eare here completing an important s ction f the e o
piece and embarki g on a new key In a cor

,
n .
responding passage later i t h movement the entry ,

n e ,
o f the semiquaver motive is so arranged that it le ds a
to a t h t /p on the fi fth t th ixth m easure f

c ro c e ,
no e S o
the Rhyth m S Ex 5 5 This is absolutely

. ee . .
logical The first entrance f the dominant key is an

. o
important event and the previous R hythm se ms to

,
e
demand a masculine close which it would not get i f ,
we adhered rigidly to the fi measure form In the ve— .
seventeenth period Ex 5 5 a masc line close is pro , .

, u
d d without ltering the flow f the fi

u ce a measure o v e—
rhythms ; the modulation there is m rely transient e .
The third Period has four R hyth ms three f ,

O
which are alik consisting f solemn spondees e, o ,
followed by two more in the bass which are how , ,
ever lightened by an accompaniment f s miquavers

,
o e
in the right hand In the fourth R hythm f this . o
Period t h spondees are continued to the end i the

e n
right hand the semiquaver accompaniment f the last

,
o
three is in the bass and there is a d to fii The

,
cres cen o
reiteration f a ingl chord in the last t w m s res

o S e o ea u
1
98 HYTHM O F MODE RN MU S I C
R
o f each R hythm here gives way to a reiteration f a o
single note ccomp nied by various harmonies which

,
a a
lead back to t h original key f E fl t and we may

e o a
look upon this Rhy t hm as con taining i measures S x ,
the las t overl pping the first f Period No 4

a o . .
Period N 4 and 5 OSrhythmically a repeti t ion

. a re
o fN OS and
. 1 No 5 leads to a d ceptive cadence
2 . . e
which in t roduces an independent single R hythm f o
four measures Ex 5 3 forming no part f a P riod

,
.
,
o e ,
Ex .
53 .
P eri o d 6 .
I n d e pe n d en t R yth m h .
P eri o d 7 .
SC HEME OF A C OMPO S ITION 1
99
P efi o d 8 .
P efi o d 9 .
R
b t serving as a kind f bridge by which we pass

u o
over to the new subject in C minor This bridge .
is made use f again lat r ono e .
The fi m easure R hythms are now given up and

v e- ,
the C minor section is in orthodox four measure It - .
cont ins two Periods only the first f which ( Period

a ,
o
6 ) has t w and the second ( Period 7 )three Rhy t hms

o ,
.
The general character is s t ill spondaic as indicated ,
by t h f e d on each hal f bar This gives

s o rz a n o - .
it dignity While the division f the accented

,
o
h l f f each spondee into a triplet gives movement

a o
an d li fe to a form f rhythm which i f continued too

o ,
long would be apt to become heavy

, .
S ince the frequent repe t i t ion f the single tripl t o e ,
combined with the spondaic character f the music o ,
would make f monotony i t is varied in the second

or ,
R hythm f each Period by two successive triplets in

o
a single spondee whil in the final Rhythm f

,
e o
P riod 7 three successive measures are made up

e
entirely f triplets o .
The whole f this section is practically built on

o
Simple tonic and dominan t harmonies the greater ,
portion being on a tonic pedal The melody is .
simple in the extreme ; yet so carefully is the

rhythmical scheme thought out that the result is a
movement in which digni t y and vigour combine in
an appeal to the highes t imagination and the noblest
musical emotions .
HEME OF A COMPO S ITION
SC 20 1
Did Brahms argue the matter out in any such w y a
as that which we have indicated 3 Did he deliberately

set to w ork to put a f w simple chords tog ther and
e e
then clothe them with a rhythm that hould satis fy S
the conditions we have described ? We pr fer to e
think not We pr fer to b lieve that it was the

. e e
instinct f his great g nius combined with a highly

o e ,
cultivated brain that prompted him to write this

,
passage without seeking f m th ti reasons why it or s e c
Should be thus or thus The work f genius is to . o
create it is the work f the analyst to find out i f he

O ,
can the m th ti reasons why the genius constructed

, s e c
his work in such a way and no other .
O C minor section nds with an orthodox full

ur e
close in its tonic in the feminin for m perhaps in

,
e ,
order that th transition to the next passage hould

e S
not be too abrupt What we f convenience have

.
,
or ,
c lled a bridge now recurs but this time its single

a ,
R hythm is followed by a compl mentary R hythm the e ,
two together forming the eighth Period The co n . r
poser is not content to make the second Rhythm here

exactly like the first On the contrary he increases
.
,
the interest by making the first two measures move

twice as quickly as the corresponding me sures a
of the previous R hythm and the rouses our , n
expectation by dwelling f two whole measures or
on a g chord f the new k y that is abo t t

o e u o
enter .
R
The rhythmic l sch me f the sec t ion in A fl t a e o a ,
P riods 9 d
e is peculiarly delight ful ev n f
a n 1 0, ,
e o r
Brahms whose music so bounds in delight ful

,
a
rhythmic l expression I f w count th b rs we

a . e e a ,
S hall find t h t t h nin th and t n t h Periods contain

a e e
th eorthodox number f igh t measures e ch It is o e a .
wh n we examine t h arrangement the Di r sis f

e e ,
ae e ,
o
th e Period that the fascination begins In addi t io

,
. n
to the ffect produced by the delicate and original

e
form f t h accompaniment we find that t here is an

o e ,
equ lly delica t d carefully thought out rhythmical

a e an
schem Firs t we h v R hythm f three m asures

e . a e a o e ,
th n one f six m sures B t the six measure

e o ea . u —
Rhythm is divided by means f the slurs into a o
phrase f tw followed by one f four measures which

o o o —
,
overl ps and sounds like a three measure R hyt hm

a - .
Henc our eight measure P riods are arranged i t h

e -
e n e
unusual form f 3 3 in place f the or t hodox

o 2 , o
This m lody is q ite Greek in its rhythmic l

e u a
ch rm T h Gre ks at t ached gre t impor tance t

a . e e a o
the Di resis t h w y in which any rhythmic l

ae , e a a
section was divided ; d Brahms has pplied a an a
novel D i m i ll his own to t his melody

res s , a
, .
The el v n t h Period is lso f eigh t measures but

e e a o ,
its Di m i is orthodox It first Rh ythm is divided

res s . s
into two pairs f me sures while its second accord

o a
, ,
ing to the principle explained on pag 4 6 con t ains e 1 ,
four undivided measures .

SCHEME OF A CO M PO S ITIO N 2 3 0
The t w el fth Period is rhythmically a repetition f o
the ninth .
The thirteenth Period Ex 5 4 consists entirely f , .

, o
two measure phrases which contrary to the general

-
, ,
rule are not followed in the same Period by a four

,
measure R hythm The feeling f th rule is not . o r e ,
however injured since this Period is succeeded by a

, ,
Ex .
54 .
P er i o d 1 3 .
series f nbroken four m asure R h yt hms in the

o u -
e ,
fourteenth d fi fteenth Periods

a n Being a repetition .
O f the scheme f the sixth and seventh ( enhanced

o
by additional triplets) these two Periods require no

Special comment .
We now return to fi m asure R hythms The v e- e .
Sixteenth and seventeenth Periods are elaboration a n
o f the first and second The dact yl and spondee .
forms are retained in the bass while the right hand ,
divides the longer notes f these forms so that there o
are four quavers in each bar In th sixteenth .

l
e
Period the principal m elody uttered with the extra ,

HYTHM O F MODE RN MU S I C
R
notes combin d with the t t and pi i i m pro

,
e s a cca o a n ss o,
duc s a mysterious and agitated effect and in the

e ,
seventeen t h this new motive is heard agai b t in n, u
strict l g t The contrast between t h t t f

e a o . e s a cca o o
the sixt e n t h and the l g t f the seve t enth

e e a o o n e
periods is f scinati g The Rhy t hms adhere to the

a n .
fiv e- measur form the music continues p i i i m

e : a n ss o
Ex .
55 .
P eri o d 1 6.
i
P er o d 1 7 .
SC HEME OF A C OMPO S ITION 20
5
P er i o d 18 .
O v lp
er a .
O v lp
er a .
O v lp
er a .
206 R HYTHM OF MODER N MU S I C
P er i o d 19 .
A na c rus i s.
Ana crus i
s .
Ana cru s i s .
A n a crus i s.
each new Rhythm bri gs t h m ti at a higher pi t ch

n e o vo
than the last producing a delicate example f th t

, o a
e ffect which is known t the Germans as S teige

o
“
rung f which we have no technical equivalent

, or .
The seventeenth Period ends with the same

melodic figure as the second but with the di ff erenc
, e
already explained on page 9 7 The second and 1 .
third Rhythms are here carefully slurred by t h e
composer i such a way as to en force the fact that

n
they are f fi measures while the last Rhythm is

o ve ,
HEME OF A COMPO S ITION
SC 7 20
divided into two measure phrases by the same

-
means .
The eightee th Period forms a new S teigerung

n .
It has four Rhythms f which the last has four ,

o
measures and m akes a crescendo from pp to f

,
The mo ement now becomes very stormy Tre

v .
m d en chords alternat e wi t h the great arpeggios

o us .
The rhythm changes A ttention is to be centred f

. o r
a time on the grandeur f the harmonies rather than o
on rhythmical refinements The first R hythm f . o
the nineteenth period contains eight measures ,
divided into pairs or we m y say that there are four

,
a
Half rhythms in succession and each rhythm is

-
,
i
a na cru s c The Hal f rhythms are harply defined
.
-
S
by masculine closes the final one increasing the

,
breathless excitement by being cut into two single

measures The series f two measure phrases is
. o -
followed by an undivided four measure R hythm -
which completes the Period d leads to the p i , an re r s e
o f the chie f subject in Periods and 2 20 1 .
With the twenty second Period Ex 5 6 com —

, .
,
m the cod It introduces a new figure and is

e n ces a .
,
i
a n a crus c It begins with a fi measure Rhythm
. ve- ,
but the second R hythm is broken into three ingle S
meas res succeeded by a group f four The rest

u ,
o
less exci ement is increased by f

t d on the s o rz a n os
unaccented detached semiquavers f the right hand o

,
and fresh ardour is aroused in the twenty third the -

,
Ex .
56 .
Co d a . P eri o d 22 .
A na Cru s i s .
P eri o d 24 . O n e Rh yth m on l y
.
1 2
last Period f the semiquav rs here give way t

,
o r e o
staccato triplets and the Period which comm nces

, ,
e
pi
a no works up to f ti i m while t h melody or ss o, e
SCHEME OF A C OMPO S ITION 2 9 0
gradually rises in pitch through a pace f two S o
octaves The final cadence is occupied by a single

.
rhythm f four measures in pon d erous chords com

o ,
m i g with an A nacrusis
en c n .
This composition is only one amo gst the many

n
examples Brahms has given us f his mas t ery over

o
rhythmical possibilities He pushed forward the

.
modern development f th art f music in many

o e o
di rections ; but we believe that in no direction was

his work more important than in the impet s he u
gave to the cultivation f a high artistic emotional

o , , ,
and intellectual sense f rhythm

o .
C H APTE R IX
B hm
ra s, Sym p h o ny in D, Op 7 3 Tsch a i
.
— k o ws ky ,
Sym p h o n i c
Pa t ét h iq u e, O
p 74 .
Alleg ro no n tropp o , Key D ,

Ti me S ig n a t ure
TH E bars are imple he ce t h down be t f the

S ,
n e a o
Rfiy bm l t
conductor
zca
marks the accent f each o
A ly i f
na Measure and the A nacr sis when it
s s o ,
u ,
B W”
7
M
occurs easy enough t d t g h ,
IS o is in u Is .
N i D
o 2 The Primary note is t h cro t ch t
n , e e .
Op 7 3
.
The movement p ns w ith a Pre

'
O e
liminary Measure w hich is succeeded by a dignified

,
Period con t aini g only Primary accen t u tion The

n a .
firs t Rhythm is allott d to the hor s and bassoo s e n n ,
th secon d t t h l rine t s and bassoons

e o e C a .
Ex .
57 .
B RA H M S
’
S YMP NY
HO (O p
h
.
I st Rh yt m .
li i
r
P re m ‘ ‘
n a ry
P Mea s ure .
B R A HM S ’
S YMPHONY 21 1
2 nd h
Rh yt m .
The second Period while rhythmically the counter

,
part f the first and allotted to the same sets f

o ,
O
instruments di ffers from it melodically f it closes

, ,
or
in A and the close is prolonged through seven

,
measures During the c dence the strings enter

. a ,
almost imperceptibly at first then becoming gradu ,
ally more audible and fin lly after the wind has

,
a ,
ceased to be heard they carry on an arpeggio figure

,
alone always in Primary notes through the pace f

, ,
S o
nine bars Rhythmical phrasing seems to cease and

.
,
give w y to a vague wandering up and dow n in

a
unison on a t riad and dominant seventh But this .
vagueness is onl y apparent in reality the change :
from the t riad to the chord f the seventh marks o
the four measure construction f the passag with

-
o e
such kill that while it se ms to be formless it is

S ,
e ,
really in conventional form and it is left to t h ,

e
cultivated hearer to discover and appr ciate the t e ar
w ith which the underlying convention is hidden .
The unison passage ceases The roll f the drum . o

R
is heard on the tonic f whole measure pi i i m o r a a n ss o,
unaccompanied We must listen care fully here f

. ,
o r
t h drum measure is t h first f new R hy t hm which

e —
e o a ,
is completed by the trombo s i t hree bars f ne n O
harmony .
Ex .
58 .
TR O M B O N E!
The final measure f t his Rhythm is t ke up by t h o a n e
flu t es d boes in a reminisc c f t h Prelimin y

an O ,
en e o e ar
Measure w i t h which t h movemen t ope s The four e n .
me sure Rhy t hm llotted to t h drum and t rombones

a a e
is repeated wi t h w harmonies and t h n w ith a ne : e ,
single t p f the drum it e t ers again f the t hird

a o ,
n o r
time with modific tions d leads to the new subjec t

,
a ,
an
in t h key f D shown in Ex 5 9
e o , . .
Do w n to this poi t w h ve heard nothing but n e a
Prim ry Rh yth m d t here has been an e ff ect f solemn

a , an o
dignity d grandeur f solidity d earn stness f

a n , o an e o
purpose befitting great and impor tan t work f a O a rt .
We now experience a lighter vein S ubsidiary R hy t hm

enters and f th rest f the movement it plays an
,
o r e o
important part It is f course a commonplace f

.
,
o , o
B RAHM S S YMPHONY ’
3 21
musical composition that the interest can be enhanced

by the gradual introduction f notes quicker than o
those f the opening subject and Brahms is here

o ,
only using an effect well known to every composer .
But there are two ways f using it The increase f

o . o
movement m y be introduced in such a way as to

a
make the listener feel that it is only there because

the composer has co m e to the end f his resources o
Ex .
59 .
O v lp
er a .
in Primar y Rhythm Th other way is to

. e
introduce it in such a manner t hat the listener is

surprised and pleased at its appearance The first .
method is due to the skill f the highly trained work

o
man the second is that f the great artisto .
In the present instance we are not given a repeti

tion f the first subject enhanced by S ubsidiary
o
Rh ythm though we perhaps feel that the time has

,
come f an increase f movement Brahms sei es

or o . z
the opportunity f introduci g an entirely w subject

o n ne
21 4 HYTHM
R OF MODE R N MU S I C
at the point wher th S ubsidiary Rhythm enters

e e ,
thus attracti g our t tention w ay from the formal

n a a
detail f construc t ion and charming us with new and

o ,
beauti ful melody .
This melody b ginning with subsidiary notes and

,
e ,
accompanied by them rises to a sustained high ote,

n
and then desc nds It con t ains a Period f 5 + 5

e . o
measures with an Overlap w hich makes the Period ,
nine measures in lengt h It is foll owed by several .
pairs f measures e ding ccording to rule with an

o ,
n ,
a ,
unbroken R hythm f four m sures We now have

o ea .
a succession f two measur phras s which end with

o - e e ,
a legato four m asure R hyt hm on trings and

-
e S
bassoons .
A new and dignified subject commencing thus , ,
Ex . 60 .
is in well defined four measure Rhythms ( with -
occasional Hal f rhythms ) throughout its course and

-
,
its closes are f the most part feminine It is

or .
“
ca n
t d
a n o,
"
singing ; the chie f melody is allotted to the
“
B RA H M S S YMPHONY
’
5 2I
first string f the violoncellos and there is something

o ,
particularly fitting in t h way with which tone colour

e -
and melody seem to suit one another absolutely The .
Violas play below the violoncellos and the doubl ,

e
basses mark the rhythm by their pi icato notes on zz
the accents .
It is succeeded by a contrasting w subject in ne
dot ted note rhythm Ex 6

-
, . 1 .
Ex . 61 .
f
s oen ma r e.
O v lp
er a .
Ani e measure Period 5 5 with Overlap whose

n -
, ,
vigorous character is due eq ually to the rh ythm and

the large melodic intervals is s cceeded by a Period
, u
4 6 f strong staccato S ubsidiary d a ctyls which give

o ,
2 1 6 HYTHM OF MODE R N MUS I C
R
way to t h remarkable syncopated dactyls shown in

e
Ex 5 page
. 2 ,
1 00 .
The syncopated S ubsidiary dactyls are the m a cc o
pan i m t to a sustained
en i melody in Primary a n a c ru s c
notes distri buted between the basses and violins It

