Computer Forensics Principles and Practices 1st Edition Volonino Test Bank
Computer Forensics Principles and Practices 1st Edition Volonino Test Bank
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Computer Forensics Principles and Practices 1st Edition Volonino Test Bank
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5. CHAPTER 7: INVESTIGATING WINDOWS, LINUX,
AND GRAPHIC FILES
Multiple Choice:
1. Examples of user data include all of the following EXCEPT
A. User passwords
B. User profiles
C. Program files
D. Temp files
Answer: A Reference: Investigating Windows Systems Difficulty: Easy
2. In an NTFS system, by default, which of the following have access to files and folders not uniquely theirs?
A. Each user in the Group folder
B. Only those users in the Users folder
C. Each user who successfully logs in
D. Only the user assigned to those resources
Answer: D Reference: Separation of Duties Difficulty: Moderate
3. All of the following are key differences in identifying an operating system EXCEPT
A. The Recycle Bin folder
B. Operating system folder names
C. User root folder construction
D. Folders containing group userids
Answer: D Reference: Identifying the Operating System Difficulty: Moderate
of a Target Hard Drive
6. 4. Which of the following is the primary default folder in Windows 2000 and XP?
A. Documents and Settings
B. My Documents
C. User Root
D. My Computer
Answer: A Reference: Documents and Settings Folder Difficulty: Moderate
5. The user root folder may contain all of the following EXCEPT
A. Internet data
B. Application parameters
C. Wallpaper
D. Registry settings
Answer: D Reference: User Root Folder Difficulty: Difficult
6. Sources of e-evidence within Windows subfolders can include all of the following EXCEPT
A. Pointers to Office files
B. Listing of programs on the Quick Launch bar
C. Pointers to Internet Favorites
D. The user’s address book
Answer: C Reference: Application Data Folder Difficulty: Moderate
7. In a forensics context, hidden information about files and folders is called
A. Artifact data
B. Metadata
C. Archive data
D. Read-only data
Answer: B Reference: Metadata Difficulty: Moderate
7. 8. All configuration information needed by the operating may be located in which of the following?
A. System folder
B. Configuration file
C. Autoexec.bat file
D. Registry hives
Answer: D Reference: Registry Difficulty: Moderate
9. When you send a job to the printer, Windows creates a(n)
A. Enhanced metafile (EMF)
B. Enhanced image file (IMF)
C. Temporary print file (TPF)
D. Tagged image format file (TIFF)
Answer: A Reference: Print Spool Difficulty: Moderate
10. Which of the following is NOT one of the file types available within Linux?
A. Block devices
B. Directories
C. Named pipes
D. Superblock
Answer: D Reference: File Systems Difficulty: Moderate
11. Which of the following is one of the default directories created when installing Linux?
A. /setup
B. /default
C. /bin
D. /swap
Answer: C Reference: System Directories Difficulty: Moderate
8. 12. Which of the following is considered an excellent source to obtain information on when passwords were
last changed within a Linux system?
A. /etc/sysconfig
B. /etc/shadow/passwd
C. /etc/shadow
D. /etc
Answer: C Reference: Key Linux Files and Directories to Investigate Difficulty: Moderate
13. If you change a file extension by renaming the file,
A. You also change the data in the file
B. You will not be able to open the file
C. Windows will change the icon that represents the file
D. You also change the data header
Answer: C Reference: File Signatures Difficulty: Moderate
14. In steganography, the original file that contains the hidden information is the
A. Steganographic carrier
B. Carrier medium
C. Hiding medium
D. Concealing medium
Answer: B Reference: Steganography Difficulty: Moderate
15. Clues that may indicate stego use include all of the following EXCEPT
A. The sophistication of the computer’s owner
B. Software clues on the computer
C. Type of crime being investigated
D. Large number of files in the Recycle Bin
Answer: D Reference: Steganography Difficulty: Moderate
9. Fill in the Blank:
16. System data and artifacts are files generated by the ________.
Answer: operating system Reference: Investigating Windows Systems Difficulty: Moderate
17. Files are first loaded into a(n) ________ before being printed.
Answer: buffer Reference: Investigating Windows Systems Difficulty: Difficult
18. A(n) ________ is created by the computer for each user.
Answer: userid Reference: Data and User Authentication Weaknesses of FAT Difficulty: Moderate
19. A(n) ________ is designed as a hierarchical listing of folders and files.
Answer: directory tree structure Reference: Identifying the Operating System Difficulty: Moderate
