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8/13/2019 Mozart Succinct Thorough Bass 1

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THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER, 1860.

THE MUSICAL TIMES,fLnb,inging ClaSo Circular.

DECEMBER 1st, 1860.

MOZART'SSUCCINCTTHOROUGH-BASS SCHOOL.*

TRANSLATED FROM TIrE GERMAN BYSABILLA NOVELLO.

Brompton, Dec. 28, 1854.DEARSIR,-In reply to your question as to the circumstancesconnectedwith the origin of Mozart'sSuccinctMethodof Thorough-Bass, I haveto say, that in an interview which I had with the AbbeStadlerat Vienna, in 1827, he informedme that such a workwaswritten for his niece by Mozart. This young lady was Mozart'spupil in pianoforteplaying and harmony; and friendship for her,and for her uncle, made him undertake the task. I am pretty cer-tain that together with a portion of the manuscript sheets of theRequiem,which the Abbe showedme, I saw also those of this littlebook; the formerwork, of course, from its great interest, has thestrongerhold on my memory.However,of the authenticity of the Thorough-Bass here can beno doubt. I believe that a little book published at Berlin, underthe title Kurz GefaszteMethode er GeneralBass Von W. A Mozart,is the work in question.To some it may appearimprobable hat so greata master shouldundertakesuch drylabour; but not so to those who know the factsof Mozart'shistory and the greatbenevolenceof his character. Inhis day therewerenobooksof harmonywhich taughtcompendiouslyall that was necessary o be known of the dueproportion f intervals,and the correctdesignation of the notes of chords; each mastertaught as he could by tradition. It is a fresh proof of Mozart'scomprehensivepower in all which appertained o his own art, thathe could condense n a few brief pages, on the spur of the moment,everythingthat the treatmentof the subjectrequired.The executionis eminently practical, without the expenditureof a single super-fluous word.The venerable priest who showed me the manuscripts, thoughpast his 80th year, had a countenanceglowing with animation whilehe spoketo me of his friend Mozart-the composerand the man.I am, dearSir, yours very truly,E. HOLMES.J. A. Novello, Esq. I.FUNDAMENTALPRINCIPLES OF THOROUGH-BASS.

TEN figures are used in thorough-bass to re-present intervals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10;the unison, the second, the third, the fourth, thefifth, the sixth, the seventh, the octave, the ninth,and the tenth; which last merely reproduces thethird. When three of these ten figures areplayed with the bass note, they form a four-notechord; when two are played, they form a three-note chord.Chords are called perfect, imperfect, and dis-sonant. There are only two perfect chords; oneconsists of a minor third, perfect fifth and octave;the second consists of the major third, perfectfifth and octave. Example :-

14- I ; n r l r II> C minor. C major. D minor. D niaj or.Remark.-When the perfect chord 5 is to be played,

only one of these figures, or even a h, h, or # is writtenabove the fundamental note; sometimes no figure atall is used; but if two intervals of this chord are* Reprinted by permission from Novello's Library for the diffusionof Musical Knowledge. Vol. IV.

contradictedby two others, these intervals must bemarked by their figures, thus: 6 9 .The imperfect chords are also two in number,marked 8 and 8 and are called the chord of the3 4sixth and the chord of the six-four. The firstmay contain a minor third, minor sixth, andoctave; or, a minor third, major sixth, andoctave; or, a major third, major sixth, andoctave. When it differs in these intervals, itbelongs to the dissonant chords. For example,on C:-No. 2.

a7 \, o l" L n-q- Lg ;-- ---- 1bI 6 6 b 6 or6"ort 06o$6(r): II r I - 1 1-Ipr I rc hods. --Dis -sa= c=-1' Imperfect chords. Dissonant chords.The chord of the six-four can only be used intwo ways as an imperfect chord, viz., with aperfect fourth, major sixth and octave; and witha perfect fourth, minor sixth and octave. Whenthe fourth is diminished or augmented, the chordbelongs to the dissonants; for example:-i- No, 3.1 '. . I? b H-; || -H