,
.
is in Hal f rhythms defined by the bowing

-
,
.
The motive f Ex 6 enters with A nacrusis in

o . 0 re- , ,
A Major and t h flute plays a beauti ful

,
emp i a cco an
ment to it in S bsidiary triplets thus u ,
Ebc 6 2 .
F LUT E .
The triplets occur again beneath the melody in

double counterpoint A series f four fi measure . o v e-
R hyth m s which owing to their Overlaps do not

, , ,
disturb the four measure form conclude the first -

,
portion f the movement leading to a double bar

o ,
and Da Capo .
The working out section commences with the

“
first fi bars f Ex 5 7 mbellished with S ubsidiary

ve o .
,
e
notes and arranged at some length in very definite

,
four measure phrases

-
The second R hythm f t his . o
B RA HM S S YMPHONY ’
7 21
subject ( Ex 5 7 last four bars) is provided with two

.
,
new S ubsidiary motives giving a fine example f ,

o
triple counterpoint .
Ex . 63 .
We quote the subject with its t w cou terpoin t s o n
only omitting the filli g i parts It is cut hort by

,
n -
n . S
the omission f i t last measure an alteration which is

o s ,
adhered to in all the inversions f the counterpoints o .
The first counterpoint the iolas starts with , o n V ,
the longest possible A nacrusis f it occupies a whole ,

or
measure except the accent This counterpoint keeps .
up an unbroken flow f t t S ubsidiary notes

o s a cca o .
The second counterpoint on the second violins , ,
begins on the last Primary note f th measure o e ,
which is made J d to en force the A nacrusis f

o rz a n o o
the new motive This motive it will be noticed

.
, ,
throws its accents anywhere but in the normal places .
Its eccentric conduct in this respect makes its presence

felt and adds much to the interest f the passage
,
o .
S ome f the wind instruments fill in the harmonies

o ,
R
and at the same time aid the second counterpoint in

marking its accents When the triple counterpoint.
has had its say the Preliminary M sure f Ex 5 7 is

,
ea o .
heard on the trombon s and is w worked up i e ,

no n
pairs f measur s with D i m i f melody and in

o e res s o ,
diminution by various wind instruments to t m l

, ,
a re o o
accompaniment on the strings till it gives way to a ,
favourite device w ith Brahms f changi g the D i i , o n z res s
of th ebar to that f the 3 b page 4 3 o ar s ee .
A fter a f ti i m in which amongst other things

or ss o, , ,
a change f Di eresis f t h first measure f the

o a o e o
opening s bj ct occurs Ex 64
u e ,
.
,
Ex . 64 .
Ch a ng e o f D i aeres i s .
the orchestra soft ens to p i and Ex 5 7 enters a no . re- ,
accompanied by Ex 5 9 as S ubsidiary work and the .

,
third section f the movement runs its normal

o
course From a rh ythmical poin t f view it is

. o
naturally more or less a repetition f the first o
section with light di fferences f detail The four

,
S o .
measure Rhythm preponderates and where a five ,

s
measure occurs it is usually concealed by an Overlap

, ,
B RA H M S SYMPHONY 9
’
2I
so that the general e ff ect is that f easily understood o
four measure groups

-
.
Ada g i o no n tropp o . Key B . S ig na ture C .
It is impossible to describe the rhythmical subtleties

of the openi g passage f this be uti ful movement
n o a
without a full quotation Ex 6 5 hows the first . . S
tw Periods w ith th composer s phrasing In order

o ,
e
’
.
that the underlying rhythmical construction may not

be obscured we hav omitted some f the wind parts
, e o
which m r ly double those given

e e .
Ex . 65 .
B RAH M S (S YMP NYHO No .
A d a g zo
'
non t r oppo . I st h h
R yt m .
2 20 R HYTH M OF MODE RN MU S I C
E nd o f Ist i
P er o d . I st h
R yth m .
zu d h h
R yt m . h h
3 rd R yt m .
E nd o f zu d P er i o d .
The b rs are compound each con taining tw

a , o
Measures and the crotchet is the Primary no t e

, .
The melody is given to the violoncellos The firs t .
Rhythm consists f four Measures w hose melody is o ,
care fully divided by t h bowing into t w similarly e o
constructed H lf h yt h m each f which begins with

a a
r s, o
the A nacrusis .
B RAHM S SYMPHONY ’
22 I
The horns and double basses sound a solemn

syncopation in notes f the value f one M eas re o o u
each on the dominant pedal The first Anacrusis

, .
of the Violoncello is accompanied by a dotte d A na
i on the bassoon
cr u s s In the second Half rhythm
.
—
th ebassoon has no dotted note in its A nacrusis but ,
calls attention to itsel f and slightly modifies the ,
general rhythm by the rapid little scale f demi

,
o
semiquavers t h fl t f which is to bring into

,
e
’
e ec o
prominence the unaccented note on which the scale

ends .
The first R hythm concludes with a Full Clos e,
but it is obscured by the dominant pedal belo w t h e
tonic triad by which t h composer rounds ff t h

, e o e
edge f the phraseo .
S f we have had the following combination f

O ar o
rhythms :
Ex . 66 .
fil
'
Melo d y J J
A ccompanimen t E J ‘
n
m a I a
The second R hythm introduces new material .
Like the first it is divided into pairs f Measures ; o
b t the second pair is unexpectedly repeated with

u
an altered melody This at onc attracts atte tion

. e n
what will it lead to ? Naturally a full close on the

222 HYTHM OF MODE R N MU S I C
R
tonic triad is exp cted fter t h d ominant seventhe , a e
has been t wice so promi en t ly heard in a single n
R hythm But we are agai surprised The tonic

. n .
triad is hinted at th seventh E f ll to its orthodox

: e , ,
a s
note D li but instead f t h ot h r parts f the chord

, ,
o e e o
leading to their regular resolu t ion t hey pause f a ,

or
single beat and then e ter on an entirely unexpected

,
n
chord so that the end f the P riod like the end

,
o e ,
o f the first R hythm is conceal d by the avoidance ,

e
O f what in the convention l and orthodox style

,
a ,
should occur h re e .
By this deceptiv cadence t h first Period is w elded

e e
to the second and we are carried on without a

,
strongly defin ed punctuation t the next sentence o .
The thing probably se ms formless and meaningless e
to many especially to those who like to ha e every

, v
thing clearly marked and easily nderstood B t to u . u
those who can appreciat it t his avoidance f well e , o
marked closes this sub tle concealmen t f a form

,
o
which underlies the whole as s t rictly as that f a o
Haydn quartet is particularly re freshing and attra

, e
tive .
The second Period contains three R hythms f , o
which the fir t is divided by the bowing into two

s
similar pairs f Me sur s each beginning with a

o a e ,
qua er as Anacrusis In the second Rhythm a

v .
phrase f two Measures divided i t o

o is followed n I I ,
by a phrase f three Measures T h t hird R hythm

o . e
B RAHM S S YMPHONY 223
’
has four Measures commencing with the A nacrusis

,
o f three quavers the largest A nacrusis we have yet

,
had in this movement It is divided by the bowing .
i to
n 2 2 Measures .
Here the second Period ends It co tains like . n ,
the first several unexpected harmonies which conceal

,
the ends f phrases and make a demand on th e

o ,
intelligence f the listener so that the whole is

o ,
welded together in a continuo s Melos u .
A fter a curtailed repetition f these two Periods O ,
the horn enter in a l passage making a contem

s so o ,
pl ti
a melody as follows
ve
Ex . 67 .
H OR N .
This motive is taken up in turn by other wind

instrumen ts and the strings It will be noticed t hat .
it is i and has R ising accentuation but its

a n a cru s c ,
second accent is omitted and this gives more force ,
to the accent on the final Meas re u .

R
There is a change f sig ature to 1 82 the new o n ,
m terial being indicated as L istesso tempo In

a
” “ ’
.
other words the Primary rhythm continues to be

,
duple while each Measure is divided into S ubsidiary

,
triplets The 1 2 bars contain two Measures each

.
5
hence we must look upon this part f the movement o ,
f rhythmical purposes as i f it w ere still in C ommon

or ,
Time In fact later on th

.
,
is actually combined ,
e
with the C signature .
Ex . 68 .
The first two R hyt hms allo tt d to the wood wind ,

e —
instruments are f fou measures each Both begin

, o r .
with A nacrusis and conclude with a feminine close

, .
We notice that the b i ty~o f rhythm involved in

O s cu r
the syncopations and sustained notes f the wind o
instruments is made clear by the pi i t Primary z z ca o
notes f the violoncellos

o .
A nother melody A i and with Rising A

,
n a c ru s c , c
t
cen u ati appears b ing preceded by an Empty
o n, ,
e
B R A HM S SYMPHONY 5
’
22
Time on an accent It occurs at first simply .
on its appearance it is accompanied by a double

re-
counterpoint in semiquavers whose commencement ,
hown in Ex 6 9
Is S . .
Ex . 69 .
An a c rus i s .
E — H
It is a ft erw ards accompanied by de m isemiquavers ,
which add very much to the increasing excitement .
Its chief motive is then used as a counterpoint to

the open ng melody Ex 6 5 with a combin tion
i and C signatures This arrangement is,
.
,
a
of the -
g .
developed at som length and the Rhythms are

e ,
easily recognised .
The final Period f the movement is worth O
obser ing as containing an effect f which Brahms

v ,
o
makes use in his Requiem d perhaps elsewhere , an .
The drum beats Sof t triplets on the weak portions

o f measures being ilent on the accented portions
,
S .
In this final Period use is also made f the demi o
semiquaver figure f bar two Ex 6 5 its persis o , . :
te t recurrence here is very e ffective

n .
226 R HYTHM OF MODE RN M US I C
Allegr etto g ra z i o s o (Q u a si And a nti no ) . S ig na tur e
If in the Adagio a mysterious e ff ect has been

produced by carefully obscuring the divisions b e
tween Rhythms and Periods in the All g tt the ,

e re o
exact pposite is the case Here everything is as

O .
cle r and clean cut s in a Mo art S onata and

a a z ,
ins t ead f a movement full f deep thought and

o o
profound sentiment we h ve a S h which while

,
a c erz o ,
not a whit behind t h Ad g i in its intellectu l e a o a
aspects charms us wi t h its lightness and delicacy f

,
o
touch .
Its bars are simple the crotchet being the Primary,
no t e One f its characteristics is the persistent

. o
flow f S ubsidiary rhythm chiefly in the

o mp i ,
a cco an
m ent which is played on t h

,
violoncellos pi i t e z z ca o
in quavers ; and where the quavers cease on t h e
violoncellos the motion is maintained by syncopa

,
tion in other i struments so that there is no break

n ,
in its continuity This r f rs to the principal sub

. e e
jc t but in the other subjects the same features w i ll

e ,
be found and the S ubsidiary rhythm rarely ceases

, .
The melody f the principal subject consists f

o o
Prim ry notes f its first two measures m

a or , co
m en c ni g with the accent .
Played simply and without expression there ,
would be nothing remarkable about the rh ythm f o
these two bars merely three ordinary t h t in a

, co c e s
B RA HM S S YMPHONY 2 7
’
2
bar But by a little

. Brahms alters the whole
nua n ce
character f the tune and gives it a spring and li f

o ,
e
that make it irresistible He places a f z d on . s or a n o
the last crotchet f each b ; he accompanieso ar
Ex .
70 .
CE LL O . P i sa .
this crotchet by an unexpected chord and still ,
further marks i t by i t Th result isa n a cc a ca ura . e
that the note becomes an A nacrusis and this gives a ,
special character to the imple melody S
On t h last crotc h et f the fourth bar there is a

e o
triplet which forms the Anacrusis f the second

,
o
rhythm though joined to the end f the first by a

,
o
slur This connects the two R hythms together with

.
excellent e ffect .
22 8 HYTH M OF MODE RN MU S I C
R
The second Rhythm is f four measures extended o ,
by two repeti tio s f its closing measure to i n O S x
measures .
The second Period cont ins a Rhythm f four a o
measures followed by one f six and ending with o ,
a Hal f rhythm ; and here there is a ligh t pause

—
S ,
Ex .
71 .
l h h
H a f r yt m-
.
shown i Ex 7 w hich s ems to call atten t ion t

n . 1 ,
e o
t his hal f rhythm-

while at the sam t ime i t marks
, e
the ntry f the pening th me The use f

r e- e o O e . o
hal f rhyt hms in un xpected places is feature f

—
e a o
this movement and they are introduce d like the

, ,
o t her rhythmical divisions so clearly and decidedly , ,
t hat there can be no mistake as to what t h com e
poser me ns We shall have more to say abou t

a .
the kind f pause here used in C hapter X The

o , .
t hird Period is f 4 + 6 arranged in a way that calls

o ,
f no sp cial description
or e .
This ends the first section f the movement It o .
is followed by a change from 5; t rhythm the o ,

B RA H M S S YMPHONY
’
29 1
subsidiary rh ythm running more or less through all

the parts and not only in the accompaniment The
, .
melody is that f the opening subject reduced from

o
triple to duple measure Its four meas re Rhythms

.
- u
are easily recognisable till it comes to a hal f rhythm

,
-
after the second period which prepares the way f

,
or
a new subject in dotted rhythm with a most i ,

n
t
eres ti
n
g construction Th
. Period consists
e f two o
complete and two hal f rhythms arranged in the

-
,
order 4 + 2 ,
The division is very clearly
marked by the di fference in the internal structure f o
the whole and hal f rhythms

-
.
Ex .
72 .
R
This ingenious device makes f great brilliancy o r
and energy and as her is a f ,

d on each ,
t e s o rz a n o
Primary Time the energy is increased to the highest

,
pitch After this exciting passage the movement

.
pursues its way pi i i m and leads to a return f a n ss o, o
Ex 7 . 0 .
Si measures f Presto introduce the motive

x o
o f our last example in syncopation it is quo t d on e
page 9 8 in Ex ,
The rest f the movement is. 22. o
f
o r the most part a development f the subj cts o e
whos opening bars we h ve given The time is

e a .
broken by a pause on t h A nacrusis f the final e o
Rhythm .
A lleg ro co n Spi ri to . D M ajo r . S ig n a ture (13

.
The bars simple t h mini m being t h

a re , e e
Prim ry note The movemen t starts with a

a .
peculiarly Brahms like phr se A i gle D is s t ruck —

a . S n
in octaves accompanied by fi fths on t h strings and

,
e
Ex .
73 .
A l legr o co n pi r i to
s .
B RA HM S S YMP H ONY ’
23 1
brass tt , so on the first accent It is followed

o r
ua ce, .
by a quaver rest and then a m elody starts ff the

, O o n
strings alone in unison with an A nacr sis We

, , u .
nat rally expect the ingle D with its special orches

u S ,
t tira to be a Preliminary note and the melody

o n, ,
proper to commence with the A nacrusis But the .
composer d oes not intend anything f the sort o ,
anything so obvious He has placed a slur over the

.
first four bars and included the opening D in it

, ,
Showing that these four bars are to constitute the

first Rhythm and the D is not a Prelimi ary note
,
n ,
but part f the first Rhyth m separated from its com

o ,
panion measures by a C sura ae .
The second Rhythm contains five measures and ,
a fi measure Rhythm is o ften made by repeat

v e-
ing the last m easure f a four measure phrase o -

.
Brahms here does just the contrary ; he rep ats his e
first and not his last meas re The mystery f the u . o
opening f the movement is enhanced by the tt

o so o
vo ce,
r
by the unison f the first two measures by three
o ,
~
part writing doubled through several octaves The .
first R hythm ends with a feminine close t here is no

A nacrusis to the second and the w hole f the first ,
o
Period except w here interrupted by the rest a fter

,
the quasi preliminary note flows on without per

—
,
ce
p t i bl division
e into R hythms .
The second Period opens with a succession f o
two measure phrases each f which has an Anacrusis

-
,
o
R
of three crotchets The whole f this Period which

. o ,
ends with a six measure R hythm is in only two

-
,
part writing down to its last three measures when ,
four part enters f the first time

-
or .
To this point everything has been tt so o v o ce

.
Then there is a rest on t h first accent and the e ,
full orchestra bursts in with an A nacrusis f seven o
quavers leading to a repeti t ion f the opening

,
o
period in a simplified form with full harmony and ,
counterpoint and w ith quaver rhythm throughout

,
every measure .
Ex .
74 .
A na c rus i s .
The R hythms now continue f some time t be or o
four measure until we come to a brilliant passage

-
,
Ex .
75 .
B RAH M S S YMPH O N Y 2 33
’
ending with a full close in the tonic This .
seven measure Rhythm w hose commencement is

-
,
shown in Ex 7 5 is very telling ; while the strings

.
,
are fully occupied with quavers the wind and ,
drums mark the accents with the following ana

crusi figure
e
J J P J J J P J J J
All is now li fe and fire i four measure R hythms n -
,
which are strongly punctuated by full closes the ,
whole orchestra bei g employed Then there comes

n .
a di mi d to pi i i m Two great arpeggios on

nuen o a n ss o.
the larinets are heard in the midst f the busy

C O
quaver movement that is perpetually going on in

the strings against sustained syncopated notes f
,
o
primary value in the wind The violoncellos begin .
to mark the time with crotch ts ; the quavers f e o
the other strings give way to crotchets and finally ,
the second subject enters it is quoted in Ex 3 . 2 ,
page 9 8 .
It begins with a R hythm f followed by a o 2 2,
fiv e- measure Rhythm but as the new Period enters

,
by Overlap on the fi fth measure f this last rhyt hm o ,
the bala ce n is maintained Throughout the .
movement wherever a fi measure R hythm occ rs

,
v e- u ,
it almost invariably overlaps the succeeding period ,
as it does here .
The second subject is a strong one owing to the

2 34 R HYTHM O F MODE RN MU S I C
syncopation in its first measure The melody is .
f
or the most p rt accom panied by quavers in each
a
accented portion and finall y also in the unaccented

,
portion f its measures It is repeated several ti mes

o .
with modifications f its subsidiary rhythm until

o ,
it is heard in unison f with quaver triplets and

,
o rte, ,
a f d on the final crotchet

s o rz a n o f the measure o .
The triplets do not continue long ; a return is

made to the quadruplets in quavers and fresh ,
material grows out f what has gone be fore

o .
A particul rly attractive e ffect is the following in

a ,
which the wind instruments keep up a fl ow f o
quavers and the stri gs punctuate it with pi icato

n zz
crotchets .
Ex .
76 .
It is one f those many passages in which rhyth m

o
makes its appeal in the simplest possible manner ,
by notes which are evenly distributed througho t the u
Period The charm f this particular example lies

. o
in the contrasting tone quality f the instruments -

o
which carry out the two rhythmical schemes .