of a Target Hard Drive
20. The ________ folder is used by Internet sites to store information about the user.
Answer: Cookies Reference: Cookies Folder Difficulty: Moderate
21. The ________ subfolder lists the files that the user has accessed over several time periods.
Answer: History Reference: Local Settings Folder Difficulty: Moderate
22. The ________ folder generally contains information concerning the programs the user typically works with.
Answer: Start Menu Reference: Start Menu Folder Difficulty: Moderate
23. One application of metadata used by Windows is an uncommon storage concept called ________.
Answer: alternate data streams Reference: Metadata Difficulty: Difficult
24. Windows NT and higher changed the registry to a mixture of several files referred to as ________.
Answer: hives Reference: Registry Difficulty: Moderate
25. The ________ tracks those actions deemed as events by the software application.
Answer: application log Reference: Event Logs Difficulty: Easy
26. By default, the ________ is used as virtual memory.
Answer: swap file (or page file) Reference: Swap File/Page File Difficulty: Moderate
27. The ________ command gives Linux users the ability to perform administrative duties, which require a
separate password for each user.
Answer: sudo Reference: Investigating Linux Systems Difficulty: Moderate
10. 28. In Linux, everything—including all devices, partitions, and folders—is seen as a unified ________.
Answer: file system Reference: Investigating Linux Systems Difficulty: Moderate
29. ________ are used to determine where data starts and ends when graphic files are located in unallocated or
slack space.
Answer: File signatures Reference: Graphic File Forensics Difficulty: Moderate
30. The process of retrieving image data from unallocated or slack space is called ________.
Answer: data carving (or salvaging) Reference: Data Carving Difficulty: Moderate
Matching:
31. Match the following to their definitions.
I. User profiles A. Internet history files
II. Program files B. Installed applications
III. Temp files C. Though used only briefly, they are not deleted
IV. Application-level files D. Data created by a user
Answer: D B C A Reference: Terms throughout the chapter Difficulty: Moderate
32. Match the following keys to their hive file.
I. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT A. Default
II. HKEY_USERS.Default B. System
III. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESAM C. SAM
IV. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG D. Software
Answer: D A C B Reference: Registry Difficulty: Difficult
33. Match the following to their data structures.
I. Data block A. Contain metadata for each file
II. Inodes B. Unit of allocation for storage
III. Dentry object C. Created for every file system mounted
IV. Superblock D. Contains information about the directory structure
Answer: B A D C Reference: File Systems Difficulty: Moderate
11. 34. Match the following file types to their description.
I. Sockets A. Unbuffered files used to exchange data
II. Character devices B. Virtual connections between two processes
III. Named pipes C. Provide a FIFO mechanism
IV. Block devices D. Buffered files used to exchange data
Answer: B A C D Reference: File Systems Difficulty: Difficult
35. Match the type of directory to its definition.
I. /lib A. Where files with no names are placed
II. /etc B. Contains information on printers, log files, and transient data
III. /lost+found C. Could be a rich source of evidence if not recently cleaned
IV. /var D. Library files
V. /tmp E. Contains shadow password files
Answer: D E A B C Reference: System Directories Difficulty: Difficult
36. Match the following GREP tokens with their related functions.
I. * A. Used to match the ASCII hexadecimal representation of a single character
II. xHH B. Implements an OR situation
III. [] C. When placed after a character, matches any number of occurrences of that character
IV. . D. Matches a single character
Answer: C A B D Reference: Using Grep to Search File Contents Difficulty: Difficult
37. Match the hex signature with its file extension.
I. 00 00 01 00 A. BMP
II. FF D8 FF E1 xx xx 45 78 69 66 00 B. ICO
III. 42 4D C. PNG
IV. 89 50 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A D. JPEG
Answer: B D A C Reference: File Signatures Difficulty: Difficult
13. LESSON XV.
Musical Instruments.
Classification of Instruments.—The means for the production
of musical sound are few in number, and of such universality and
antiquity that we cannot say when, how, or by whom they were
invented. Modern skill has not added one new means, but has
simply improved the contrivances by which musical sound is
produced. We can, however, trace the evolution and growth of the
various instruments with considerable accuracy, and to this end it is
of the utmost importance to have a clear understanding of the
principles upon which musical instruments are constructed, in order
to avoid bewilderment among the endless variety that have been
and are yet made. All instruments may be divided into three general
classes: Percussion Instruments, Wind Instruments, Stringed
Instruments.
The Percussion Instruments are the instruments of rhythm.