'6 6 6 5 64 and 4 4 3 4jImpc t. D ntJ [, Imperfect. Dissonant chords.Dissonant chords contain all the three seconds;the diminished third; the diminished and aug-mented fourth; also the perfect fourth accom-panied by the fifth and octave; the diminishedand augmented fifth; even the perfect fifth, whenin conjunction with the sixth, as in the , or 64-The diminished and augmented sixth; all threesevenths; the diminished octave and the aug.mented unison, which last is figured by somecomposers as the augmented octave; the two

ninths, and the diminished tenth; whateveraccompaniment they may have.II.In order that the foregoing and followinginstructions may be more clearly understood, theusual intervals without accompaniment may beseen above the fundamental note C. The mastermust often examine his pupil in other keys, andat the same time tell him, that the perfect unison,the minor and major third, the perfect fifth, theminor and major sixth, the perfect octave, theminor and major tenth, are alone consonantintervals; but that the augmented unison, the

minor, major, and augmented second, thediminished third, the diminished, perfect, andaugmented fourth, the diminished and augmentedfifth, the diminished and augmented sixth,the diminished, minor and major seventh, thediminished octave, the minor and major ninth,the diminished tenth, are dissonant intervals,

r 1 3 ---- II I---I

k7t) Zs-tC-5e--H2-r ff? w- titi uI

I

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THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER 1, 1860.

Remark.-When two figures are placed one abovethe other, the lower one is consideredas dissonant,althoughwhen alone, it might be either consonantordissonant; such as, 4 6 9 8:-No. 4.

. Minor. Major. Diminished. Perfect. Augmented.Fifths. Sixths.

necessary to know how much an interval maybe varied, and what other intervals may belongto it. This will be written in three-note andfour-note figured chords, and must be learnt bymemory-(see tables in future number).THE UNISON.The unison is two-fold, namely; perfect 1 andaugmented 1. When two parts meet on a note(as C, C-C , Ci), a perfect unison is produced.The augmented unison consists of a minorsemitone, as C, C--D, D$, &c.; and is, infour-note chords, better and oftener used anoctave higher, and merely occurs as a passingnote. The perfect unison mostly takes the placeof the octave; for example:-No. 5.

'1 ~1 6 better 1 1 65 above.4- C I 1 11 - I I 1-THE SECOND.The second is three-fold, namely: minor,major, and augmented, h 2,2, 2; for example:-No. 6.Minor. Major. Augmented. Minor. Major. Augmented.

JLtJ^J #J 0h ^ J 11: 2 2 2 t2 2 #~ 1st, 2nd, 3rd. orThe first consists of a major semitone, thesecond of a whole tone, the third of a whole toneand a minor semitone. All three are accompaniedby a fourth and sixth, according to the key.Remark.-When the majorsecond s a passingnote,the major seventhor perfect octave may be used aswell as the perfectfourth; when thesecond,however,is not a passingnote, and occurs in the accentedpartof a bar, it is usually used as a preparation,preparedin the bass, and in that part resolved into a thirdbydescendinga semitoneor a whole tone.In counterpoint, he fifth is often met with,writtenabove the second, ; in this case, the fifth or seconditself may be doubledas thefourthpart. The follow-ing examples llustratethe cases mentioned:-No. 7.

The ten intervals are, by means of the acci-dental signs, b, t, 4, Sb, x, made diminished,augmented, minor, major, and perfect. It is

I380

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THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER, 1860.HE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER, 1860.

or 6 4 * 5

- 1 -jj I JJ 11 -I J~-.or 6 4 * 5

- 1 -jj I JJ 11 -I J~-. *Also thus.Also thus. Better with 4oetter with 4oI-tI i I - L L .. J L CL-tI i I - L L .. J L CL

4 35 a- I^? ~'Bound second.

4 35 a- I^? ~'Bound second.