B RA HM S SYMPHONY ’
235
During the course f the development the follow

o
ing tumultuous syncopation occurs

Ex .
77 .
O v lp
er a .
The first four bars contai the most powerf l n u
form f syncopation that in which t h acc nt is

o ,
e e
represented by silence In the last two bars the

.
second subject ( E 3 )is represented by the bass

x . 2
through rhythm alone favourite device with

—
a
Beethoven and is accompanied by syncopated S b

— u
si d i y work
ar .
The whole movement is a masterpiece f strength o
and energy The Rhythms are straightforward and

.
easily understood ; no special demand is made by

them on the intellectual fac lties No p us s or u . a e
ri t d d occur to break i t course which is carried

ar a n os s ,
on with an earnest and dignified impetus that is

irresis t ible .
Ts ch a i k o w sky . Symp /zo n i e P a t/zi ti gue . Op 7 4

. .
While many f Brah m s works appeal to our o

’
rh ythmical faculties through th grouping f Mea e O
sures in Phrases f various kinds Tschai kowsky o ,
generally relies more on the grouping f th notes o e
wi t hin th Measures than on variety f Phrase In

e o .
oth r words Brahms makes more use f the Primary

e ,
o
an d Tsch i kowsky f t h S ubsidiary R hythms

a In o e .
Brahms music we more often meet with unexpected

’
Overlaps and Deceptive C adences whic h influence ,
the l ngths f Phrases or mysti fy us by obscuring

e o ,
their limits while with Tschai kowsky the four

,
measure and the Hal f rhy t hm are the more prevalent -

,
and they are generally clearly defined .
The introd ction f this S ymphony opens with

u o
the following Period the crotchet being the Primary ,
note
Ex .
78 .
T S C HA I KO W S K Y (Op .
A d ag i o . P re
T S C H A I KOWSKY
' '
37
F em ii n ne
The Motive is i and two measures in

a n a cru s c ,
length The accent f the second measure is dis

. o
placed by S yncopation But through a d .

, cres cen o
and d i mi d in eac h me sure through slurs and

nuen o a ,
through h g f harmony the normal accent is

f
c an es o ,
en forced in such a m anner that we are con front d e
with a phrase f great emotional sig ificance which

o n ,
a t once gives t h symphony the right t its title f

e o o
Pathetic .
A t the end f t h Period th r is a slight climax ;

o e e e
the accented note occupies a whole measur and is e,
rein forced by the telling harmony and the f d s o rz a n o
moreover the final me sure is ilent as i f t h music

,
a S ,
e
paused to take breath b fore continuing its sad e
message .
A fter a repetition f the opening passage w ith

o ,
slight altera tions and a f w bars f ver y expressive

,
e o
Recitati e the A ll g
v , t pp ( Ex com
e ro no n ro o, .
m en c e sIt has the same motive as th introduction

. e ,
but with a di fferent treatment .
Here the second accent f each pair f measures O o
is represented by r est in place f the syncopat ion

a , o
and change f harmony we heard in the intro

O
23 8 RHYTHM OF MODE RN MU S I C
duction The silence compels attention and the
. ,
succeeding fon measure Phrase with its slurred

t— ,
Ex .
79 .
semiquavers on the accen t answered by the notes on

,
the h l f measures in the bass has an agitated

a ,
and energetic e ffect

.
S oon a fterwards there comes a fi m easure Ph ase

ve- r ,
T SCH AI KOWSKY
’ ’
239
which is brought about by the interposition f a bar o
o f ti m e i f a single measure By this means

,
. e. o .
the falling accentuation is maintained which it would ,
not be i f the fi measure Phrase were ended within

, ve-
a bar f C ommon Time Compare Brahms Op 0

o .
, . 1 ,
No Ex 4 5 page 5 6
. I , .
, 1 .
A fter the bar the opening motive recommences , ,
with additio al S ubsidiary rhythm A anap estic

n . n a
figure is announced loudly on the horns but its ,
actual motive enters p i i i m on the strings a n ss o ,
( Ex . accompanied by a descending scale in

double counterpoint .
Ex . 80 .
( O uter pa rts on ly )
.
fi — I u -—J
‘
A n a c rus IS . An a c rus I S . A na crus i s .
This passage is extremely expressive the com :
poser insists the A nacrusis being mad evident

o n e
by the bowing in every measure and in all the , ,
parts The combination f the smooth scales with

. o
the t t anap ests while the whole is played

s a cca o a ,
p i i i m
a n ss has an emotional
o, e f
f ect f deep i g ifi o s n
cance .
24 0 RHYTHM OF MODE RN MU S I C
We come now to Ex 8 In Chapter III we
. 1 .
.
explained that two drums beating two di fferent

rhythmical figures simultaneously would be heard
by the listener as only one figure ; but that when
IE x; 8 1 .
CE LL O .
di fferent ins t ruments or voices took part in di ff erent

rh ythmical figures imultaneously the e ffect f both
S , o
could be heard t as a single figure necessarily

, no ,
but as a scheme in which two or more figures

combined with each other and yet were distinct
, .
It is f this invaluable resource that Tschai kowsk y

o
here avails himself and the movement under

,
TS C H AI KOWSKY
’ ’
24 1
consideration contains a number f beauti ful com o
bi ti
na f S ubsidiary figures
o ns o .
In Ex 8 the di ff erent figures are allotted to i

. 1 n
t m
s ru t f contrasting tone and are easily distin
en s o ,
g i h d
u s eThe violin marks its accents by the slurs
.
,
the bassoon and flute have a noticeable d crescen o
arpeggio the horn stands out through its Dotted

,
”
note figure It will be noticed that the phrasing
.
is in Half rhythms The semiquaver motive is

-
.
worked p at considerable length in Half rhythms

u -
,
with changes f detail too numerous to quote and i t

o ,
forms the S ubsidiary material to several striking

figures in the wind instruments Then comes . a
di mi d and i t d d in which the rhyt h m dies

nuen o r a r an o,
down u til it ceases altoge t her in a pause on a rest

, n ,
preparatory to the entrance f the second s bject o u ,
Ex 8 2
. .
Ex . 82 .
A n d a n te . P re m li . 1 st R yt m h h .
Co n s a rd i n e. Ten era men te, m o lto bzle,

’
ca n ta ca n pa n s i o n e
es .
zud R ythm h .
242 HYTH M OF M ODE RN MUS I C
R
The pause is not th only thing that br aks the e e
rhythmical flow The new subject is preceded by an

Empty Time f two measures expecta tion is on
o ,
the alert during this long silence and t h music ,

e
re- enters softly with A nacrusis

,
It m akes a an .
crescend from its first to its second accen t and by

o ,
this means the composer gets the effect f a R ising o
Accentuation which coincides with the rise f the

,
o
melody The Masc line endings f the Rhythms

. u o
fall on the third accent and the melody is sustained,
to the fourth The long note is accompa ied by a

. n
p i i i m syncopation in both places but in the

a n ss o ,
second i t has a d and the succeedi g R hythm

cres cen o , n
enters by Overlap before i t is expect d The

an e .
d combined with t h O erlap has a strongly

cres cen o , e v ,
emotional e ff ect .
The decr se f movemen t at the ends f t hese two

ea o O
R hythms enhances the melancholy eff ect f the o
harmony and melody .
m m l J J
D ec rea s e
‘
o f mo vm e
f
en t .
The A ndante is only a f w bars in length It e .
gives way to a m d t m in which a continuous

o era o os s o ,
pm t i rhythm in the strings accompanies a four

a na s c
measure triplet rhythm phrase the various wind

-
,
instruments imitating and overlapping one another

in a very e ffective manner Together with the .
T S CH AIKOWSKY
‘
43 2
a ap sts and triplet s two other figures are he rd

n ae ,
a
one in crotchets the othe i syncopation so that

, r n ,
there are the following four figures in combination ,
each f which can be distinguished owing to t h

o ,
e
orchestration .
il
Tr p ets .
1 3
m
4
-
fifi
l "
J
‘ ‘
1 f
a
O v lp r
er a .
‘
I I I EL
.
An a p ts
e
gs
3
a J J 3 ~
( An a p s ts )
s
The substr tum f an p sts ag inst an entirely

a o a ae a
di fferent superstructure is very beauti ful .
The A ndante recurs with triplet accompanim nt , e ,
with powerful d and much change f t mp

cres cen os o e o
the music here is exceedingly emotional A fter a .
pause an ll g i sets in f ti i m with a w

a e ro v ‘
vo ,
or ss o, ne
figure Ex 8 3 whose six measure Phrase broken

,
.
,
—
,
R
by C suras is very expressive It leads to a f g t

ae ,
.
u a o
on the first tw motives f the movement in t t

o o ,
s a cca o
notes utter d with terrific force and a furious semi

,
e ,
quaver cou tersubject is added each entry being

n ,
Ex . 83 .
P re m li .
marked f and f The wind instrumen t s bri g

ero ce . n
i
n i i terjections which add strongly to the
a n a cru s c n ,
acce tuat ion and then they join in th semiquaver

n , e
passage whilst the trump ts thunder in octaves

,
e
against them Ex 8 4 The vigour f this motive is

,
. . o
Ex . 84 .
T S CH A I KOW S KY 24 5
increased at the end by the addition f crotchets o
where there were minims in the beginning .
The f ti i m gives w y to a di mi d and pi

o r ss o a nuen o a no ,
and a w motive enters which rises quickly t

ne ,
o
f ti i m and as q i k ly d i down to p i i i m in a
or ss o, u c es a n ss o
gentle mixture f triplets and duplets syncopated

o ,
into one another and played on the horns while the ,
violins hint at the pening subject be fore bringing

O ,
it in again In a short time the full orchestra is

.
working this subject up to f ti i m in an interchange

or ss o
o f Hal f rh ythms with a particularly grand e ff ect

-
,
.
After a stormy interchange f triplets and rests o ,
the Minim becomes t h Primary note in the follo w

e
ing motive with a solemn eff ect

,
Ex . 85 .
R
The entry f the A d t with an undercurrent

re- o n a n e,
of S ubsidiary rh ythm play d t m l pp brings back e re o o, ,
th e crotchet as t h Primary note This subject e .

,
wheth r played f ti i m or p i i i m with or with

e or ss o a n ss o,
o ut subsidiary rhy t hm always h a pl i tive feeling ,

as a n ,
owing t t h long not s t the d f the phrase

o e e a en o .
Th movem nt ends w i t h fr sh r adi g f the

e e a e e n o
opening s bj ct ( Ex punctuated by Primary

u e .
not s play d pi i t on t h strings

e e z z ca o e .
S eco nd M o v emen t .
Alleg ro co n
g ra z i a . The S ig na t ure is a
1
.
Prim ry note is t h crotche t

a e .
This w ll know n d v ry grace ful movem nt

e -
an e e
takes the plac f t h Min et d accordingly it h

e o e u ,
a n as
a Trio follow d by repetition f the pening

,
e a o O
section .
The compou d Bars contain two measures each

n ,
in t h order Dupl Triple T h Rhy t h m s

e e- . e a re
t hroughou t f four me sur form O —

a e .
Ex . 86 .
A lleg ro ca n g r a zi a .
Ma s c u li h lf l
ne a -
c o s e.
T h ere is a swing and ease that fully accounts f o r
the popularity f the movement and that Quintuple

o ,
Time can produce so f cile and readily gr sped a —

a
TSC H A Iw
’ '
s 24 7
music supports our contention on page 2 5 that

, 1 ,
there is nothing unnat r l in this division f time u a o .
The occa sion l intervention f a single measure in

a o
Dott ed note —
form gives a light and danci g n
feeling to the Minuet as also does though to a

”
, ,
les s er extent the single tripl t seen in Ex 8 6

, e . .
The Trio forms a strong contrast It is in the .
minor mode each pair f its Measures has Rising

: o
A ccentuation each second accent coincides with a

,
discord and a long note Underneath all lies a .
constant r iteration f the note D as a pedal point

e o - .
Ex . 87 .
The effect f this combination the persistence f

o , o
the bass note the dwelling on the discord twice in

,
each R hythm is one f deep melancholy which

,
o ,
is only dispelled by the gradual return f the o
Minuet .
Th i rd M o v ement .
Alleg ro molto c
o i ‘va ce
.The S ignat re varies b u e
tween C an d 1 1
3
The Primary n o te is the crotchet
R
or the dotted crotch t accord i ng to the signat r

e ,
u e .
Th ere are two Measures in the Bar .
The movem nt f a considerable part f its

e , or o
cours is f t h natur f a March whose Primary

e, o e e o ,
rh ythm is constantly accompanied by a busy S b u
si d i y rhythm
ar f t t triplets There
o eight
s a cca o . a re
bars f I troduction in triplets which continu their

O n ,
e
course in the strings while th regular movement ,

e
begins with t h following mo t ive

e
Ex . 88 .
In the midst f the accompa ying triplets w h r

o n e ea
occasional duplets which are played p i i t so that

, zz ca o,
they s t and out amongst the res tless t rip le t s The .
s trings here divide in t o no l ss than t par t s e en ,
giving another instance f the composer s use f o

’
orchestration to serve the purpose f his rhythmic l o a
e ffects .
The march like figure in Ex 8 8 is r peate d m any

-
. e
times in di ff rent keys and with various m d i fi

e o ca
tions f m elody I t prac tically forms the ground

o .
work which th whole mov ment is buil t A fter

o n e e .
a development f this motive a w figure en t ers

o ne .
TS C H AI KOW SKY
' ’
24 9
Ex . 89 .
It is also accompanied like the first by unceasing

, ,
triplets The reader will observe that in this Ex

.
ample the final accents are str ck instead f being

u , o
left to the imagination as in Ex 8 8 The harmonic

,
‘
. .
and melodic structure f the R hythm endings

o -
give a kind f arch assertiveness such as we meet

o ,
with in hornpipe tunes and in some f Bach s dance

, o
’
music.
250 HYTHM OF MODE RN M US I C
R
Ex 8 9 is immediately followed by Ex 9
.
. 0,
which is also accompanied by t t triplets s a cca o .
Ex .
90 .
~
1 r
' ‘
- I l
3
Ex 8 8 now enters
. re— ,_
a n d is developed and a fter
,
wards new complex

a o f figures is heard such as ,
Tscha kowsky loves

i
Ex .
91 .
It is followed by a fan fare in triplets which ends ,
in a full clos e .
A new sub j ect enters whic h we need not quote

, .
Its first Rhythm has sustained f ti i m chords its or ss o ,
second is soft and consists f light groups f

, o o
semiquavers moving downwards against a risi g n >

T SC H A I KOW S KY
' ’
2
5 1
chromatic scale in the bass play d pi zi t A ft r ,

e z ca o . e
the new Period f eight Meas res has been repeated

o u
several t imes the original subject Ex 8 8 returns

, , .
, ,
and is again worked out .
The Introductio and th whole f th first n e o e
sectio is now r peated and leads to a climax in

n e , ,
which Ex 8 8 is worked up with full orchestra on

.
the note A as a pedal point A interlude f -

. n o
descending scales in semiquav rs ff occurs Each e ,

.
scale occupies two Me s res and is pr c ded by an a u ,

e e
ascending A nacrusis f demisemiquavers After O .
t his tremendous whirlwind Ex 8 8 appears in ,

. r e—
the full orch stra also 197 like t h scale inter

e , ,
e
lude while the drums and brass instruments

,
punctuat the Primary notes by t t chords and

e s a cca o ,
the ide d rums cymbals and bass drum join in the

S , ,
fray .The xci temen t con t inues f a long time till

e o r ,
we get repetition f Ex 9 whos dotted notes

a o . 1 ,
e
a re w repeated in a succ ssion

no f one m asur e o —
e e
phrases .
Ex .
92 .
2
52 HYTH M OF MODE RN MUS I C
R
The lim x f this p ssag is here reached in a

C a o a e ,
figure f four quavers to the Measure punctuated by

o ,
dotted crotchets in the bass the whole being ,
m rked fffjf
a
Ex 8 8 enters softly rises to a f ti i m d is

. re- ,
or ss o, a n
worked out ag in t t h d f t h movemen t a o e en o e .
What is the significance f this m m t P In o o ve en
its early part the t t triplets seem t bu round s a cca o o zz
th march like figure like bees hard at w ork round

e -
their hive on a bright summer s day There is a ’

.
pleasant sunny at mosphere abou t i t ; b t we soo u n
begin t find th t in spit f t h boldness f its

o a e O e O
treat ment and its variet y f orchestra t io the figure

,
o n,
represented by Ex 8 8 with its very strongly marked .