In this class are included all instruments used for this purpose. It is
universally admitted that rhythm is the very basis of music, without
which it is vague and meaningless. Possibly the physical fact that lies
behind rhythm is the tendency of all repeated muscular action to
become regular; witness the blows of the hammer on the anvil, or
the carpenter driving in a nail. The psychologic reason is that when
the will has set a certain muscular action in motion, it leaves the
carrying out of the command to some subordinate function, so long
as it is continuous; but if the continuity is to be interrupted, the will
must again exert itself; hence, drumbeating and rattle shaking must
of necessity be rhythmic. Nearly all savages have dances of various
14. kinds. Varieties of drum rhythms arise from the almost universal
custom of accompanying dances with drums and rattles.
Varieties of Percussion Instruments.—Percussion
instruments are almost endless in variety. The most primitive
example is that of a hollow log beaten with a war-club by some
prehistoric savage. The next step leads to the hollow gourd or other
hollow body, across the open end of which is stretched the dried
membrane of some wild animal. From these descend all the long line
of drums of all sorts, ending with the modern orchestral kettle-drums
(tympani) which, by means of a mechanism for changing the tension
of their parchment heads, may be tuned in various keys. Percussion
instruments of metal are of very ancient origin. In this category are
included cymbals of various sizes and shapes, gongs of all sorts, and
later, bells and triangles. Comparatively few of the percussion
instruments emit sounds of any definite pitch. They were and are to
a great extent noise-producing, used for the purpose of marking
rhythms.
Wind Instruments: Vibrating Column of Air in a Tube.—
The next step in advance of noise-producing instruments is the
discovery of means for the production of musical sound, which
differs from noise in the possession of definite pitch. This leads to a
consideration of the wind instruments that produce sound by means
of a vibrating column of air enclosed in a tube. This is an important
class and has several subdivisions, as will be seen. The simplest
form of the wind instrument is the plain tube, producing a single
sound when blown across the top. A series of such tubes fastened
together side by side constitutes the Syrinx or Pan’s pipe, an
instrument known over all the world from the remotest ages. This is
thought to be the instrument mentioned in Genesis with the Hebrew
name Ugab—translated organ, in the verse: “Jubal was the father of
all such as handle the harp or the organ.” It is generally believed by
scholars that the Pandean Pipe or Syrinx is the oldest of musical
instruments; but long before a sufficient advance had been made to
bind together several reeds giving different sounds, the discovery
was made that sound might be produced in this way. Some
15. prehistoric man found it out, perhaps by blowing across the top of a
hollow bone. A whistle of this kind, of prehistoric make, bored from
one of the bones of a reindeer’s foot, was found in a bone cave in
France. It may have been used as a signal, and we may imagine that
it may have guided a troop of palæolithic hunters in the chase of the
mammoth or rhinoceros, when these animals still roamed over the
plains of Europe.
A Tube Pierced with Holes.—The next advance was the
discovery that one tube could be made to give several sounds by
piercing holes in it. The effect of piercing is equivalent to shortening
the tube; thus the Flute came into existence. There are three forms
of the flute; the simplest is the old Japanese flute, blown at the end
and pierced with a few holes. Next, the endless variety of flutes
blown at a hole in the side, hence called the cross flute, or Flauto
Traverso, in German, Querflöte. A perfect series of these flutes may
be made. From the piece of bamboo with three or four holes, up to
the exquisite workmanship and musical possibilities of the orchestral
Boehm flute, all these flutes are identical in principle. The third kind
of flute is blown at the end and is furnished with a diaphragm, which
directs the air in a thin stream against the edge of the opening.
Flutes of this kind were once used under the names of flageolet
and recorder. Their chief interest lies in the fact that they have
served as the model for the flue pipes of the organ, from the
ponderous thirty-two foot Diapason to the half-inch extreme of the
Mixture.
The Tube with a Reed.—The next subdivision is: The tube in
conjunction with a tongue or slip of cane, called a reed. Reed
instruments are further divided into single and double reed
instruments. The double reed instrument is of great antiquity and
widely known. This is the instrument generally meant by the term
“flute” in the ancient Greek authors. It is known in China and Thibet,
and in its modern form as Hautboy (oboe), English Horn or
Bassoon, is an important member of the modern orchestra. The
beating or single reed is so-called because it is made a little larger
than the orifice over which it is fixed, and therefore beats against
16. this orifice at every vibration, closing it and causing the air to be
emitted in puffs. This form of reed instrument is also widely
distributed. By the Greeks it was called the Berecynthian pipe; in
modern Egypt Arghool, in early England the Shawm, which is a
corruption of an older French name—Chalumeau. Under the name
Clarinet it is another important member of the orchestra. The
beating reed also furnishes the model after which the reed stops of
the organ are constructed.