Shouldmanythirdsor tenthsfolloweachother,the firstorlast areplayed n fourparts, he inter-mediatein threeor twoparts; the last is best inquickpassages; for example:-No. 10._I~-4-I .

a 4 tro , -8---- . 5:3 3 3333Minorand majorthirds.Allegro.

. _ -p .

Shouldmanythirdsor tenthsfolloweachother,the firstorlast areplayed n fourparts, he inter-mediatein threeor twoparts; the last is best inquickpassages; for example:-No. 10._I~-4-I .

a 4 tro , -8---- . 5:3 3 3333Minorand majorthirds.Allegro.

. _ -p .

o r - -- - -or 5 ^ or 5r --- - -

or 5 ^ or 5___ r- [r r n rK rr?w-with doubled ifth, or with doubledseconditself.

THE THIRD.The third is three-fold,namely: diminished,minor, and major. The first consists of twomajorsemitones, he second of a wholetone andmajorsemitone,the third of two whole tones:forexample:-Diminished. Minor. Major.h j ~j j_DV=

___ r- [r r n rK rr?w-with doubled ifth, or with doubledseconditself.THE THIRD.The third is three-fold,namely: diminished,minor, and major. The first consists of twomajorsemitones, he second of a wholetone andmajorsemitone,the third of two whole tones:forexample:-

Diminished. Minor. Major.h j ~j j_DV=No.8. % 3I G?- to-No.8. % 3I G?- to- 3I nn

The first,whichoccursbut seldom, and usuallyhas a curved mark ( -,) over it, is accompaniedby the diminished fifth and diminished seventh.To the minor and major thirds, which occurvery often, belong the fifth and octave, or theunison instead of the octave, which may beomitted altogether in playing.Remarkc.-When an accidental alone is written abovethe bass notes, it signifies the third, and therefore thewhole minor or major chord. It is usual to double thethird, in a major third chord, in order to avoid theaugmented second progression; particularly after adominant seventh, or after a major third with a, whichis the leading note, and always requires to ascend asemitone. For example:-No. 9.

A

The first,whichoccursbut seldom, and usuallyhas a curved mark ( -,) over it, is accompaniedby the diminished fifth and diminished seventh.To the minor and major thirds, which occurvery often, belong the fifth and octave, or theunison instead of the octave, which may beomitted altogether in playing.Remarkc.-When an accidental alone is written abovethe bass notes, it signifies the third, and therefore thewhole minor or major chord. It is usual to double thethird, in a major third chord, in order to avoid theaugmented second progression; particularly after adominant seventh, or after a major third with a, whichis the leading note, and always requires to ascend asemitone. For example:-No. 9.

A

_- Ti- -T7 or 7 5 or 7 5e 3 e 3 e3

_- Ti- -T7 or 7 5 or 7 5e 3 e 3 e3

I &c.3 S . _ .3#: 3 3

I &c.3 S . _ .3#: 3 3

Bad. Good. Bad.ad. Good. Bad.

I 'F---: =E___--3 3 3. 3 33 3 : .-..