,
rh ythm undoub t edly palls and t h move m ent

, , e
becomes to all in t en t s and purposes a march Per .
h ps this is what t h composer in t ended it t be ;

a e o
b t a m rch does not s t ir t h deeper emo t ions

u a d e
,
an
we miss the stim l s f the firs and s cond move u u o t e
ments For this constant reit ra tion f a dotted

. e o
“
note figure makes no c ll on the imagination ; i a t
s t amps itsel f upon us forces its way into us and , , ,
fine as i is we cannot call it great music I t

t , . s
appeal is more to the physical the muscular than , ,
the spiritual side f our nature and the varia o

,
tions f power fro m pp to fifif do not make up

o
for the want f appeal to the imagination But on

o .
,
the other hand there is no doub t about its popul rity

, a
T S C H AIKOW S KY
‘
253
with an audience and its existence would be justified

,
i f its chie f f nction were to act as an attraction that

u
could draw people to hear t h more imagi ative e n
m usic f the other movements

o .
The S ignature is the crotchet

Ada g i o la mento s o .
being the Primary note The normal Rhythms are .
at first f two meas res well divided by C suras

o -
u , ae .
In the pening subject use is again m ade f the

O o
decrease f movement towards the end f the

o o
Rhythm to which we have re ferred on page 4

, 2 2 .
This time it is connected with the minor mode and ,
has an almost tragic e ff ct e .
Ex .
93 .
A da g i o la men to s o .
b ”
Caes ura .
L a rg a m en te . D ec rea s e o f mo v e m en t .
The play f emotion is enh nced by co stant

o a n
changes f t mp and power The figur

o e o . e
which with its descending melody and its C sura gives

,
ae ,
so pathetic a feeling constantly recurs in the d gi

, a a o
2
54 HYTHM R OF MODE R N MU S I C
and though the Cm is frequently filled up by s u ra
instruments which t ke no part in the chief motive a ,
they are f con tr s ti g to e so t hat the ffec t f the

o a n n ,
e o
melody is hanced by their company

en .
The A d g i l ds to t h A d t in which y
a o ea e n a n e, s n co
pat d p i i i m tripl ts on the horns usher in a

e a n ss o e
Prim ry note melody in the major mod and con

a - e,
t in e tn ccompany it The new melody works up

o a .
to a f ti i m with frequent ch g f t mp finally

or ss o, a n e o e o ,
e ach pair f Measures is broken ff by a rest wi t h a

O O
pause and t hen impor tant A n crusis bri gs in

,
an a n a
resumption f Ex 9 3 It is worked t d rises

o . . o u ,
a n
Ex .
94 .
An a crus i s.
to a climax in the m d t i in which t w figures o era e a ssa ,

o
a re given simultaneously to t h wind d strings e an .
Then it si ks down t pi n There is an episode in o a no .
sy cop ted minim chords on the trombone which

n a ,
b gins ppp and di s way t ppppp The d

e e a o . a n a n te
melody is r sumed with i t Primary accents t

e ,
s re
m d en ly rein forced ; it is accompanied by a tonic

o us
pedal in t riplets which continues to t h end f , e o
th emovement The last Measures die w ay in . a
pi i i m chords on t h lowest parts f the violon

a n ss o e o
cellos and double basses the last dying acce ts b ing , n e

TS C H AIKOWS KY 55 2
uttered by f d discords
s o rz a n o The whole f this
. o
movement is intensely emotional an e ffect to which

,
the frequent C suras and the rhythmical features we

ae
have noticed contribute quite as much as the har

monies and it forms a fi t ting conclusion to a great
Pathe tic S ymphony It is said that the work is a
.
”
kind f epitome f t h compos r s li fe which on

o o e e
’
, ,
account f his xcessive sensitiv ness was a sad one

o e e ,
.
C H APTE R !
V i n cen t
’
D I n d y, So n a t a in E fo r P i a no , Op . 63 —
D ebu s sy,
Ma s q u es : H o mm a g e a Ra m ea u —
S t a n fo rd , Qua rt et NO 2,
Op 4 5
.
— l
E ga r Sym p h o n y, Op 5 5 .
D I ndy S o n a ta i n E
’
.
,
M o v ement I . M o d éré
T HERE are three foot notes two f which h ve an -
,
o a
Sona ta i n E
important beari g on th rhythm The n e .
fa r P i a no , first is
a
}
i ntelli
y m , L a uteur s e fie a l g en ce d e l exe
P I 'M’J
’
cuta nt p o ur co m ren
p d re et i n terp reter s a ns
h eurts les co mbi na ti o ns d e U th mes bi na i res cc t ern a i res

"
de ces tro i s p i eces .
Th e second note says

m ig ifi
’
Le s ig ne s n e un lég er po i n t d a rret ma i ns i m
po rta nt que la m .
The movement pens w i th a Rhythm f five duple O o
Measur s the last f which forms a femi in e ding

e , o n e n
to t h phrase and is succeeded by a pause on a

e ,
si gle Primary Empty Time

n .
The triple measure is only apparent not re l f ,

a , or
the pa se makes an indefinite break in the rhy t hmi

u
D INDY S ON A TA IN E’
257
,
cal fl ow A pause on a minim would have been too

.
long the composer wishes to re e w the rhythmical

: n
Ex .
95 .
VI N NT
CE DI
’
ND Y ( S O N A TA ,
Op.
4 en reten a n t .
H a lf m ea s u re .
movement as soon as po sible after bre king it ff s a o ,
for the feeling f the passage demand only h rt

o s a s o
pause here .
The phrase itsel f begins with a vigorous triplet on
the first accent the second accent is not truck

: s .
The third Measure is i the fourth accent a n a cru s c ,
is str ck in the bass only and the fi fth Measure is

u ,
i like the third The energetic triplets

a n a cru s c, .
give way to duplets the pace is slackened and ,
the phrase ends softly with a gentle fem ini e cl e n os .
R
25 s HYTHM O F MODE RN MU S I C
R
It is a very striking passage f the opening f a o r o
work It is repeated with modific tions f the

.
,
a ,
o r
second R hythm d extended t six Measures

,
an o ,
instead f five At its d is a short pause in which

o . en
everything is sil nt except t h bass note which is e e ,
sustained through the pause and thus carries on the ,
sound into the next phrase .
A pair f new P riods now occurs

o They are e .
d ivided from anoth r by the ign m a light

o ne e S ,
S
lengthening f the final note not mounting to a

o ,
a
pause and not fli i t to break the regular flow f

, su c en o
rhythmical accen t s This e ffect is t u known to . no n
great pia ists The late Hans von B illow employed

n .
it in Beethoven s sonatas and h would sometimes’
,
e
make a imilar slight del y on an accented not to

S a e
bring it into prominence It is i teres ting to notice .

1
n
that t his kind f paus is very a cient I t is O e n .
described in much detail by the Greek t heorists

under the ame f C hro os l g n U p o
“
n a o o s,
” “
n ro
port io nal Time that is a Time that is out f ,

”
,
“ ”
o
proportion to the other Times and yet does not ,

”
extend to the v lue f two Times It seems to a o .
have been chiefly us d by the Greeks as D I d e

’
n v
uses it here namely t mark t h d f a R hy t hm

, , o e en o .
It is sometimes used by Br hms in t h form a e
1 See App e n d i x.
D INDY S ON ATA IN E ’
59 ,
2
S E
ee 7 xpage 8 It occurs also in Brahms
. 1 , 22 .
’
Piano forte Interme o Op 6 No 6 R S trauss zz ,

. 1 1 , . . .
uses the ign S
fo r the same purpose in Tod und Verklarung .
We quote the second f the Periods in which it o
occurs f there is here an interesting co mbination

, or
of figures accompanied by triplets

, .
The e ff ect f the somewhat agitated right hand

o -
part against the solid determination f the bass

,
o
progression is very fine and the C hronos l g

,
a o o s
on the feminine ending f the Period makes a kind o
of climax before the first motive ( Ex 9 5 ) enters . re— ,
on a totally unexpected chord If the ign H or . S ,
some si m ilar ign comes into general use as S , ,
appears likely to be the case some convenient term ,
w ill have to be invented f it or .
Ex .
96 .
The Introduction leads to a Theme in regul r a
four m easure R hythms

—
Ex 9 7 shows its first
. .
Period .
Ex .
97 .
T HE M A.
H elf-c l o se.
D INDY
’
, S ON ATA IN E 261
It will be seen that the melody ends with a

full close on the third Measure t h fourth being ,
e
filled in by subsidiary matter and this construction ,
is repeated in so m e f the succeeding Periods The

o .
Theme is followed by a t f variations the fourth

se o ,
o f which introduces a new m lody with R ising e ,
A ccentuation It opens thus

.
Ex .
98 .
1 00 . P re mli .
bzen l i e a t s o u ten u .
Ana crus i s.
R
and afterwards changes to Falling Accent ation u .
Later on this motive is used a counterpoint to the as
Theme accompani d by subsidiary work

,
e .
Ex .
99 .
L e Th eme s eu l d o i t etr e d eh o rs , tr es “ so me
’
en le res te, .
Falling Accent ation is here established by the

u
Theme to which the counter subject is entirely

,
—
subordinate as is indicated by the composer s dir

,
’
ce
tion The e ffect f the three rh ythmical schemes

. O
together has here nothing novel bout it b t it is a , u
nevertheless very pleasantly connected wi t h t h e
Melos .
D INDY
’
, S ON A TA IN E 2 63
M o v ement I! . Tres a ni m é .
The signature is 2 The Measures are f the4 . o r
most part in the order triple duple but there are -

,
several da ing cha ges f Di resis It is evident

r n o ae .
from this m ovement the work is dated

( 9 7 )that 1 0
musicians and audiences are becoming more familiar

with quintuple Measure and that composers are ,
able as it were to play with it more freely than

, , ,
formerly . Q uite arly in the movement we find the

e
follo w ing example f freedom o
Ex .
99 a .
”
Tr i s a n i on s .
R
The metrical Di eresis triple duple has already been

a —
well es t ablished when it is apparently broken at the

,
fourth and fi fth Measures by a change f melodic o
Di i f the nature alluded to on page 2 3

z res s , o This 1 .
device is common enough in modern classical music ,
but we do t know f any other case in which

no o
it is used in quintuple measure In most f th . o e
examples f this speci s f rhythm that we have

o e o
hitherto met with the composer has seemed more

anxious to impress the fi fold nature f the bars v e— o
on the audience than to m ysti fy them The use

,
.
o f the sign [T! is here very bold and eff ective .
There is a highly suggestive change at the fir t s
double bar The triple duple D im i is main

.
—
res s
t i d but is made mysterious by the omission

a ne ,
f o
the fourth accents f the R hyt hms o
E x . 1 00 .
Un pm ma i ns vi l e
. E xp r ess if
and a truly inward feeling resul ts .
The movement is f considerable length d o , an
contains many e ffective changes f D i m i both o res s ,

D INDY S ONA TA IN E
’
, 65 2
metrical and melodic d it is probably the boldest

, an
piece f quintuple music that has y t been composed

o e .
M o v ement M o d eré
’
.
This movement pens with a repetition f the first

O o
introductory Rhythm Ex 9 5 It then changes to

,
. .
triple Measure in which a w theme is g i en out

,
ne v ,
of which the following example sho w s the opening

Rhythm .
Ex . 101 .
It is worked up in various ways In one place it .
is diminished in 3 time but certain f its notes

. , o a re
extended so as t bring it into four measure

,
o -
R hythms Later on great use is made f the

.
,
o
R
following some w hat noticeable subsidiary rhyt h mical

figure
whic h obtains its importance from t h Melos to e
which it is joined A w theme occurs whose . ne ,
melodic notes enter in a syncopated form thus ,
Ex . 1 02.
P iz
nt c
q m‘ .
J _
It has a some w hat agi t at d e ffect it soon gives w y

e a
to the 3 form f Ex
,
o . 101 .
After a w orking t f these and o t h r themes

o u o e ,
the theme f the first movement Ex 9 7 is

o
pi t ,
.
, reca u
lated with various changes f time and the piece

, o ,
ends .
The sonata is thoroughly modern in i t rhythmical s
design d presumes an advanced stage f cultiva

, an o
tion on the part f the audience o .
D ebussy, M a s ques .
This 9 p t movem nt in which the Primary

, res o e ,
val e is the dotted crotchet is f striking rhythmical

u , o
DEBU S SY M A S QUES 67 ,
2
significance Much f the e ffect has been pro

. o
d d by distributing the materials as i f 0 5 3

u ce 2 141 1 1
,
f or Measures and accenting them as M f m d‘ ’ '
f g The pla yer must mark the proper

o r . t a c c en u
ation very decidedly when he will feel and enjoy ,
the f t q character indicated by the composer

“ ”
a n as ue .
The following is the opening Rhythm °
Ex 1 03.
U Y U
.
DE B SS ,
M AS Q ES .
Tr es wf
'
et fa n t a s g u c .
t
o
~
r I I.
d eta ch e et ry th m e
' ‘ ’
In the third and fourth Measures the le ft hand -
quavers must be felt as syncopat ion the normal ,
accentuation being maintai ed in the right hand n .
This ki d f combination is not uncommon

n o ,
especially in French music Like all rhythmical .
figures its attraction is not d to the accentuation

,
ue
itsel f but to the manner in which t h Melos is dis

,
e
tributed over the accents For th scheme apart . e ,
from its Melos is the very ord i nary figur ,

e
J J JD U Am J J fTJ lm
'
‘ ‘
s
French composers have a peculi r facility i com a n
bining simple rhythmical figures with simple Melos ,
in a spontaneous and original ma ner n .

2 68 HYTH M OF MODE R N MUS I C
R
We soon get a passage in which the Di resis ae
apparently changes t th t f o a o
Ex . 1 04 .
P ex f
pr es s g
bu t the accen t uation h bee by this t ime firmly as n
established and mus t continue to be felt in spi t f

,
e o
the notation emplo yed Hence a double syncopa

.
tion arises i the right hand it is continuous in the

: n
,
left it affects t h second hal f f the Measures w hich

e o ,
must be fel t as i f written t hus

Ex . 1 05 .
But i f the composer had written it in t his way ,
t her e would have been a danger f the extreme o
delicacy f the accentuation b ing overdone and

o e
,
thus to some extent marred The passage is

, , .
highly imagina t ive and mus t be handled wi t h t h

, e
utmost gentleness The whole pi ce depends f

. e o r
its e ffect on this and similar combinations f deli o
cate accentuation with a very suggestive M elos .