The Tube with the Lips of the Player.—The last subdivision is
the tube in conjunction with the lip of the performer, the lips
assuming the rôle of the reed. Countless varieties of trumpets have
been used from time immemorial, made at first from that natural
tube that has given them their generic name, the “horn” of the ox or
goat or antelope. The forms of the horn are endless, but from the
conch shell of the Japanese or the ram’s horn Shofar of the Hebrews
to the perfectly tuned and mechanically perfect instruments of our
bands and orchestras the series is complete, and the acoustic
principle in all respects identical.
Stringed Instruments Played by Plucking.—The stringed
instruments are those which depend for their sound upon the
vibration of stretched strings. This class of instruments is of very
ancient origin. As in the case of the wind instruments, the discovery
of the principle of the vibration of a stretched string was probably
accidental. The twanging of a bow-string suggests a possible clue, or
the membranes of animals used for any purpose in which tension is
required. Earliest among stringed instruments are the various forms
of Harp or Lyre, in which each string gives a single sound, and is
put in motion by being plucked by the finger or struck by a rod or
flat strip of wood, ivory, etc., called a plectrum. In the next class are
included those instruments that are furnished with a neck or
fingerboard, with or without frets. In this class the strings are
comparatively few in number, as many sounds may be obtained from
each string by altering its length by the pressure of the fingers on
the neck. These instruments are also played either with the fingers
17. or the plectrum; to this class belong the Guitar, Lute, Mandolin,
etc.
The Lute Family.—For many years, until displaced by
instruments of the violin family, the Lute occupied the foremost
position among instruments. It was a favorite instrument in the East,
whence it reached Spain and lower Italy. During the 14th century, it
spread over all Europe, retaining its popularity from the 15th to the
17th centuries. In shape it was similar to the mandolin of the
present day. It had, however, a far greater number of strings. Five
pairs of these and a single melody string lay over the keyboard,
while the bass strings (finally five in number and used only as open
strings) lay at the side. More elaborate forms of the lute, owing to
improvements in the arrangement of the bass strings, were the
Theorbo and the Archilute. For the various forms of the lute the
ordinary measured notation was not used, but special letters or
figures were given to indicate, not the pitch of the sound, but the
proper fret on the fingerboard of the instrument to be used by the
player. This method of notation was called Tablature; it differed
somewhat in the various countries. Until displaced by the violin, the
lute was in use as an orchestral instrument. In addition,
transcriptions of all sorts of vocal and instrumental pieces were
made for the lute, for home use, much in the same manner as they
are at the present day made for the pianoforte.
Stringed Instruments Played with a Bow.—The next and
most important class resembles the last in being furnished with a
neck or fingerboard, but with strings put in vibration by a bow, the
familiar Violin family. A German writer on the stringed instruments
played with a bow gives the following as the successive steps in the
evolution of the violin: Rebec, Tromba Marina, Hurdy Gurdy, Fidel
(Fidula), Chrotta, Viole, and Violin. The early history of instruments
is shrouded in darkness, which existed up to the 16th century.
Before that time, although writers on music made reference to the
instruments in use, they did not give detailed descriptions. Virdung,
who published a work in 1511; Agricola, in 1528; and Gerle, in 1546,
were among the first writers. Yet much confusion has arisen from
18. the fact that these writers used different terms for the same
instruments, a difficulty that confronts the student of musical history
who consults German, French, or Italian works.
1. The Rebec was of Oriental origin and consisted of a wooden
frame, which formed the side walls, the top and the bottom being
spanned with skin, like a drum. The instrument had only two strings,
and was used in accompanying singing. Later the number of strings
was increased to three. In the 8th or 9th century an instrument
called the Lyra (Lyre) was in use. Its shape shows a change toward
the pear-shaped body and narrow neck of the lute.
19. 2. The Tromba Marina (Eng., literally, “Marine Trumpet”), which
the Germans call Trumscheit, had a long, sonorous body, over which
a strong string, like that of the ’cello D, was stretched. This string,
when sounded with the bow, gave forth a harsh, somewhat nasal
tone, similar to that of the 8-foot wooden organ reed-pipe. But the
proper way to play it was by lightly touching the string with the
finger, as in making harmonics on the violin. This gave a series of
tones, according to the pitch of the open string, the same as the so-
called overtones. If the string were tuned to low C, the sounds were
middle C, then in succession E, G, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. This
instrument was a favorite with choirs of nuns to accompany their
singing. Another name given to this instrument from its single string
is Monochord.