(To becontinuedMADAME NOVELLO'S FAREWELL CONCERT.Abridgedfrom " The Times."ON Wednesday, the 21st of November, at the St.James's Hall, Madame ClaraNovello sung her last notesin this country. The audiencewasexceedingly numerous,and every nmanifestation f artistic skill met with en-thusiastic demonstrations of approval. The performanceof Madame Novello was an exhibition of pure un-adulterated art from beginning to end, and at the termi-nation of the Concert the vast assembly dispersed withthe intimate conviction that music liad lost one of itsmost gifted and justly distinguished representatives.When Clara Novello first came before the public, hervoice at once elicited unanimousadmiration,as one of themost perfect "sopranos" England had ever producedwithin the memory of the oldest amateurs,and her talentwarrantedunrestrictedbelief inher futureeminence. Allthat was then predicted has been mole than realized.Miss Novello went to Italy, and as the Clara, was pre-eminently successfulat the Scala of Milan, and other first-class theatres. Her return to London led to a series ofprofessionaltriumphs, almost without example, and wereonly arrested by her marriagewith an Italian nobletan,and her consequent retirement from the arena of publicexhibition. Upon subsequently resuming her profes-sional career, she was welcomed back with rapture byevery genuine lover of the musical art. It is not toomuch to say that all the principal performances atExeter Hall, and at our great provincial festivals, havefor the last ten years, or thereabouts, owed theirchief attractions to the singing of this accomplishedlady. The irreparable oss now sustained by the musicalworld was deeply felt on the occasion of her farewell,and her execution of the different pieces in the pro-gramme, which we have not space more particularly torefer to, elicited unqualified admiration of her artisticrefinement,andthe avowalfirom ll sides was that her voiceat this, the moment of her abdicatingthe throne she hasso long and so gloriously filled, was as clear and pene-trating, as vigorous and flexible, as bell-like and silver-toned n quality, and asunerrinlgly modulated,as ever. OfMr. Benedict's Undine,which occupied the second partof the performance,we can only say, at present, that thegeneral execution was good, that Madame Novello, MissPalmer, Mr. Wilbye Cooper,and Mr. Weiss were all thatcould be wished in their respective parts,and that thehighly favourable opinion pronouncedon the Cantata inthe reports of the Norwich Festival, were more thanjustified by a second hearing; the chorus was efficient,and the whole performancemet with a most enthusiasticreception, and honours were lavished upon the accom-plished composer,who directed the music with his accus-

I 'F---: =E___--3 3 3. 3 33 3 : .-..

(To becontinuedMADAME NOVELLO'S FAREWELL CONCERT.Abridgedfrom " The Times."ON Wednesday, the 21st of November, at the St.James's Hall, Madame ClaraNovello sung her last notesin this country. The audiencewasexceedingly numerous,and every nmanifestation f artistic skill met with en-thusiastic demonstrations of approval. The performanceof Madame Novello was an exhibition of pure un-adulterated art from beginning to end, and at the termi-nation of the Concert the vast assembly dispersed withthe intimate conviction that music liad lost one of itsmost gifted and justly distinguished representatives.When Clara Novello first came before the public, hervoice at once elicited unanimousadmiration,as one of themost perfect "sopranos" England had ever producedwithin the memory of the oldest amateurs,and her talentwarrantedunrestrictedbelief inher futureeminence. Allthat was then predicted has been mole than realized.Miss Novello went to Italy, and as the Clara, was pre-eminently successfulat the Scala of Milan, and other first-class theatres. Her return to London led to a series ofprofessionaltriumphs, almost without example, and wereonly arrested by her marriagewith an Italian nobletan,and her consequent retirement from the arena of publicexhibition. Upon subsequently resuming her profes-sional career, she was welcomed back with rapture byevery genuine lover of the musical art. It is not toomuch to say that all the principal performances atExeter Hall, and at our great provincial festivals, havefor the last ten years, or thereabouts, owed theirchief attractions to the singing of this accomplishedlady. The irreparable oss now sustained by the musicalworld was deeply felt on the occasion of her farewell,and her execution of the different pieces in the pro-gramme, which we have not space more particularly torefer to, elicited unqualified admiration of her artisticrefinement,andthe avowalfirom ll sides was that her voiceat this, the moment of her abdicatingthe throne she hasso long and so gloriously filled, was as clear and pene-trating, as vigorous and flexible, as bell-like and silver-toned n quality, and asunerrinlgly modulated,as ever. OfMr. Benedict's Undine,which occupied the second partof the performance,we can only say, at present, that thegeneral execution was good, that Madame Novello, MissPalmer, Mr. Wilbye Cooper,and Mr. Weiss were all thatcould be wished in their respective parts,and that thehighly favourable opinion pronouncedon the Cantata inthe reports of the Norwich Festival, were more thanjustified by a second hearing; the chorus was efficient,and the whole performancemet with a most enthusiasticreception, and honours were lavished upon the accom-plished composer,who directed the music with his accus-

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