DEB USS Y M AS Q U E S ,69 2
A mongst other d evices the unexpected omission f o
an accent here and there is very telling g ,

e . .
Ex . 1 0 6.
cuk z un
pa a
as is also the Beethovenish effect f repeating four o
successive Measures without change f Melos so o ,
that the R hythm alone is heard with its accents ,
made very prominent

E x . lo 7 .
The movement is long and there is no change f

,
o
rhythm species throughout yet so attractive is it

-
, ,
that the con tant reiteration f the same rhythmical

s o
figure never palls but carries us along with ever

,
increasing interest Towards the end the figures

.
give way to sustained pi i i m chords in strict a n ss o
t mp
e o,but on the final chord is reiter ted f the l st a , or a
time the opening rhythmical figure Ex 1 03

, ,
. .
270 R HYTH M OF MODE R N MUS I C
D ebussy, Ho mma g e 2
1 R a mea u .
This in t eresting movement is remarkable f the o r
D m”
a
great use it makes f the A nacrusis on o ,
which it largely depends f its due

,
H mm g fi
o fl t or
R m
a au '
effect ; and although in many cases the

slurs fai l to indicate the A nacrusis yet in playing th ,
e
piece we can hardly help feeling that it is there in ,
spite f the printed phrasing It is in slow t mp

o .
e o,
the minim being t h Primary value and the phrases e , ,
after the first f w bars are f the most part f one

e , ,
o r ,
o
Measure in duration I t opens with a Period f . o
two R hythms f two Measures each entirely in

,
o ,
unison .
Ex . 1 08 .
DEB U Y
SS , HO MM G A E K RA M U BA .
(da m Ie d zm e S a ra ba n de ma t}
'
L en t ct g ra ve s ty le s a ns
Un i ro n o . E xpres s zf ct do u cemm t so ur ma .
The division f the notes in the first R h ythm o
is so vague that we can scarcely perceive y an
definite rhythmical figure the composer wishes to :
mysti fy us The second Rhyth m by repeati g the

.
, n
DEBU SSY HOM M AGE A RA ME A U 7
,
2 1
t riplets and the D sharp in t h same part f two e o
successive Measures gives a more definite impres

,
sion and this is confirmed by the construction f

,
o
the succeeding Period in + Measures A 1 .
very delicate occurs in the repetition f the

n ua n ce o
opening R hythm the phrase is extended by a

:
single Primary Time thus ,
Ex . 10
9 .
ii l
Ad d t o n a
i
P r m a ry
i
T me .
This additional Primary Time is not placed at the

end f the phrase as is usual b t in its midst and it
o ,
u ,
has a delight fully fresh e ffect S hortly afterwards .
we have an important Anacrusis brough t about by ,
the interpolation f a bar f time i f an addi

o o ,
. e . o
ti
o nal Primary Time thus ,
Ex . 1 10 .
A n a crus i s .
A n a crus i s .
27 2 R HYTHM OF MODE RN M U S I C
We give the slurri g as it is printed but surely

n ,
the three l st crotch ts f e ch bar are in reality

a e o a , ,
th A nacrusis f the succeeding bar

e o We hav the e
less hesitat ion in maki g this s gges t ion since a

n u , ,
f w bars furth r on t h slurring f

e e ,
e similar passage o a
agrees with our con t ention .
Lat r in the mo ement the bass takes an

e v , i a n a cr u s c
form in three cro tche t s .
Ex . 1 1 1 .
A n a crus i
s .
Af terwards the same figure occurs in another part f o
the Measur not as an A nacrusis but as an inde

e,
,
pendent subsidiary motive

Ex . 1 1 2 .
and a new A nacrusis occurs in both hands together ,

S TA NFO RD QU ARTET ,
273
Ex . 1 1 3 .
A tempo
°
1
which is here indicated by the printed slur .
The opening Rhythm recurs w ith harmony and , ,
with a S ubsidiary punctuation in the bass Towards .
the end the independent S ubsidiary motive f Ex

, o .
I I Irecurs in the right hand and is the last figure ,
heard The movement is highly im ginative and

. a ,
its rhythmical form is well adapted to its strange

Melos .
S ta nfo rd , Q ua rtet N o . 2.
British composers f the first rank are not behind

o
their Continental brethren in rhythmical S nf d ta or ,
developments A ll nations in fact seem

.
, ,
to be working together in raising i t 0p 4 S n s ru . ~
mental music to e er higher degrees f emotional

v o
significance and our native musicians are taking

,
their place in this movement as they did during the ,
famous Eli abethan period

z .
A great change moreover has come over the

, ,
British public during the last quarter f a century o .
Formerly orchestral concerts were f the most part o r
carrie d on at a loss unless called popular , so -
music consisting f walt s d well worn Ital ia

”
,
o ze an -
n
5
R
overtures formed a large part f the programme

,
o .
Chamber music was heard r gularly at one place e
only S t James s Hall and even there the audie ces

,
.
’
n
demanded const nt repetitions f their old a o

“
favourites so that ther was li t tle opportu i t y

,
e n
f a w composer f for ig nationality t be

o r ne o e n o
heard and practically none at ll f one f British

,
a o r o
birth .
Conditions have now entirely altered London .
can support several fi t class orchestras and m y rs -

,
a n
chamber music socie t ies Popular audiences

”
.
“
are ready to listen to and applaud masterpi ces e
o f classical art wh re they formerl y d manded ,

e e
wal t es played by combined massed b nds and t h

z ,
a e
grand organ ; and our composers now g t a hearing

”
e ,
where t we ty fi years ago t hey could get non

n -
ve e .
A great deal f t his change is undoubtedly due

o
to thos exc llent conduc t ors amongst us both

e e
,
for ign
e d na t ive who by the exercise f a highly
a n , , o
cultiva t ed imagination have raised t h t f per , e ar o
forming orchestral music from a correc t and spiritless

playing f the printed notes and expression signs t
o o
a performance full f li fe and fire d emo t ion o an .
The cold classical manner f b ating time while a o e ,
band played the notes with mechanical correctness is ,
a thing f the past and with i t has passed aw ay the

o ,
indi fference f British audiences t high class m usic

o o -
.
For music to move the great public mus t b

, , e
T ANFO R D Q U ARTE T
S 75 ,
2
emotional ( i f it rises above the le el f that which v o
appeals to the muscular rather than the intellectual

faculties) and by boldly giving emotional signi fi cance
,
to the great classics musicians have made them ,
appeal to the man in the street This is all as .

”
it should be the elevating and refining influence

:
o f musical art can be f more real value to the o
nation when it is thus spread over a larger area f o
receptivity than when it is confined to the cultured

few .
to Chamber music the famous S aturday and

As ,
Monday Popular Concerts were the chief element

in training a diences in this bran h and although
u c
from the nature f things C ha m ber music can never

o
make its appeal to so large a public as orchestral

music yet owing to the b fi t e ffect f t h
, ,
en e cen o e
above mentioned undertaking there are now to be

—
,
found audiences who can fully appreciate t h i t ll t l e n e ec u a
performance f chamber music by our own musicians

o ,
a well as by foreigners Our native per formers

s .
have given up t h coldly correct and nsympathe t ic

e u
style f playing hence the British composer has

o :
now better opportunities f exercising his art than at o
any former time and he is show ing that he can well

,
hold his w This is beginning to b recognised

o n . e
abroad f the names f British composers as well

,
o r o ,
as executants occur more frequently in foreign

,
programmes than they formerly did .

27 6 HYTHM OF MODE RN M US I C
R
The quartet we propose to analyse opens with a

free f g t introduction as follow
u a o ,
s
Ex . 1 1 4 .
U A RT E T ( Op .
O v lp
er a .
F
It will be noticed that the t he m e as is often the ,
case in fugues enters with the full bar at its first

,
appearance and with the half bar at its secon d

, .
Hence it has Falling A ccentuation followed by

Rising A ccentuation This device has two results
.
:
firstly it gives contrast and secondly the theme

, , ,
enters one Measure be fore it is expected by means ,
of an Overlap The second d third accents

. an a re
omitted in the first R hythm so that there is a slight ,
feeling f mystery but when the second violin enters

o , ,
all the accents are heard in the cou ter subject n -

.
TANFO RD QU ARTE T
S , 277
The short f g t introduction leads to a P i } m t

u a o t o o
subject whose melody is accompanied by two sub

,
si d i y figures so that there

ar , three rh yt hmical a re
schemes in combination e ch f which has its w

, a o o n
p a rticular character .
P i t) mo to .
h h
R yt m .
zud h
R yth m .
F em ii
n ne C l o se .
The melody beginning w ith dactyls leads in t w

, , , o
places to a high not e whose accen t is prominen t

, ,
through the relat ive length f the no t e The viola o .
accompanies in flowing s miquavers and the violon

e ,
cello punctuates the whole by i t pi i t quavers s z z ca o .
The Melos f the passage is very attractive and

o ,
the rh ythm has plenty f energy o .
It will be observed that the Period begins with a

four measure R hythm and contrary to the gener l
-
, , a
r le the melody f the second R hyth m falls into two

u ,
o
hal f rhythms The next motive opens with the

—
.
rhythmical reiter tion f a single chord accompanied

a o ,
by a subsidiary figure
S T ANFO RD Q UARTET , 279
Ex . 1 1 6 .
The f g t returns and leads to a fine combination

u a o
,
of four di ff erent rhythmical figures :
Ex . 1 1 7 .
V
r
e to .
“ “
The first violin has even notes four in a Measure ,
the inner parts have each their own scheme f o
triplets ,and the whole is supported by the bold

i Primary notes f the Violoncello Th e
a n a cru s c o .
passage is an example f the complicated rhythms

o
thro ugh which the cultivated modern audience finds

i t art a pir tions satisfied
s s a .
Three M easures in t w f which the accents are

, o o
represented by rests introduce an pp m n t motive

, a a
'
o a o
with Rising Accentuation and an important A acrusis

, n .
2 80 RH YTHM OF MODE RN MUS I C
Ex . 1 1 8 .
li i
P re m na ry.
The Preliminary figure f this example is l most o a
immediately used again extended to four Measures

, ,
as an introduction to an pp i t entry f Ex a a rs o n a o r e- o .
1 15 in the key f D minor with the semiquavers in

o ,
double counterpoint above the melody After t his .
it does not reappear Ex 6 is repeated in one

. . 1 1
place without its S ubsidiary matter reversing the ,
usual order in which S ubsidiary rhythm is increased

,
rather than reduce d on the repetition f a motive ;

, o
but to augment the interest the motive is used ,
here with Rising A ccentuation instead f Falling o

,
as at its first appearance thus ,

S TANFO RD QU A RTET , 28 1
Ex . H 9 .
It will be seen that it is here a i in fact n a cru s c : ,
the first three crotchet s give the impression f being o
an A nacrusis on a large scale and one could hardly ,
expect to find a more striking example f the o
di fference f e ffect between Rising and Falling

o
Accentuation .
S eco nd M o vement P resti sszmo

'
. .
The move m ent opens with a Period f two six o
measure Rhythms the first ending with the orthodox

,
hal f close the second with a tonic full close so that

-
, ,
there can be no m istake as to the composer s ’
intentions
Ex . 1 2 0.
P res t zs s i m o
'
.
282 HYTHM OF M OD E RN MUS I C
R
The six measure R hythms fall melodically into

-
groups f two Measures and these seem from

o , ,
their harmonic construction to demand Rising ,
A ccentuation such as would result i f the ignature

,
S
was g and the movement opened with a hal f bar

,
.
This impression moreov r is confirmed after the

,
e ,
double bar f h re each f the tw or four

,
o r e o o
measure R h ythms has a f d on the second s o rz a n o
accent which gives it a R ising A ccentuation

,
.
The Trio opens with a very interesting com

bination f rh ythms A char cteristic
o i . a a n a cr u s c
figure which h been already hinted at in the

,
as
P ti m
res s sz runs through the whole f the Trio
'
o, o ,
without ceasing f a moment It is given out by

o r .
an introductory four measure R hythm preceded by-

,
a Preliminary Measure T h melodic materi l . e a
begins thus
Ist h h
R yt m .
S TA NFO RD QU ARTET
, 2 83
2 nd h
Rh yt m .
3 rd R yt m h h .
The constr ction is very noticeable The first

u .
R hythm beginning in the tonic rises to a high note

, ,
on i t second accent and ends with an orthodox

s ,
hal f close on the dominant seventh In the second

- .
R h y thm the high note f the melody is reached in

o o ne
bound on the first accent instead f on the second

,
o ,
making a s btle Di resis f melody f a kind we

u ae o ,
o
have not yet met with f the melodic construction

or
of the first R hythm leads us to expect an analogous

construction in the second The melody note f
. o
the second Rh ythm is carried over into the third

R
without a break so that these two R hythms are

,
welded together The Period ends with a full close

.
in the key f E the melody being silent on the

o ,
concluding chord A similarly constructed P riod

.
e
succ eds the one here quoted In the second part

e .
of t h Trio the melody is t ken up by the Violoncello

e a ,
with considerable use f duple measure against the o
triple accompanying figure and the duple measure ,
work being mostly on the first string is very

, ,
telling owing to the clear d penetrating quality f

,
an o
the tone employed f it o r .
Tbi rd M o vement . Anda nte press i z/o

es .
The first Period is f seven Measures not o ,

th e
result f overlapping but f a distinct cutting

o ,
o o ff ,
Ex . 1 2 2.
TA NFO RD QU A RTET
S , 28 5
through the feminine hal f close from the succeeding

-
,
Period .
A General pause introduces a w rhythmical

—
ne
figure which with slight modifications becomes an

, , ,
important feature in the course f the movement o ,
being combined both with new motives and with ,
th motives that have been already heard

e It enters .
alone on the viola

,
Ex . 1 23 .
V L IO A.
The new motive i this example begins with f t

n or e
Dotted note rhythm and suddenly soften s do w n

-
,
in its second Measure to a pi passage in even a no
notes S pace does not allow us to quote further

.
examples from this interesting movement which has ,
many other e ffective rhythmical features .

Fi na le . Alleg ro mo lto .
This mo ement is distinguished by the constant

v
recurrence f three measure R hythm made evident

o - s,
both by the melodic and harmonic construction .
The openi g Period shows the f ndamental principle

n u
on which the rh ythmic l scheme f the whole is

a o
founded ; but there many contrasting mixtures

a re
of tw o four and fi measure phrases with those f

ve- o
three .
Ex .
4
1 2 .
A1.7n 0 77 1 011 0.
2
fl
It will be noticed that the accompaniment marks

the unaccented portions f th measures strongly o e
TA NFO RD Q U ARTET
S 287 ,
this has the e ff ect f imparting great vigour to the

o
material The phrasing is very distinct There is a

. .
hal f close at the end f the third and a full close

-
o ,
at the end f the sixt h Measure but the concluding

o
,
chord coming in each case on the weak beat carries

, ,
on the fl ow f the Melos without a break in its

o
continuity .
The next Period consists f Measures o ,
and the third Per od ret urns to the three measure

i -
construction which predominates throughout the

,
move ment .
A stro gly marked n i motive occupies a n a crus c
two Measur s and its Rhythm i marked by

e ,
s
Ex . 1 2
5 .
LL V L i v bl ) PP ( CE O an d IO A n o c ta es e o w .
throwing the accent on the third quaver f the o
Measure by m eans f the longer note in this

, o
place .
Two R hyth m s are run into one in Ex 2 6 . 1
by the bowing f the first violin which joins the

o ,
final note f the first to the second Rhythm a device

o ,
o ften met with in modern music .

Ex . 1 26 .
I st h h
R yt m .
The first R hythm concludes with the tonic full

close on its fourth accent but th composer has by e ,
his bowing indicated that t here is to be no C sura

, ae
here and the M los runs on without a break It

,
e .
will be noticed that the A ccentuation f the o un
accented quavers which is a feature in the opening

,
Period is carried on here by the Violoncello

, .
The motive f Ex 4 is brought into four

o . 1 2 .
measure in a sort f quasi recitative passage m lt

o -
, o o
md
o t and it leads to a momenta y resumption f
era o , r o
the opening passage f the quartet Ex 4 o , . I I .
A C oda P t , i begins with an

res o a ssa i , a n a cru s c
dotted note figure accompa ied by subsidiary matter

-
, n .
The motive f Ex 4 is hinted at in triple measure

o . 1 2
,
and the movement ends with a plagal close extended ,
to seven Measures .
ELGAR ,
S YMPHONY 28
9
E lg a r, Sympfio ny Op .
55 .
This is another f the many fine works f British

o o
E lg a r, origin whose reception by the public has

,
i fiz f become possible through the influences to

01 5 5
> which w have alluded It is boldly
e .
modern in feeling and shows emotional power

, an
fully on a level with the best latter day works f its -

o
class produced on the continent .
The first movement has an introductory Andante ,
which opens with two Preliminary Measures ttered , u
p i i i m on the drums and basses

a n ss o Ex 2 7 shows . . 1
Ex . 1 2 7.
EL G A R, S Y MP N Y
HO (Op .
N o bi lzmente e s em pfiee
'
A n d a n te .
h h
.
I st R yt m .
a nd h
R yth m .
R
the openi g Period Its second R hythm is curtailed

n .
to three Measures and is combined with an p

,
a
parent Overlap f t h dominant seventh w ith its

,
or e ,
resolution would in the ordinary course form the

,
conclusion f a four measure Rhythm here over

o -
,
lapping the next Period But the composer .
evidently intends that this phrase shall sou d like n
one f three Measures i spite f its harmonic form

o ,
n o ,
fo r he has placed a d cided C between the e as s u ra
dominant chord and its resolution Those who have .
heard the symphony will probably have been s t ruck

with t his feature ( even i f they cannot analyse it) ,
occurring as it does at the beginning f the work

, ,
o ,
just as the rhythmical scheme f four measure o -
phrases seems to have beco m e well established .
The Period here quoted is repe t ed several t imes a
wi t h varying orchestration and leads t the A llegro , o ,
whose first Period is given in Ex 8 . 1 2 .
E x 1 28
A lleg r o
'
A n da n te. a ppa s s zo n a to .
1 2
ELGAR ,
S YMPHONY 29 1
In this pa sage which begins with a very short

s ,
anacrusis the melody f the first Measure rises to

,
o
the secondary accent and by d w elling on it brings

, , ,
it into prominence The high note is approached

.
with a d
cres cen and is ounded with a f rz
o, s s o
’
a na o
on a d iscord and the phrase has thus all the

,
elements f rhythmical energy while dignity is

o ,
imparted to it by the harmony and i nstrumentation

emplo yed .
In six out f the eight Measures the arrangement

o
o f the materi l is the same ; the third crotchet is the

a
most prominent note in the Measure and vigour ,
results from the repetition f this figure o .
It will be noticed that the first Rhythm falls

melodically into Measures and the second ,
R h ythm is undivided according to the rule so o ften

,
referred to It will also be noticed that the various

.
p rtions f the Period are welded together by the

o o
sturdy m arch f the bass which keeps up the

o ,
Primary accent ation in bars two and fo r wh ere

u u ,
the melody is divided .

R
The next passage we quote has dactyls ,
ever increasing vigour f accent

- o .
Ex . 1 29 .
In the first two bars the accentuation is made by the

d ctyls alone ; i the second power ful chords
a n ,
punctuate the weak portions f the Measure bri g o ,

n
ing all four crotchets into equal prominence In t h . e
next bar the accentuation f the dactyls is further

o
increased by the slurred quavers and f z d s or a n os .
There is a change to signature the dotted minim ,
being here the Primary note and this introduces a

,
syncopated passage f as deep a pathos as

o be ca n
found in modern music It is one Measure in

.
length is repeated several times and the repetition

, ,
helps to give it its pathetic impression The .