3. The Hurdy Gurdy, also called Vielle, Radleier (“wheel lyre”),
Bettlerleier (“mendicants’ lyre”), Organistrum and Chiffonie, was a
great favorite in the period from the 10th to the 12th century. This
peculiar instrument consisted of a resonant body, over which four
strings were stretched. It has analogies to bowed and keyed
instruments. Its shape was somewhat like that of the lute or the
20. viola d’amore or guitar. Two of the strings were tuned in unison,
were stopped by an arrangement of keys, directed by the player’s
left hand shortening the string, thus making it possible to play
melodies of a limited compass. The other two strings were usually
tuned as Tonic and Dominant, thus giving a drone like the bagpipe.
The strings are set in vibration by a wooden wheel, which, being
well rosined, has the function of a violin bow; this wheel is turned by
a handle at the tail end of the instrument, the player using his right
hand for the purpose.
4. The Chrotta (Welsh Crwth—“crooth”) is one of the oldest of
string instruments played with a bow. The original home was
possibly India, but in its European use it was limited to England, and
especially to Wales. It was a favorite instrument of the Welsh bards.
The oldest form had three strings. In its later form it was mounted
with six strings, four stretched over the fingerboard and played with
the bow, and two lying at the side of the fingerboard, and pinched
with the thumb of the left hand.
5. Fidula (Fidel, Fiddle), equivalent to “viol,” is the comprehensive
term for the string instruments of the 8th to the 14th century. Its
resonant body was arched and pear-shaped. The French flattened it
more and called it Gigue, the Italians Giga, the Germans Geige, the
latter term still being used. Two varieties were in use—the small and
the large. The former had three strings tuned in fifths, the latter four
to six, usually tuned in fourths and one third. The “large” species
was made in four sizes for Discant (soprano), Alto, Tenor, and Bass.
The “large” instrument had no bridge such as the violin of today has,
and in its rounded form was difficult to play. Later it was cut out at
the sides, thus approaching the shape of our violin.
6. The Viol, which first appears in the 15th century, had a
resonant body which came almost to a point back of the neck, and
the upper part of the body of the instrument was smaller than the
lower; the fingerboard had frets like our guitar; the edges were
higher, the f holes were sickle-shaped, the top was flat, and the
number of strings was six. Viols were divided into two groups—those
21. held with the arm (like our violin), those played between the knees
(like our ’cello). They were named the soprano or discant viol
(violetta), the alto and tenor viols, and the bass viol (gamba). The
contra-bass or double bass has the viol form in certain respects.
From the viol family comes our violin through a diminution and
beautifying of the form, through lessening the number of strings and
doing away with the frets.
References.
Lavignac.—Music and Musicians. Section on Instruments.
Grove.—Dictionary of Music and Musicians,
articles on the various instruments.
Questions and Suggestions.
What are the general classes into which musical instruments are
grouped?
Name the percussion instruments.
Name the principles of classification for wind instruments.
Give examples of each class.
What is a reed? How many kinds are in use?
What methods of producing sound are used in playing stringed
instruments?
Give examples of each class.
Give a description of the lute.
Name the steps in the evolution of the violin.
The catalogues of the instruments contained in the Metropolitan
Museum (Crosby-Brown Collection), New York City, will be found
very useful for reference. This collection is one of the most complete
in the world, and is arranged so as to show the development of
instruments of the various types. They can be secured at slight
expense by addressing the Museum.
22. LESSON XVI.
The Organ, Organ Playing and Organ Music.
In the book of Genesis it is written: “Jubal, he was the father of
all such as handle the harp and organ.” It is not to be understood
that the word organ in this passage meant an instrument anything
like that heard in our churches at the present day. In fact, as St.
Augustine tells us, there was a time when all musical instruments
were called organs.
The Germ of the Organ.—The invention of the organ is veiled
in deepest darkness. Its development from its earliest forms to its
present state has occupied a period of almost two thousand years.
Doubtless, the first idea of a wind instrument was suggested by the
breeze blowing across the open ends of broken reeds, the discovery
naturally following that reeds of different lengths gave forth sounds
of varying pitch. In course of time, reeds or pipes, differing in
length, began to be joined together, conveniently arranged so as to
produce a succession of musical sounds, the players blowing them
with the mouth. These instruments were called Pan’s Pipes, the
Syrinx of the ancient Greeks.
