The Makers of Modern Rome, in Four BooksOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
History
The Makers of Modern Rome, in Four Books
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Rome (Italy) -- History -- 476-1420
"Four scales," says Mr. Helmore in _The Dictionary of
Music_, "traditionally ascribed to St. Ambrose, existed
before the time of St. Gregory. These, known as the
Authentic Modes, and since the thirteenth century named
after the ancient Greek scales from which they were
supposed to be derived, are as follows: 1, Dorian; 2,
Phrygian; 3, Lydian; 4, Mixo-Lydian. To the four Authentic
St. Gregory added four Plagal, _i.e._ collateral or
relative Modes. Each is a fourth below its corresponding
original, and is called by the same name with the prefix
hypo ([Greek: hypo], below), as follows: 5, Hypo-Dorium; 6,
Hypo-Phrygian; 7, Hypo-Lydian; 8, Hypo-Mixo-Lydian....
Handel's 'Hanover' among modern tunes, which ranges from F
to F has its finale on B flat. 'Should auld acquaintance be
forgot' is also a specimen of a tune in a Plagal Mode
descending about a fourth below its final, and rising above
it only six notes, closing upon the final of its tone."
This may be a little too learned for the ordinary reader, but it is
interesting to find how far the influence of the busy old Pope, who
had a finger in every pie, could go. There is a very curious
commentary by John the Deacon, Gregory's later biographer, upon this
new musical system and its adoption throughout Europe, which makes a
good pendant to the scientific description. The Italians seem then as
now to have had a poor opinion of German modes of singing.
"This music was learned easily by the Germans and Gauls,
but they could not retain it because of making additions of
their own, and also because of their barbarous nature.
Their Alpine bodies resounding to their depths with the
thunders of their voices, do not properly give forth the
sweetness of the modulation, the savage roughness of their
bibulous throat when it attempts to give forth a delicate
strain, producing rather harsh sounds with a natural crash,
as of waggons sounding confusedly over the scales."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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