ELGAR S YMPHONY
,
2 93
rhythmical scheme consists merely f a strong o
Primary accent followed by a syncopation in the

,
m lody and bass while the secondary accent is heard

e ,
in subsidiary work in the inner parts .
Ex
. 1 30 .
The syncopation is here an element f intense o
emotion In the next example syncopation is used

.
, ,
in combination with th anacrusis f the contrary

e ,
or
effect namely f energy

, , o .
Ex . 1 31 .
The passage culminates in a broad } measure ph rase a ,
in which the accentuation l J d predominates c .

'
,
and the smaller notes have little or no effect on the

rhythm though their position high up on the fir t
, , s
string f the double basses intensifi s the emotional

o ,
e
feeling f the whole by their penetrati g tone

o n .
Ex
. 1 32 .
This Rhythm is repeated with subsidiary triplets ,
and then so ft ning down it lead s to a repetition f

, e
, o
the opening subject Ex 2 7 page 2 8 9 played ,

. 1 , ,
pi i i m on muted hor s with the Violas in unison

a n ss o n ,
and t m l d It is accompanied by t t note

re o a n o . s a cca o s
on the basses and violoncellos There follows a .
pi i i m t
a n ss m t
o passage in duplets agai nst
enera en e
triplets t h t mp is quickened and intensity

: e e o ,
is g iven by the accentuation f the duple ag inst o , a
syncopation in the triple material The t riplets .
conquer and Ex 30 again enters pi i i m

, . 1 , a n ss o .
In contrast and as a relief to the intensity

,
which permeates the movement as a whole a ,
gentle melodic passage recurs from time t ti me o

,
ELGAR S YMPHONY ,
295
its first appearance having been after Ex 30 . 1 .
It is shown in Ex 3 3 Wherever this graceful

. 1 .
Ex . 1 33 .
little melody appears its rh ythm is gently marked

,
by the pi i i m p i i t Primary notes on the

a n ss o z z ca o
double basses .
The movement is f gr at le gth and its many

o e n ,
rhythmical beauties will become more app rent as the a
work grows more familiar We have pointed out .
a f w that have occurred to us from a stud f the

e y o
score to go into greater detail would involve longer

quotations .
S econd M ov ement . Alleg ro mo tto .
The signature is L one minim in a bar a very

e. ,
unusual arrangement f although a conduct or oft n

or e
beats one stroke in a bar a Measure cannot exist ,
without an unaccented as well as an accented portion .
In the present case the crotchet is the Primary

v l d the Measures are d ple The movement
'
a u e, a n u .
296 HYTHM OF MODE R N MU S I C
R
opens with a Preliminary and fo r introductory u
Measures in which t h bass s h v a striking ana

,
e e a e
i
cru s c figure f one Measure in length This o .
figure afterw rds becom s a b ti t aduring e a ss o os na o
certain parts f the movement The firs t subject is

o .
in busy p i i i m semiquavers accompanied by t h

a n ss o ,
e
oa ss o
'
o s tzn a to .
Ex . 1 34 .
A lleg r o mo i /o .
a 69 .
I n t ro d uc to ry R yt m h h .
eli m i n a ry. 1
A n a c rus i s.
O v lp
er a .
ter a passage in quavers a new and striking

Af ,
figure occurs which however owing t the ex treme

, , , o
rapidity f the t mp seems to consist f accents

o e o, o
ELGA R S YMPHONY
,
297
only the notes between them being practically lost

,
to the ear though the eye sees the bows moving with
,
lightning speed The figure is

.
Ex . 1 35 .
A very sprightly m l dy f ll w on the violas and

e o
'
o o s
Clarinets accompanied by detached chords it begins

,
thus ,
Ex . 1 36 .
S everal Overl ps occur by which the motive is

a ,
m de to nter a b soon r than it is exp cted The

a e ar e e .
rhythmical e ffects in this movement are f great o
variety ; amongst them is the following exciti g n
motive
Ex . 1 37 .
C YM L
BA C YM L
BA .
V TI MP .
This example is only given in ou tline ; the full

orchestra is engaged in i t the basses marki g the
, n
ELGAR S YMPHONY 299 ,
Primary Times with the drums and cymbals and

triangle .
A melodious middle section or Trio commences , ,
thus with A nacrusis

Ex . 1 38 .
LT
F U ES .
PP An a crus i s.
O B OE AN D E NG L IS H H OR N .
The rapidity f the t mp never relaxes The o e o .
a lternation f dotted and even notes is very effective

o .
This subj ect it will be seen al t hough full f energy

, ,
o ,
is in absolute contrast to everything that has gone

be fore When it is finished the opening motive
.
, ,
Ex 3 4 ( page
. 1 enters accompanied by a t e- ,
counterpoint which has been previously heard as

,
one f the chie f motives The Trio is repeated with

o .
fresh orchest ation and with new rhythmical e ffects

r , ,
and then the b ti t returns and is heard

a ss o os na o ,
beneath l g t Primary note melodic passages

e a o -
.
R hythmical energy gradually dies away against a

long pi a i i m h olding note which leads without a
n ss o ,
break into the slow movement .

3 00 R HYTHM OF MO DE RN MU S I C
This bea tiful movement opens with the following

u
classically constructed Periods

-
Ex . 1 39 .
z zo
g i
P er o d 1. i st h
R yth m . a nd h h
R yt m .
2 3 l 2
i
P er o d 2. I st h
R yth m .
A n a c ru s i s.
ELGAR S YMPHONY 3 , 01
The first Period ends at the six four chord in the -
middle f the fourth bar but it is welded into the

o ,
next by an unexpected change f harmony Notice o .
the tender e ffect f the two inverted dactyls in the

o
accompaniment at the end f the second Rh ythm o ,
thus :
which giv an unexpected turn to the rhythm

e .
The second Period commences with the three note —
A nacrusis in place f the gentle inverted dactyls

, o .
Its first two measures are marked by the pi i t z z ca o
Primary notes on the d ouble basses The first .
R hythm is here divided into two hal f rhythms The -

.
third is i and its ending melts into the

a n a c ru s c,
succeedi g Period by similar harmonic progression to

n
that which joins the first Period to the second .
He ce a continuous Melos results such as we have

n ,
seen in the slow movement f the Brahms S ymphony o .
A ery attractive passage in which the figure

v ,
o
'EJ alternates with Jfi leads to a novel and
°
o
’
delicate form f syncopation akin to that f Ex 2 5

o ,
o .
,
page A in the former case Brahms syncopates

1 00 . s ,
subsidiary dactyls so here Elgar syncopates sub

,
si di y triplets on the same principle

ar .
But though the principle is the same the e ffect is ,
entirely di fferent The Brahms quotation is part f

. o
a quick movement and it is played f t ; it is full

, or e
R
of energ y and fire The present example is p i i i m

. a n ss o
and belongs to a slow movement ; t g ves a gentle i i
Ex . 1
40 .
O v lp
er a .
undulation which is hardly heard and only just ,
supports t h longer notes f the melody Moreover

e o .
,
th di fference t h rhyth m species makes a di ff er

e in e -
e ce f ethos f a succession f dac t yls more

n o ,
or o is
vigorous t han a succession f trochees o .
Ex . 1 41 .
Ca 7 2l a bi le.
V LIO AS .
Ex 4 sho w s a somewhat novel combination

. 1 1
of strings and wind A a rule in such a passage . s , ,
the strings would play the t riplets and the wind ,
th el g t accompaniment to t h m l d
e a o But t h e e o v .
e
composer by reversing the usual order makes t h

, , e
ELGAR S YMPHONY 3 3
, 9
t t
s a cca o triplets f the two fl utes stand out p
o ro
mi tly
n en an essential part f the rhythmical
, as o
scheme The same passage is repeated with the

.
,
strings also in triplets ; they are to be played very

l g t while the fl tes mark the triplets as be fore
e a o u ,
and are aided in this by the harps .
The last feature to which we can draw attention in

the movement is the Pause :
Ex . 1
42 .
which occurs on the first note f an Anacrusis o ,
arousing expectation by its unwonted position .
The m ovement ends p i i i m as it began the a n ss o ,
last phrase containing some triplets at the ends f o
Measures in t h manner alluded to on page 2 2 5

,
e .
The Finale commences with a slow i troduction n ,
which by re ferring to the opening theme f the work

,
o
( Ex . and anticipating the most striking theme

o f the last movement forms an important connecting
,
39 4 HYTH M O F MODE RN M US I C
R
link binding the work into a homogeneous whole .
The introduction is f the most part pi i i m it

o r a n ss o
ends with a pause on a rest and then the allegro ,
starts ff with a full A nacrusis as follows

o ,
:
Ex . 1 43 .
'
n so lu to .
f An a c rus i s .
Here two rhythmical figures at work one a re ,
completing the other The Primary value is the

.
minim ; each Primary Time is very strongly

accented by the rel tive length f its notes and by
a o
the f rz d ; and the lower parts equally strongly

s o a n os
accentuate the subsidiary rhythm The Melos as a .
whole is there fore accented thus :
An a crus i s .
ELGAR S YMPHONY
, 30 5
making a power ful impression ; but the accents are

distributed between the outer parts so that in ,
reality two separate rhythmical figures are distinctly

heard After this vigorous opening has run its course
.
,
a m ore gentle m elody sets in the inward strength

,
o f which is maintained by the steady march f the o
t t bass notes
s a cca o
Ex . 1
44 .
The motive that wi ll probably lways m ake most a
impression however is that shown in Ex 4 5

, , . 1 .
Ex
. 1 45 .
It is simple in the extreme and this gives it i t

,
s
attraction i contrast to its surroundings If it

n .
U
R
were played l g t it would h ve no special ig i

e a o a S u
fi ca n cebut the punctuation in t t f the succes s a cca o o
sion f even notes by ppealing directly to our

o ,
a
rhythmical sense gives us sat isfaction without mental

,
e ffort A t the same time t h intellectual side is

. e
interested by the sustai ned p i i i m f the horn a n ss o o ,
and still more by the persistency f the bass figure o ,
so that the passage is r deemed from any suspicion e
o f being commonplace in spite f the simplicity f ,

o o
its rh ythm .
This motive recurs gain continually in every a
degree f dy amic forc and is in contrast to

o n e,
the two others which we quoted in Ex 4 3 . 1
and 4 4 1 .
Besides these three xamples there are other e
important motives in the movemen t and a return ,
is made to the opening subjec t Ex 2 7 which , . 1 ,
is worked up wi t h various s bsidiary rhythms ; u
the symphony in fact is full f fine rhythmic l

, , o a
e ffects .
Though not yet twelve months old this w ork ,
has leaped into popularity in a way that no similar

production f an Englishman has y t done It is
o e .
evident there fore that it expresses contempor ry

, , a
art feeling Whether it is destined to beco me a

-
.
classic time only can show If i t popularity were

, . s
with audiences f the past who demanded w lt es

o , a z
and marches as an aid to swallowing a symphony we ,

ELGAR S Y M P H ONY
, 30 7
should consider that i t h d tak en no permanent

a
place B t its attracti n is f audiences who

. u o or
demand the s ymphonies f Beethoven and Brahms as

o ,
w ell as the best works f c o n temporary composers

o ,
so that it is t unlik ly t hat public taste is o t

no e n
wrong in applauding the latest British composition

as a masterpiece
.
A PPENDIX
T H E AGO G IC A C C E N T
THE slight delay by which t h lat e Hans von B ulo w e
gave prominence to accen t ed no t es as mentioned ,
on page 5 8 is called by Dr Hugo R i mann t h

2 ,
. e e
A gogic Accent (dw yfi movement hence t mp )

“ '
, ,
e o .
The e ff ct has l w ys been known and is el ment

e a a , an e
in t mp b t For t h most par t it h been con

e o ru a o . e as
fined to dotted note rhythm when a weigh ty or

—
impressive e ffect is desired Leopold Mo art lludes . z a
to it in his Vi li l l ( 7 5 6) i a way that may

o ns c t u e 1 n
be paraphrased as follows I a group such as this n ,
to be played with detach d bows and in an impres e ,
siv style the dotted notes must be given more t han

e ,
their relative leng t h and t h shor t notes less , e .
Le gthening the dotted notes gives them fi ll

n i er
emphasis V B ulow made a special feature f

. o n o
t his not only in Dotted note rhythm but

nua n ce, -
elsewhere and was adversely criticised f his playing

,
o r
f B ethoven s sonatas the critics attacking this

’
o e ,
THE A GOGI C A CC ENT 3 9 0
particular pomr But though he gave it prominence.

,
he was not the only performer f his day to employ o
it we read in Grove s D i ti y New Edition

:
’
c o na r , ,
vo l i page
. .8 t hat the late S i C harles Hall é
1 ,
r ,
Joachim and many others used i t

, Perhaps they .
1
did not make so marked a fe ture f it as did von a o
B ulo w A t any rate it seems to have been he who

.
,
brought about t h recognition f its importance in e o
other th n dot ted note f Dr Riemann in forms

a s, or .
us that von B ulow s re dings f B eethov s S onatas ’

a o en
’
inspired him to develop the remark ble theory a
brought forward in his Dy mi t d Ag gi k pub na e un o ,
li h d at Leipsic in 8 8 4
s e 1 .
A ccording t t his theory the musical phrase is

o ,
built p f hort M tiu which are Duple or

o S o v es ,
Triple according to the time signature and the

,
-
,
Motive corresponds to what we in this book have , ,
called Measure But instead f the M otive being . o
divided into accented and unaccented portions it ,
increases or d iminishes in p w so t hat o er
what w represent th s e u
J J
is represented in Dy na mi /
c und Ag og i le, thus
J J
1 T h e presen t w r i t er d i i ly m m b i i S i C h l
st nct re e ers t n r a r es Ha é ll ’
s
l i
p a y n g, as we ll as in h f
t at o B ul w I h l
vo n o . n t e a t t er i t wa s
v y p mi
er ro n en t in th e fi mvm
rs t f h o ll d
e en t o t e so - ca e
“
Mo o n
ligh S t o n a ta .
R
This explai s t h title f t h book Dynamik

n e o e :
re fers t the degree f force

o d di mi od , cres cen o, n uen o,
wi t h which a M o t ive or Phr s is expressed in a e ,
dis tinc t ion from t h Agogik t h rel tiv ti m e

e ,
e a e
occupi d by i t portions
e s .
It must be born in mind tha t the crotchets here

e
represent w h t in this book we have call d the

a e
Primary Tim d a motive may be formed

e, an f o
smaller notes than its Primary Times or s v ral ,

e e
Prim ry Times may be joined in one no t

a e.
A Duple Mo t iv is f two kinds e o
A n be to n t J
d
Ab betont J J ( equ valen t to our
-
i Ana
c ru s c i form ) .
The Tripl Mo tive has three forms

e
'
A n bet o nt
Ab —
betont J J J (a n a cru s i c) .
I n beto n t J J J (a n a cru S I C)
o
the above forms only the A b b ont and

Of -
et
I b t
n t are recognised
e o n or in our nomencla ture , , ,
all Motives are i In phrases which

a n a cru s c . un
doubtedly begin with a full bar i o t her words , n ,
with the A betonung such as t h opening subj ects

n— , e
of innumerable sonata and s ymphony movemen t s the ,
first note is merely a fixed s tarting point f the o r

THE AGOGI C AC CENT 3 I 1
rhythmical feeling Immediately after it has been .
struck t h A b betont form f Mo t iv must commence

e —
o e .
A ccen t in the usually accepted sense the author

, ,
does not recognise and he adduces long arg ments ,

u
to show its impossibility f artis t ic pur poses The or .
rhythm is to be made evident not by lterations ,

a
o f accented and unaccented notes but by Dynamic ,
variation that is by
, d and di mi d , cr es cen o nuen o .
When notes smaller than what we call Primary

are used t h Motiv is s id to be t g tl i lt and
,
e e a un er e ze ,
in this c se t h dynamic v riatio s are more easy

a e a n
t perform especially on t h piano forte w here a

o , e ,
d is
cres cen t possibl
o on a si gl not
no e n e e.
A Motive wheth r t
g tl
, i lt or not moves in e un er e te ,
d to its S l
cr es cen o p t t ( our accent ) and then c s er un ,
diminishes the S /w p kt being generally sho w n

: c z‘ er un
by the Bar line In other words the Bar line does

-
.
,
—
not how accent but t h c lmin t ing point f the

S , e u a o
Mo t iv t hus e, :
Ex . 1
B EE T V
HO E N (O p . 1
4, N o .
i
( Vi de R em a n n , Dy n a m i k a nd Ag og i k , p .
The dyna m ic rise and fall appli s in a larger e
degree to the Phrase which is a combination f two ,

o
or more Mo t ives ; so that unless a composer by ,

3 1 2 HYTHM R OF MODE R N M U S I C
special signs i dicates t h con trary all Phrases must