The First Stage of Development.—As the number of pipes
was increased, the moving of the head back and forth in order to
blow them became difficult. The pipes were then placed in a sort of
box or wind chest, a tube being added through which the player
could blow, the pipes not intended to sound being closed by the
fingers. Furthermore, as the pipes were increased in number and in
size, it became necessary to employ various mechanical accessories
to furnish adequate wind supply, and to open and close the pipes at
will, the breath and fingers of the player proving insufficient. A
23. device was invented in the form of a slide, rule or tongue of wood,
which was placed beneath the aperture of the pipe, and perforated
so as to shut off or admit wind to the pipe as it was drawn back or
forth. The earliest form of bellows might be suggested by the
leathern bag of the bagpipe. In this the wind pressure was unsteady
and the tone necessarily disconnected.
The Hydraulic Organ.—The first attempts to secure regular or
steady wind pressure were made by Ctesibus, who lived at
Alexandria, about 180 B. C. To him is ascribed the invention of the
so-called “Hydraulic Organ.” This term seems somewhat of a
misnomer, since the water was used merely to give the necessary
pressure to the bellows, and to regulate the wind supply. This
method was never developed, since the device did not seem
applicable to instruments of any considerable size. The trend was
rather toward a wind supply from a bellows operated on the same
principle as that of the blacksmith’s. In the Hydraulic Organ the
water was thus applied: An inverted air receiver, into which the wind
was forced by a bellows, was immersed in a tank of water, the
pressure of the water around and above the receiver forcing the air
through an aperture at the top into the pipes, the pressure being
regulated by the volume of water in the tank. The hydraulic organ
24. continued more or less in use up to the early part of the 14th
century.
The Earliest Organs.—The organ developed little as to size or
mechanical improvements during the first ten centuries of the
Christian Era, and it is difficult to trace the progressive stages in
point of time, place or mechanical invention. The first organ known
to the people of Western Europe was a present from the Byzantine
emperor, Constantine, to Pepin the Short, Major-Domo of the
Frankish Kingdom, in 742. It had brass pipes and the “keys” were
struck by hands and feet. Eastern organs also came into France in
the time of Charlemagne, son of Pepin. The first organ used in
Germany was made in 812, modelled after the one just mentioned.
In 880, the Pope ordered an organ and an organ builder from
Germany, which seems to indicate that the art had found support
there at an early date. Although not considered absolutely
indispensable, the organ from that time on seems to have been
generally adopted for use in churches. Its many imperfections gave
ground for criticism, yet today it is considered, par excellence, the
ecclesiastical instrument.
Increase in the Size of Organs.—The organ builders of these
early days were mostly monks, Pope Sylvester II (1003) being
eminent, under the name of Gerbert, prior to his election to the
papacy. They built small organs called “Portative,” and large organs
called “Positive.” The old hydraulic organ, owing to its excessive
weight, was called “Positive” to distinguish it from the “Portative” or
portable organ, and these terms have been perpetuated to the
present time. An organ built for the Cathedral at Winchester,
England, had ten keys, four hundred pipes and twenty-six bellows,
which were operated by seventy men, “in the sweat of their brows.”
Since forty pipes were attached to a single key, it may be readily
understood why its tone was compared to thunder. The keys were
very large, having a deep fall, and required the whole force of the
hand to press down a single one.
25. Mechanical Improvements.—The pipes in the early organs
were made of copper, lead, tin, silver, glass, ivory and various
woods, but experiments finally showed tin or wood to be best
suited for the purpose. The earliest organs had about twelve pipes,
and the larger instruments three octaves, but without the chromatic
intervals. The pipes were arranged according to the sequence of
tones in the old Church modes, the octave containing but three
semitones: between E-F, A-B flat and B-C. The chromatic tones were
added gradually, the breadth of the keys being correspondingly
reduced as the increased number of keys occupied the same space
as before. Heretofore, the wind had usually been forced from the
bellows by the weight of men standing upon them, but in the 10th
century use began to be made of a lever, the bellows presumably
being weighted.
