MUSIC
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it admitted ; and although it is ven' possible that this | monotonous, or rather unisonous music, might not be ! interesting to ears tuned to musical progressions, mod- ulations, and cadences, there is sometliing in it with i which the Orientals are well pleased. They love it ! for the very reason that it is monotonous or unisonous, and from Morocco to China we meet with no other. Even the cultivated Chinese, whose civilization oft'ers 80 many points of resemblance to that of the ancient Egyptians, like their own music, which consists entirely of melody, better than ours, altliough it is not wholly i despised by tliem (Du Halde's China, iii, 216). A music of this descri])tiou could easily dispense with the compositions which mark the time by notes ; and the Hebrews do not appear to have known anything of musical not<ition ; for that the accents served that purpose is a position which yet remains to be proved. At the best, the accent nmst have been a very im- perfect means for this purpose, however high its an- tiquity. Europeans had not yet att^iined to musical notes in the 11th century, and the Orientals do not . profess to have known them till the 17th. On the other hand, the word ro'O, sekih, which occurs in the Psalms and llabakkuk, may very possibly' be a mark for the change of time, or for repeating the melody a few tones higher, or, as some think, for an accompani- ment or after-piece of entirely instrumental music (see De Wette, Comment, iib. d. Fsa. p. 32 sq. ; Saalschiitz, Form der JJehr. Poede, p. 353 sq. ; Ewald, Hebr. Poesie, p. 178 sq.). See Selah. The Hebrew music is judged to have been of a shrill character (see Redslob, in 111- gen's Zeitschr. 1839, ii, 1 sq.), for this would result from the nature of the instruments — harps, flutes, and cym- bals— which were employed in the Temple service (conip. Mishna, Erach. ii, 3, 5, and C).
The manner of singing single songs was, it seems, ruled by that of others in the same measure, and it is usually supi)osed that many of the titles of the Psalms are intended to indicate the names of other son.irs ac- cording to which these were to l)e sung (see Vensky, in Mitzler's Musihd Biblioth. iii. GCG sq. ; Eichhorn, Einl. i, 245; Jahn, Einl. i, 353; Gesenius, Gesch. d. Ilebr. Uprache, p. 220 sq.). See Ps.\i.ms.
Engel (^Mudc of the most A ncient Xations, particular- ly of the Asfi/rians, Eff'/ptians, and llebreics [1861]) ob- serves that the Hebrews had various kinds of sacred and secular musical compositions, differing according to the occasions on which they were employed. These he enumerates as follows : (a) Sacred music in divine worship, which was evidently regarded as of the high- est importance ; (b) Sacred songs, and instrumental compositions, which were performed also in family circles (Isa. xxx, 29 ; James v, 13) ; (c) Militai-y music, sacred as well as secular (2 Chron. xx, 21 ; xiii, 12, 14) ; (d) Triumphal songs (Exod. xv ; Jude v ; 2 Chron. xx, 27, 28) ; (e) Erotic songs, alluded to in title of Psa. xlv, " A song of loves" (Isa. v, 1) ; (f) Music at bridal pro- cessii>ns{JeT. vii, 34) ; (g) Funeral songs (2 Chron. xxxv, 25 ; Eccles. xii, 5 ; Amos v, 16 ; 2 Sam. i, 19) ; (h) Pop- vl'ir secular songs, such as the songs of the vintners (Isa. xvi, 10 ; Jer. xlviii, 33) ; (i) Convivial songs (Isa. xxiv, 8, 9; Luke xv, 25; Isa. v, 11, 12; Amos vi, 4, 5); (j) Performances of itinerant musicians (Isa. xxiii, 15, K!; Eccles. ix, 4).
For the literature of the subject, see Musical In-
ST1U;.MEXTS.
Music, Christian. Music (from fioxiaa, a muse) is produced by the Imman voice, and by a variety of artilicial instruments. Tor tlie application of the voice to musical purposes, see Sin<;in(;. Musical instruments arc classified as stringed instruments, wind instruments, and instruments of percussion. In some stringed in- strimients, as tlie piano-forte, tlie sounds are jiroduced by striking the strings by keys; in others, as the harp and guitar, l)y drawing them from the position of rest. In a third class, including the violin, viola, violoncello,
and double bass, the strings are put into vibration with a bow. In wind instruments the sound is produced by the agitation of an enclosed column of air ; some, as the flute, clarionet, oboe, bassoon, flageolet — instruments of wood, and the trumpet, horn, cornet-a-piston, etc., of metal, are played by the breath ; in others, as the or- gan, harmonium, and concertina, the wind is produced by otlicr means. In the two last-named instrumenta the sound is produced by the action of wind on free vi- brating si)rings or reeds. Instruments of percussion are such as the drum, kettle-drum, cymbals, etc. JIusical compositions are either for the voice, with or without instrumental accompaniment, or for instruments oidy. Instrumental music may be composed for one or for more instruments. The rondo, the concerto, the sonata, and the fantasia generally belong to the former class; to the latter, symphonies and overtures for an orcliestra, and instrumental chamber music, including duets, trios, (luartets, and other compositions for several instru- ments, where each takes the lead in turn, the other parts being accompaniments. Of vocal music, tlie prin- cipal forms may be classed as church music, chamber music, dramatic music, and popidar or national music. Vocal chamber music includes cantatas, madrigals, and their modern successors, glees, as also recitatives, arias, duets, trios, quartets, choruses, and generally all forms, accompanied or unaccom])anied, which are chiefly in- tended for small circles. Dramatic music compreliends music united with scenic representation in a variety of ways, in the ballet, the melodrama, the vauileville, and the ojjera, in which last music supplies the place of spoken dialogue. And finally we come to consider church music, with which alone we have to deal here. It includes plain song, faux-bourdon, the chorale, the anthem, the sacred cantata, the mass and requiem of the Koman Catholic Church, and the oratorio.