,
n e ,
gradually incre se in forc ti ll they reach t heir central

a e
dyn mic point and then di m inish The cen t ral

a ,
.
dyn mic point f the Phrase is dis t inguished from

a o
those f the Mo t ives by an almos t imp rceptible

o e
dwelling upon i t am ly by the application f the ,

n e ,
o
A gogic Acc n t e .
To carry t h t h ory t t practical conclusion

e e o u o a ,
Dr R i m n has published peci l edi t io s f

. e a n S a n o
ma y classic l d modern w orks He makes

n a an . us e
o f two w no t a t ion signs t h

ne L i l ( P t ,
e es ez e c zen u nc ua
tio ig ) a minu t prigh t s t roke ( or the sam

n S n ,
e u e,
doubl d t e ,
i dic t t h ds f Mo tives d
o n a e e en o ,
an
a fl a tt ened circumflex to ho w t h no te on S e
w hich t h A gogic A ccen t is t

e f ll We quo t e o a .
a pa s ge (D y
s a d Ag p in w hich both
n . un ,
.
occur
Ex . 2
B T VN
EE HO E (O p . 1 4, N o .
In this Example the harmony is omi t ted and i t ,
looks strange that the m tives should end w i t h the o
quavers The reason is however tha t the D m i

.
, , vn a c
THE A GOGI C AC C ENT 3 3 1
centres occur on discords which cannot be separated

from their resoluti ns and the quavers are the o ,
resolutions hence the w moti b gins with

: ne ve e
the second half f the bar In the Accent theory

o .
the t hird crotchet would have more force than the

second and fourth ; but in the Dynamic theory
t here is di mi d fro m the firs t to the second
nuen o
crotchet and a, d from the third crotch et to

cres cen o
the first f the next bar

o .
Phrases are show n by the l g t strokes The first e a o .
an d second Phrases in the above quotation contai n
two Motives each the last has four so that the , ,
example shows a Period f + + 4 Motives Th o 2 2 . e
L i l is f course unn cess ry at the end f

es ez e c zen ,
o ,
e a o
the Phras since its pl ce is taken by the end f

e, a o
the l g t troke
e a o S .
The above explanation gives o ly the barest out n
line f the th ory f its details we must refer our

o e o r
read rs to the book

e .
In his first hapter Dr Riemann writes a C .
melodic succession f quavers in 3 time and o , ,
repeat ing it in t ime he discusses the question ,
o f how the grouping f three and t hr e in the .

o e
g is to be distinguished from that f two and o
two in the on the organ which is incapable ,
o f accent or f ,
d and d i mi d He
o cres cen o nuen o .
explains that it can be made clear by placing the

A gogic A ccent on t h first f each group f e o o
3 14 HYTHM OF MODE R N MUS I C
R
three quav rs in t h one case and on the firs t

e e
,
o f each pair in t h other thus e ,
i d ? and s h i f t?
There is no doub t t h t organis t s who feel rhyth m
a
stro gly are ble t make their udi nces ppreciate

n a o a e a
i t in a way th t is denied to m ny f th ir fellows

a a o e .
C an it be t h t they insti c t ively and unconsciousl y

a n
bring it out by mea s f t h Agogic A cc nt applied

n o e e ,
in so small degree t hat neither they nor t heir udi

a a
e m es are aware f any alt ration in the t mp

e o e e o
INDEX
A ccellera ndo , 1 6 0- 1 6 3 B h
ac j S ra re ly g m pl y e o s
l i T i pl T i m
.
, . .
, ’
A ccen t , 1 8 2 -
1 D up e a ga n s t r e e,
i i
.
Om ss o n f, 6 2 , 6 3 o 1 0 5
vl
. .
a n d n o te a u e, 7 O rga n Fu g u es , 1 2 4
9
i ii ll ii h
. .
Ac c e n t u a t o n , R s n g , 4 5 Fa An t c pa t es m o d er n m et o d s,
i n g. 4 7 I I
l f
.
a n d M e o d y, 6 1 Ba r C o m po u n d , 3 8
h ki
. .
T h e t ree n d s o f, a n d M ea sure , 37 ,
71 , 72 39, 4 1 , 4 2
i l
. .
Ac c i a ca t u ra , 2 2 S m p e, 3 9
i i
. .
Ago g c Accen t , 3 0 8 a n d P o et c fo o t , 3
9
l iB li
. .
A bert a ss , 1 0
5 Ba r n e, 3 9
-
i
. .
A lla oreve, 1 1 4 Fu n c t o n o f, 4 0
i 4 47 B hv l h
. .
A n a c ru s s , 1 -
e e t o e n , P a s t o ra Sym p o n y,
S b i d i y E x m pl
.
u s ar a e o f, i n 5
B hm 7 7
,
ebew o h l So n a t a , 5
fl
ra s,
B hm C p i i i
. .
’
i n ra s a r cc o o
p In u en c e o n m u s c , 1 0 , 1 1
l v
.
, .
1 1 6, N o
3, 5 0 S ow m o em en t of 7 th
h l v
. .
e f ec t o f, 8 0 Sym p o n y, 1 4 ; S o w m o e
h
.
An a p z s t , 8 0 m en t o f 4 t h Sym p o n y, 2 9
i h h E x m pl B i
. .
An a paes t c r yt m , es a rr n g o f A n d a n t e i n o
a
p .
o f,84 1 30 , 3 7
h k w ky P h i i l h
.
An a crus s i n Fu n era M a rc
’
i n T sc a i o s s at et c
Sym p o n y, h 23
9 So n a t a , 4 7 , 4 8
h iq
. .
S o n a ta P a t é t u e, 5 2 , 9 6
B h i i Q
.
ac J C a pr c c o uber d i e
S ua rt e t , o p 32, 5 5 5 7 1 -
i i ii i
. .
,
. .
,
A bre s e e n es Freu n d es , 5 Rs n
g Acc en t ua t o n i n 5 t h
h
.
I n a u g u ra t ed th e m o d ern S ym p o n y, 64 , 6 5
i ki i
.
sch l 9 oo V a r o us n d s o f P er o d ,
77
d Rh y h m i h
. .
,
an t 10 E ro c a Sym p o n y, 8 2 , 1 7 1
S il ll h
, . .
M en t ea sures, 1 0, 1 1 A eg ret t o o f 7 t h S ym p o n y,
A i d i
.
tt t u w e to ar d s m us c, 1 1 83
lig h
, .
1 3 . Mo o n t So n a t a , 8 4 .
316 INDEX
B hv
ee t o en , H i s P er o d s, 9 6 i B hmra s, S eren a d e, o p . 1 1 ,
D up l e a ga n s t i Tr p il e T i m e, S h c erzo 94
l i il i
.
,
1 0 5. D u p e a g a n s t T r p e T m e,
“
S to rm i n P a s t o ra l Sym 1 06 .
I n t erm ezzo , o p 1 1 8 , N o 4 ,
ph o n y, 1 1 2
. .
h
.
H i s u se o f T ree-M ea s u re 1 2 0.
h h
R yt m s , 1 34 I n t erm ezz o , Op. 1 1 7, N o . 1 ,
vl
.
H i s n o e e ffec ts , 1 3 8 1 2 0, 1 21
h
. .
9 t h S ym p o n y, 1 3 8 , 1 3 9 h Sym p o n y i n F, 1 2 2
Q h
. .
p 1 3 1 , 1 39
ua r t et , o . . R a pso d y, o p 7 9 , N o 2, . .
S o n a ta , Op 2 8 , 1 3 9 , 1 4 0 . 1 24 .
v
.
“
O ert u re Leo n o ra , N o 3 , —
Ag n es , 1 2 9
i i i
. .
1 49 .
V a r a t o n s o n a H un ga r a n
S o n a ta i n E fl a t , o p 31 , S o n g, 1 30 , 1 3 1
h h h h
. .
1 61 .
R yt m s o f o t er t a n fo u r
So n a ta , o p 1 0 N O 3 , 1 67 , m ea su res , 1 3 4
l i
.
, . .
31 1 C a r n et S o n a t a , o p 1 2 0 , .
l i
.
Wa d s t e n So n a t a , 1 6 9 . N o 1 , 1 44 . .
So n a t a , o p 1 0 6 , 1 7 6 . .
“
Am S o n n ta g M o rg en ,
So n a ta , o p 1 4 , N o 2 , 1 8 4, 1 56
h
. . .
31 1 R a pso d y, 0 p 1 1 9 , N o 4 ,
i i
. . .
I n t en s ty o f a ccen t ua t o n i n 1 5 7 , 9 3 2 091 -
h
.
5 t h Sym p o n y, 1 8 6, 1 8 7 In t erm ezz o , o p 1 0, No 3,

B i i i
. . .
o w n g o f s tr n g ed n s tru m en ts , 1 70
B i i h mp i
.
8 2 r t s co o sers a n d a ud e n ces ,
B wi jo i n s h h
.
gR yt ms t o tw o 73 7 5
2 4
Q
o n
h ’
g et er i n S t a n fo rd s ua rt et , B ll J h h
u
’
s, o n, a rps c ih o rd wo rk s,
o p 4 5. 2 8 7 7
B li i B ul w H
. . .
e r o z, La D a m n a t o n d e o , a ns vo n , 2 5 8, 30 8 ,
Fa us t , 8 7 3 9 0
B h Bx hd
. .
ra ms , Ba lla d e, o p 1 0, N o I , . . u te u e, 10 .
5, 1 56
h h
.
a nd R
yt m , 1 5 Ca d en ces , 3 2
h
. .
S ym p o n y i n D , 5 1 , 8 2 , C aesura , 2 7 , 2 9 1 6 7
h h
, .
2 1 0- 2 36 a nd R
yt m s , 3 2
i
.
h i
.
P a n o fo rt e Qu a rtet in G C a n g e o f Spec es , T em po ra ry
i
,
m n o r, 8 2, 1 2 3, 1 5 32 1 56 1 1 0, 1 1 1
l i di h i
.
C h pi S i C mi
.
C a refu to n ca t e p ra s n g , o n o n a ta n n o r, 1 2 7,
86 9 1 2
Ch
. .
Ro ma n ce, o p . 1 1 8, No .
5 l g 58
ro no s a o o s, 2
Cl i l yl i
, .
9 3, 1 7 5 2 a ss ca f d st e o co n uc t n g ,
I n t erm ezzo , o p 1 1 8, N o . 2, 74
2
Cl l 8
. .
93 a usu a s , .
INDEX 317
l
C o ses , 3 2 l
E ga r Sym p o n y, o p 5 5 , 1 5 1 , h
i hy h m
.
C o mb n a ti o n o f r t s in 2 8 9 307 -
B h h i
.
’
ra m s Sym p o ny in D, E m pty T m es , 1 66, 1 6 7 , 1 7 4
B h
.
’
22 1 in ra m s Sym ph o n y i n D ,
mb i h h i
.
Co n ed r
yt m s pec es , 8 6
-
i q l b id i y
.
C o m m o n t m e, 1 1 4 , 1 1 5 E ua su s ar no t es , 82
h i i v M
. .
C o m po s ers a n d p ra se- n d ca E en 8 3 e a s u re, 0.

i x
,
t o n s, 4 0, 4 1 E d d
ec u t a n t s a n co n u c t o rs , 1 6
l
. .
Co u p et , 2
3
hy h m F lli g A i
.
C rescendo , f ec t
ef o f, o n r t a n ccen t ua t o n , 64
i 7
, .
F a n ta s a ,
F mi i E di g
.
e n ne n n 26 no te,
l
,
Da c t y , 8 0
yl B h
.
’
D a c t s , syn c o pa t ed i n ra m s Fermo te, 1 6 3
h i
.
Sym p o n y N o 2 , 1 00 Fi o ri ture, R ea so n s o f d sa ppea r

i
. .
D a n ce m u s c , 8 a n ce Of,
7 4, 7 5
q iv i
.
D ebu ssy, M a s u es , 2 66 2 6 9 -
. F e n o t es a ga n s t fo u r , et c , .
—
H o mm a ge a Ra m ea u , 2 7 0
.
1 1 2.
27 3 F i ve- m ea sure R yt m s , 1 5 4 h h
fl
.
Dem o cra cy, In u en ce o f, on 1 56
i
.
m us c, 1 3 6 Fo o t i n P o etry, 2 3
h h
. .
D i mre s i s, 4 3 , 4 4 Forte a n d r yt m , 1 8 5 , 1 8 6
l h
. .
o f M e o d , 1 2 3, 1 7 5 Fo u r ba r p ra s e, 1 5
y
—
q i i
. .
i n D ebussy, M a s u es , 2 6 8 O rd n a ry c o n s t ru c t o n o f,
Qi l
.
’ ’
u n t u p e i n D I n d y s S o n a ta 59 61
-
h h
.
i n E , 2 6 3, 2 6 4 . Fo u r m ea s u re R yt m , I m po rt
-
Di mi nuendo , 1 60 a n ce o f, 1 3 3
h h i
. .
E ffec t o f, o n r yt m , 1 8 5 , F o u r t m e M e a s u re , 8 1
-
l i
.
1 86 Fres c o ba d , 7
i
. .
’
D In d y, So n a t a i n E , 2 5 6- 2 66 F ro berger Fa n t a s a , 7
h h
. .
D o t t ed - n o t e r yt m , 9 1 , 9 2 F fi n fer, 1 5 4 , 1 5 5
h k k h i
. .
’
i n T sc a i o w s y s P a t e t c
h
S ym p o ny, 2 4 1 Gen era P a u s e, 1 7 2 l
l
. .
a n d L eo po d M o z a rt , 3 0 8
’
i n S ta n fo rd s Qu a rt et , o p 4 5 ,
pl M
. .
Du e
9 3 e a s u re , 2 - 1 285
pl g i T i pl T i m kh h i l h
. .
Du e a a n st
5 r e e, 1 0 G ree r yt m ca t eo ry, 8 3 8 6 -
.
1 08 m t er
4 s, 1 2 note
G i g V i li S
. .
D vo fak , Sla vi s c h e T a n ze, 1 48 r e i o n o n a ta n F, o p 8,