The Keyboard is Adopted.—In the 11th century, the keyboard
appeared, supplanting the levers and slides, previously in use. The
first organ containing this marked improvement was made for the
Cathedral at Magdeburg, Germany. It had sixteen keys. In 1350, a
monk at Thorn built an organ with twenty-two keys, and in 1361 an
organ was built for the Cathedral at Halberstadt with fourteen
diatonic and eight chromatic tones in a compass extending from B,
second line, bass staff, to A, second space, treble. This organ had
three keyboards, now termed manuals.
The Pedals.—The invention of pedals is variously ascribed to
Albert Van Os (about 1120), to Van Valbeke, of Brabant, and to a
German named Bernhard (1470), an organist of Venice. The latter
probably improved, but did not invent the pedals. The pedals at first
did not exceed the compass of an octave, and were used only for
sustaining prolonged tones. They were fastened to the broad manual
keys by stout cords, thus enabling the performer to draw down the
desired key with the foot. About the year 1418 the pedals began to
be attached to independent pedal-pipes, thus imparting to the organ
a certain dignity and sonority, still a chief characteristic of the
instrument. After 1475, all important organs were built with pedal
keyboard.
26. The Introduction of Stops.—Up to the 14th century, the
different registers (set of pipes with uniform tone quality) could not
be sounded separately, that is to say: all the pipes belonging to any
one key sounded when that key was depressed. At the close of the
14th century it was found possible to add valves to the pipes in
such a manner as to cause the wind to pass through or be cut off
from any series of pipes at will. The opening and closing was
managed through a spring. The next improvement was to introduce
a slide to open or close the passage of wind into the pipes. With
these improvements it became possible for builders to set
themselves to the improvement of the various “stops” or registers.
Improvements in Stops.—In the 15th century, pipes of sixteen
and thirty-two feet in length began to be used, necessitating a
greatly enlarged bellows. Pipes were closed at the top, thereby
lowering the pitch an octave. They were given smaller diameters,
producing a softer tone quality. The shapes of the pipes were varied,
giving additional variety in tone quality.
Thus began the broad classifications of “Open” and “Stopped”
pipes in all their varieties. The “Reeds” (pipes containing a vibrator
or tongue to set the column of air in motion) were familiar to the
earliest performers, but were not introduced into the organ until as
late as the 14th century. Further improvements were made in the
bellows at the beginning of the 16th century.
St. Mary’s, Lübeck.—In 1561, a three-manual organ was in use
in St. Mary’s, Lübeck, Germany. To this organ all the important
improvements were successively added at various intervals until it
had, at the beginning of the 18th century, in the three manuals,
respectively, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen stops, and in the pedal,
fifteen stops. It was to hear the famous Buxtehude play upon this
organ that Sebastian Bach walked fifty miles in 1705.
Design of Improvements.—Great improvements have been
made in organ building since the time of Bach, all designed to give
the player greater resources, and increased facility in the handling
27. and control of the resources, which in the present day are simply
enormous.
The Organ in the American Colonies.—Although the first
organs heard in America were probably introduced by the Spaniards,
of these there are no authentic records. According to reliable historic
data, the famous old “Brattle” organ was “the first organ that ever
pealed to the glory of God in this country.” It was imported from
London, in 1713, by Mr. Thomas Brattle, who bequeathed it to the
Brattle Street Church, Boston, directing that the parish “procure a
sober person that can play skilfully thereon with a loud noise.” This
organ became the property of King’s Chapel, Boston, and was used
until 1756.
No Art in Early Organ Playing.—The organs of the early
Christian period were of such a character that playing, in the sense
in which we now understand the word, was out of the question. For
some time the span of the hand possible to players did not exceed
the distance of a fifth. If an octave was to be struck, a second player
was necessary. Only with the narrowing of the keys did artistic
playing become possible. In fact, organ playing has invariably
reflected the style and development of contemporary musical art.
Early Organists.—The credit of being “father of organists” is
given to Francesco Landino, of Florence (1325-1390), and after
him to Bernhard, mentioned as the inventor of the organ pedals.
The oldest organ compositions are some works by Konrad
Paumann (1410-1473), who was born blind, yet, like many others
since, became a thoroughly trained musician in spite of his affliction.
He also played other instruments and was a fine contrapuntist.
Another of the early organists is Benedictus Ducis (or Hertoghs),
born at Bruges, about 1480. He was a pupil of Josquin des Pres.