ik ik
. .
Dyn a m und A go g ( Ri e
’
m a n n s ), 3 0 9 - 3 1 4
l h h
.
H a f r yt m s,
-
I 41
-
1 51
ih
E g t een t hC en t u ry, M us ic o f, inB hv ee t o en s
’
So n a ta , 1 45
no te
1 35 . .
3I 8 INDEX
l -
h ig f
H a f m ea s u re, Len g t en n o a M ea s u re Tw o s
pec i es o n ly ,
Rhy h m by 64
,
t 1 no te 29.
H ll é S i C h l
.
,
a 3 9 r a r es , 0 d Ba r, 4 1 4 3 , 6 1
an -
i
.
H d l i d w d m i
.
,
an e , a t t tu e to ar s us c, Fo u r t m e , 8 1 -
.
M ea s u rem en t a n d a cc en t , 2 1
h i l i
.
D d M h 9
ea a rc 2 M ec a n ca n s t ru m en ts a nd
O l d
.
,
a c c e n t, 1 8
7
r an o 1 2 9
i i l
. .
,
H yd
a n, 10 M e s t ers n ger, W a t z i n , 5 4
li i
.
A i d d m i
.
t t tu 3 e to war s us c , 1 M e s m a t c , see S o n g
V i ki d f p i d i l
. .
a r o us n s o er o n, M e o s, 4 , 6, 1 3 3
h h
.
and R
7 yt m , 9 , 1 5
"
d Th i B h
. .
l
’
an m Rh y ree - ea s u re c o n t n uo u s , 5 5 in ra ms
hm 3 5 36
t 1 1 h
S ym p o n y, N o 2 , 2 2 3 ; i n
Q
s,
h
. .
,
’
u a rt et i n E fla t, N O .
38, E lg a r s S ym p o n y, 3 0 1 .
o f W a g n er a n d h i s s u c c es s o rs ,
17 2, 1 7 3
h h
.
H e brew P o et ry, R yt m o f, 2 5 7 4, 7 5
l h i i
.
M en d e sso n, P a no fo r t e T r o
I a m bus , 8 1 in D m i n o r, 1 1 7
v h i
. .
I n s t ru m en t s, I m pro e m e n ts in, P ra se —
co n s t ru c t o n , 1 37 .
1 1 1 2 M etre 2 3
i ii i ih
, ,
. .
I n t erpreta t on o f C o m po s t o n s, M d s u m m er N g t s
’
D rea m ,
1 7 . Ha fl v p erses in S ahk es ea re s
’
I n tro d u c t o ry M ea s u res s ee P re 4 1 43 1 - 1
li i Ov
, .
m n a ry M ea s u re s 66
e rt u re, 1
li
. .
I t a a n O pera , 7 4 M o za rt , 10
A i d d m i
. .
tt tu 3 e to war s us c, 1
J hi m 3 9 V i ki d f p i d i
.
oac ,
0 . a r o us n s o er o n,
77
K h H C A l i
oc g n e tu n zur C fli i g o n Rhy h m i l
ct n t ca
m ik li h C mp i i
,
h m i D Gi v i
. .
,
“ ”
us a sc e o o s t o n, sc e es n on o a nn ,
154 87
K h Bi bl S
.
D pl g i T i pl T i m
.
o n a ta s ,
u na u
5 e . u e a a nst r e e,
5
10
d Th
.
Leg a to , 1 8 2 1 8 5
{
-
an m Rh y ree- ea s u re
ih i
.
Les eze c en in R em a n n s
’
h m 34 3 6
t s, 1 -
1
ik ik J pi S ym p h y
.
D yn a m u n d Ag o g 3 1 2 t er
u
7 on 1 1
i l
. .
,
Lo m ba rd c s ty e, 1 0 4
N o vl
te- a d E h i Ch
u es a n st et c ar
Ma r a sd ig l 6 7 fM i
a c t er o us c ,
hf m 9
.
, ,
M a rc o r 1
li E d i g
.
,
ph
M a sc u n e n n 32 O m
n e- i T h
ea s u re ra ses n sc ai
h i lm i
, .
M ec a n c a k y P h i S ym ph y
’
us c ,
1 1 3 . k o ws s a t et c on ,
M ea s ure 2 2 2 3 , , . 2 51 .
INDEX 31 9
O rg a n , 1 2. h h
R yt m , a n d t h e C u rc , 6 h h
x i
.
a nd a cce n t , 8 7, 88 a nd E
1 1
pres s o n , 1 3 , 1 4
h i
. .
M a rc es o n t h e, 1
9 0, 1 91 T w o s d es o f, 1 4
v l fi ii
. .
O er a ,
p 51 57 - D e n t o n o f, 2 0
i li q iv l h
. .
’
i n R S t ra u ss V . o n So n a t a , e u a en t t o P ra se, 2 1 2 5 -
.
1 09 , 1 1 0 . Th e w o rd u s ed i n tw o
s en s es, 24
ki h
.
P a d erew s , C a n ts d es V o ya a nd Accen t , 3 2
i
.
g eurs , N o 4, 1 2 7— 1 2 9 C o n s t ru c t o n o f, 4 4
x i ih
. . .
P a u s e, 1 6 3 1 66 - E per m en t s w t ma t eri a l
k
.
u n s t ruc a c c en t , o f, 6 - 6 7
on an
5
w i hi R hy h m 7 7
.
79
1 t n t
i l
.
,
.
P er o d , 2 3- 2 5 f w M
o t 83 (o ea s ures, see a so
ih H l f hy h m )
.
o f e g t M ea sures , 5 a -r
t
3 s
h h Rhy h m i l fi g
. .
P i a no a n d R yt m , 1 8 5 , 1 8 6 t i m
ca u re s n a cc o
l i
.
P o o n a s e fo rm , 3 5 p im an
9 en t , 2
h i i 6 3 64 6 5
. .
P ra s n g i n S o n g, 2 6 A cce n t u a t o n ,
l i i f7
. .
, ,
”
P o pu a r a u d en ces , 2 7 4 F un c t o n o 1
li i S h m i m bi i 69
.
, .
P re m n a ry o r I n tro d u c t o ry c e es n co na t o n, ,
M 49 5 ea sures , -
1 7 1
i B hm C m pli i i S ix h
.
M ea s ures
p n ra s
,
o . 1 0, o ca t o n s n t een t
N 3 o C y 87
en t ur
P im y Tim V l R hy h m l M i 5 8 59
.
, ,
.
r Nar es , o t es , a u es , t ess us c ,
Ri m
.
,
3 1 e D H g
a nn , 3 8 r u o 0
Rh y h m 3 9 Ri i g A i 4 5 64
. .
,
.
t s n c c en t ua t o n ,
i F i f
, .
, ,
A c c en t u a t o n , un ct o n o 8s
1
B h v Fi f h Sym
,
’
7 1 i n ee t o en s t
Rhy h m i B h m Sym ph y 6 5
.
'
t n ra s on
ph y i D Ri i g d F lli g A i
, .
on n 2 1 2. s n an a n cc en tu a t o n ,
P g mm m i
,
ro ra 5 6 e us c , 6, 1 1 7
1 1
d M i
.
, .
P P
ro s e,
y o et r an us c , 2 0. Ri ta rda ndo, 1 60 - 1 6 3 .
Q i pl Rh y h m
u n tu 5 3 e t 1 2 -
1 0 Sai Sn t- E d p a 5 en s tu e, o 2,
T h i k w ky P h i
. .
,
’
i n sc a o s s a t et c N 4 o 3 1 2.
Symph y 4 6 S lv i
,
.
on 2 a A my d m
at on d r ru an
Q i pl Di m i i D I d y l i l hy hm 9 9
, .
’ ’
u n tu e res s n n s c a s s ca r t 1 1 1 2.
S h b
, ,
So n a t a i n E , 2 6 3, 2 64 . c u ert , 1 2 .
S i D
o na
p 53 9 ta o 2
Q
n
i ii D mi
. .
, ,
Rea d ng o f a co mpo s t o n, 84 9 n o r, u a r t et, 2.
Pi M h i D 9
,
1 8 f a n o o r t e, a rc n 2.
Ph i
.
,
Res ts , 1 66- 1 7 4 ra s e - co n s t ruc t o n ,

37 1
h h l
.
,
R yt m , a n d M e o s, 4, 9 38
1
S h m Pi qi
. .
a n d Fo rm , 4 . c u a nn84 ano u n t et , .
3 20 INDEX
Sc h u ma n n T o cca t a i n C , 9 5 Sy ll bi a c , s ee So n g
l B hm
.
’
an d P h ra se~c o n s t ruc t i o n , Syn c o pa t ed d a c t y s i n ra s
1 37 h
Sym p o n y i n D , 1 00
il
.
h k
.
S ym ’
S c w erpu n t (Ac c en t ), 3 1 1 T r p et s i n E lga r s
ph y 3
.
S en t en c es o f P ro se, 2 0 on 01
l h h p i
. .
,
S ep t u p e R yt m , 1 3 0- 1 3 2 Sy n co 66 4 a t o n1 -
10
v h h i B h v E i Sym
. .
S e en - M ea sure R yt m s , 5 4 ,
’
n eet o en s ro ca
1 58 Ph y 9 7 o n
i B h m S ym ph y i D
,
.
’
Sfo rz a nd o , 8 3 , 8 9 n ra s on n
i
.
,
S g n a t ures, 3 9 98
-
1 00 .
i B hv S
.
Si x t m e M ea s u re, 1 5 0
’
-
i n eet
p o en s o n a ta o
h h
.
.
,
S i x m ea s u re R yt m s , 1 5 7
-
S h m
’
Sla n c a , fro m hi u h a é , i n C c u a nn s o n c erto ,
1 02
g i d B h mi
.
So n a ta , 9 i H n un ar a n a n o e an
h i m i
.
S o n g , P ra s n g i n , 27 3
us c , 1 0
ll i li i S ym ph y 9 3
. .
M e s ma t
’
S o n g , Sy a b c a n d c, i E lg
n ar s o n , 2 .
73 75
-
S peec h an d M us i c, 1
9 T em po , 2 8 , 2 9
i i
. .
Sta cca to, 1 8 2 1 8 5 V a r a t o n s o f, 1 5 9

Q
-
. .
S ta n fo rd , ua rt et N o 2 , o
p 4 5, Ruba to , 1 6 2 , 3 0 8
h h h
. . .
27 3 28 8 —
. T ree- m ea s ure R yt m s , 1
51
S ta n za , 2 3 1 53
i B hv
. .
S t e g erun g, 2 0 6, 2 0 7
’
in ee t o en s 9 th S ym
l h h
.
”
S tra us s , R , “
I ta y S ym p o n y, p o n y, 1 3 9’
l
.
i n S t ra u ss “
I ta y Sym
Dup l e a ga ns t i Tr p il e i
T m e, ph o n y, 1 5 2’
B h i Q
.
i n ra m s P a n o u a rt e t i n
V i lio n So n a ta , o p 1 8, 1 09 , G m n o r, 1 5 3 i
Q
. .
i n S t a n fo rd s ua rt e t , o p 4 5 ,
’
1 1 0.
l l
.
E i n H e d en e ben , 1 5 5 286
kl
.
i
.
T o d u n d V er a ru n g , 1 7 3, T m e, M ea surem en t o f, 2 0 2 2 , -
2 59 .
3 0
Tim ig
.
S tres s , 1 9 e- s na t u res , 6
3 38 ,
-
1 1 2
h
.
S t ro p e , 2 3, 2 4 1 22
i i h h
. .
S u bs d a ry R yt m , 3 9 T o cca t a , 7
i l
.
i i
.
T m es , N o t es , V a u es , 3 1 , To n c a n d Do m n a n t Har
82 m o n es , 8 i
i i
.
l
.
Accen t ua t o n , Fu n c t o n o f, T rem o o , 2 2
il
.
72 T r p e M ea s u re , 2 9 , 3 0
h h x lifi
.
T i pl
.
R yt m e em
p ed by r et s , s n co t ed i n E lg a r
’
y p a s
B h
ra m s , o
p 1 1 7 , N o 2 , 7 5, . . Sym ph y on 30 1
h 8
, .
7 6. 7 7 . T ro c ee, 1 .
I N DE X 32 1
G ro ve s D i c t i o n a ry
’
o f M us ic
a nd M us i c ia n s
A N ew E di ti on
E D I TE D BY
J. A . FULLE R M A ITLA ND ,
M . A .
In s e Vo lumes . M ed . 800 . 21s . net ca e i l .
Vo l . I . A —
E . Vo l . I II . M —
P .
Vo l I I . . F —
L . Vo l . IV .
Q —
S .
Vo l . V . T —
Z .
Mu s i ca l Ti mes A m us i ca l d i i
c t o n a ry s u pe r o r i to a nyt hi g h n t a t h a s been
l
.
”
a ttemp ted in a ny a ng ua g e.
M u s i ca l N ew s P er hp a s i
i t i s mp o s s b e il v vl x iv m to o er a u e s o e t en s e a co
i i ii i G v
.
’
pi la ti o n o f n fo rma t on a nd ters e c r t c s m f mp I o ne co a re s ro e s
i i i h i il i hi h h v pp d i E g li h F h
.
D c t o n a ry w t s m ar p ro d uc t o n s w c a e a ea re n n s ren c ,
I li i h d d l i m b
,
ta a n, a nd Germa n d ur n g th e la s t un h
re yea rs , t e c o n c us o n us t e,
wh a t an ad v a nce it is o n th e ef o rts o f pa s t d a ys ” .
'
Al us zca l 0p zm o n
' '
. Ma y fa i rly be ca ll e d th e m us i lca ma n
’
s va d e mecu m .
Specta to r A w o rk w hi h i i t d f m h
c n s re vi se or as beco me m o re t h a n e er v
i l d l v fm i
. , ,
in d s pen s a b e t o s t u d e n ts a n o ers o us c .
An d m i bl d i di p bl hi mo n um en t to th e
'
N a tzo n a ra e an n s en s a e t ng — a
id d h f vi i
.
w s o m a n d th e brea t o fi fi p j
ew o ts rs t ro e c t o r, a n d a c red t t o th e ed i to r
o f th e pres en t i
re - s s ue.
MAC VI I LLAN AN D C O . LT D .
,
L ON D O N .
B O O KS ON M US I C
TH E TH RE S H OL D OF M U S IC An I n q u ry i i n to th e
LL M
.
De vl e o p m en t o f th e Mu s i l ca S en s e . By WI IA WA LL AC E .
E x t ra C ro w n 8 vo .
55 . n et .
In t hi s w o rk a n a t te m pt h a s b ee n ma d e to d i s cus s t h e A rt o f M us i c
in re a l i t o n to o t e r p h h a s es o ft h o ug h t , a n d to t ra c e , t ro u g h h i hi y ts s to r ,
t h e cereb ra lp ro ce s s es w hi h c a re c o n c ern e d i n i ts d v l pm
e
5
e o en t .
l s
d b
es
g k j
d b l
It IS o vi o u s th a t s o be m o re th a n s e t ch e in a s i n e
va s t a s u b ec t c a n n o t
W ll
k d g
b l
l
k w l dg l l
.
vo u m e o f u n er 300 p a es
no
ll e
w k wl g
d B u t t h e s e t c h 1 s a m i ra e
e o f s c i en c e , h e 1 5 a c o mp o s er o f rea
.
ta e n t a n d
Dr a a c e h a s a co n s i d era
is t i n c ti o n , h e ri t es fro m i ns i e h i s
e . .
w d
b k
oo
j
v l bl
IS a mo s t a ual
s u b ec t a n d i u mi n a t es i t
c ri t i cs a n d h i s t o ri a ns
i th no ed e a n d h u m o ur a n d s o u n d c o mm o n s e ns e
e co n t ri b u t i o n t o mu s i c a s ci en c e , a n d w i ll be o f rea t se r i c e t o fu t ure
.
H is
g v .
TH E A RT O F S IN G I N G AN D V OCA L D E C LA M A TION .
B y S i r C H AR L ES S A N T LE Y . C ro w n 8 vo .
3 s 6d. . n et .
w M us ic a l H er a ld Sho u
g l d w
. d l d W
wd l be i e y rea . e c o se S ir C h a l
r es bgSa n t ley s
'
oo k
l
i th s en s e o f t h e h i h a i m , t h e co n s c i en t i o u s n es s , t h e is m th a fr o m
b g d d g d d
a o t p ee p s ev ery pa e.
a
Da il
f ec t i n gl Telegr a ph
th e h ea ll g b k
th o
.
l d H i s h i n ts ,
l
f s i n ers — a nd
o t h I n re
c o n s eq u e n t
a r t o vo c a
y th e i r vo i c es —
s tu y
a re
a n d t ra
ma n)
inin
l b
,
v a ri e
a nd to
so un
ma tt ers
a nd
l d
, ,
w k
e mi n en t y pra c ti ca ,
o r s o f a simi a r o r
a nd s o h is
er.
oo ma y b e c o mm en ed fo r q u a i t i e s co mm o n y a s en t fro m
A N TO N IO S TRA D IV A RI Hi s L i fe a nd Wo rk ( 1 6 4 4
Y H LL
.
By W HEN R I A R TH U R F HI LL a nd A LF RE D E HI LL
Y
.
.
, , . .
W ih t an I d
n t ro uc to ry N o te by L A D H UGG I N S . S ec o n d a nd
Ch p ea er E di i I ll
t on . us tra t ed . 8 vo .
7 S 6d . . n et .
HOW TO S IN G . B y L 1 LL 1 L E H M AN N . W ih
t P o rt ri a t a nd
D i a g ra m s . C ro w n 8 vo . 65 . n et .
LI F E AN D L E TTE RS O F S I R G E O RG E G ROV E . By
C H AS . L GRA. V ES . 8 vo . 1 25 . 6d . n et .
TH E D IV E RS IO N S OF A M U S I C -LOV E R . Bv C . L .
GRA E S V . x
E tra C ro w n 8 vo . 65 . n et .
H IS TO RY O F A M E RICAN M U S IC . B y L OU I S C . E L S ON .
Fu y I ll ll u s tra te d . I m p er i l8
a vo . 215 . n et .
MAC M I LLA N AN D CO . LTD .

, LON D ON .

TheRhythmofModernMusic 10037674

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TheRhythmofModernMusic 10037674

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

P R E F A CE

IN this book I have e d e e d to d e l with the n a vo u r a

R hythm f Modern M i in its

rather than as an element f formal cons t ruction o .

In the present highly d e el pe d condition f musical v o o

art the po w er f inﬂuencing the mind through an

inﬁnite variety f rhythmical devices in combination

with melody is not perhaps generally recognised ,

and the capabilities f R hythm although W ell known

to composers are not invariably made full use f

by per formers except by those f the ﬁrst rank or

those who have paid special attention to this ele m ent

Musicians professional and amateur as Well as

listeners are apt to pay considerable attention to

the melody f a piece and little to its R hythm unless

the latter happens to be in some sel f evident form —

A melody however is not merely an arbitrary

distribution f intervals over a portion f the scale

but a distribution f intervals reg lated by some o u

kind f rhythmical arra gement through which it

becomes a living organism capable f m oving the ,

is not entirely i t h hands f the composer f

howe er care fully he may wri te down his ide s it

is qui t possible to have them made ine ff ective in

performance by faul t y accentuation or p hrasi g n .

R hythm has been so li t tle studied as a science

nomenclature f its own German t heorists ha e

gone a good w y towards the inv ntion f special

names f the various parts f a rhyt hmic l whole

but we cannot conve iently use t h t echnic l terms n e a

o f their la guage w hile writing in our own

English does not l nd itsel f easily t the coi age e o n

o f scientiﬁc terms f t his requires a language w hich

allows f new words being compound d out f

mat rials already t hand Hence we perhaps more

than most natio s are driven b ck upon t hat n , a

wonder ful H llenic language w hich is so W ell able

to express whole ideas by single words .

To those who have undergone the W holesom e

discipline f C ompulsory Greek at a Public

S chool Greek rh ythmical terms wo ld o ff er little

di fﬁ culty But I w ish my book to be acceptable

to th general reader hence I have avoided the

use f Greek technical terms as f as possible

though some f w f which I have been unable to

ﬁnd satisfactory equivalents have been introduced , .

But I hope that they will become su fficiently f mili r a a ,

proving repellant For the rest I have been often

obliged to use combinations f words to express o

W hat one Greek technical term would have expressed

meanings clear without the intervention f Greek o ,

I have made rather a free use f capital initial o

letters Whether I have succeeded in my e ffort

I must leave to the judgment f my readers o .

O verture, Leo n o re, 7 2 , N o 3,

Kla vi erstﬁ c ke, u p 1 1 8 , N o 2 . .

B RAH M S cont i nued ) ,

Kla vi ers t uc ke, o

HA YDN Qua rtet i n E ﬂa t, F i ln a e.

TH E power f expression that has been reached

in instrumental music the power f the composer

or as the Germans more happily express it f the

tone poet to move t h emotions and appeal to