From Ducis, representing the second Flemish school, as founded by
Okeghem, there is a chain almost of master and pupil, between the
early masters of organ playing and polyphonic writing and Bach,
who in these arts became the master of all. Paumann’s pieces show
the style of composing for the instrument that was considered
28. appropriate. They are essentially transcribed, but elaborated, vocal
works. The compositions of the next organists of fame, Willaert, of
Venice (1490-1562), and Cyprian di Rore (1516-1565), pupil of the
former, have distinct names. Ricercari, Intonationi, Contrapunti,
Toccati, Praeambula, and Canzoni, but the character remains the
same, vocal pieces, elaborated and freely embellished with runs and
other passage work. Later the term Ricercari came to mean a sort of
fantasia in fugal form, often on a popular air; Toccata became a free
fantasia with brilliantly figurated passages, and a Praeambulo a
prelude to a larger piece. Other famous organists of this period were
Bernhard Schmidt (1520-?), German; Claudio Merulo (1532-
1604), organist at Venice, and his successors, the two Gabrieli’s.
Frescobaldi and His Successors.—The greatest of all the
organists of the earlier days, to whom the title of “Father of true
organ playing” has been given, was Girolamo Frescobaldi, born in
1583 at Ferrara, in Italy, educated in Flanders, and from 1608 to his
death in 1644 organist at St. Peter’s, Rome. His fame was so great
that the spacious cathedral was often filled when he gave an organ
recital. His compositions, many of which have been preserved, have
a very decided contrapuntal character, whence some have called him
the inventor of the organ fugue. Two prominent German organists,
whose compositions were studied by Bach, were Caspar Kerl
(1627-1693), and Jacob Froberger (———1667), both of whom
lived in Vienna. The most eminent organist of the 17th century was
Johann Peter Sweelinck (1562-1621), pupil of Zarlino, the
famous Italian theorist, and of Andreas Gabrieli, organist of Venice.
Sweelinck occupied the position of organist at the Cathedral in
Amsterdam, and gave much attention to the development of the
fugal style of composition. His compositions are of the highest
importance historically, since they exhibit the first known examples
of the independent use of the pedals in a real fugal part. He was the
most eminent organist of his time (being called the organist maker),
and was the teacher of the following noted players: Jacob
Praetorius (died at Hamburg in 1651); Heinrich Scheidemann
(1596-1663), also located at Hamburg; Jan Adams Reinken
29. (1623-1722), from 1663 organist and successor to Scheidemann at
the Catherine Church, Hamburg (Bach came to Hamburg several
times to hear Reinken play and to learn his style); Samuel Scheidt
(1587-1654), organist at Halle. Some of their compositions are
accessible.
Johann Peter Sweelinck.
Other famous organists of this period were Johann Pachelbel
(1653-1706), located at Nuremberg (Bach studied his works as a
lad); Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), organist at Lübeck for
thirty-nine years. One of the most important names of this period of
development is that of Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741). His
“Gradus ad Parnassum,” published in 1725, a treatise on
30. counterpoint based on the practice of the great masters, played an
important part in the training of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
English Organists.—In the history of English organ playing, the
first great name to engage our attention is that of Thomas Tallys,
born about 1520. He is called the “Father of English church music.”
He served under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Queen
Elizabeth, as organist of the Chapel Royal. English organists of
distinction contemporary with and succeeding Tallys were John
Merbecke, Richard Farrant, William Byrd, John Bull, Thomas
Morley, Orlando Gibbons (a contemporary of Frescobaldi),
Matthew Lock, John Blow and Henry Purcell. The last
mentioned, born in 1658, became organist of Westminster Abbey in
1680. The name of Purcell is one of the strongest in the history of
English music. It was his ambition to found a distinctive school of
English composition. Although not successful in this, he made a
lasting impression on English church music and produced many
charming secular works. It is on record that he stood high in the
estimation of his European contemporaries.
Culmination in Bach and Handel.—The Polyphonic Period
culminated in Bach and Handel, both born in 1685. These two, who
never met, and who worked upon dissimilar lines, were the most
famous organists of their day, in addition to their greatness in
composition.
The Organ and Polyphonic Music.—Bach must be regarded
as the source of modern organ composition and playing. In him
polyphonic composition attained its highest perfection and the organ
stands as the centre of the Polyphonic school. The development of
the Opera and its influence towards a freer style in vocal and
instrumental composition and the tendency of instrumental music to
develop along harmonic lines had the effect of relegating polyphonic
music to the Church with the organ as its chief vehicle. It is only of
comparatively recent years that the organ has become a concert
instrument. Bach’s treatment of the instrument serves as a model for
the composers of all time and the study of his works is indispensable
31. to the development of technical command of the organ and the
cultivation of the true organ style. Handel’s permanent contribution
to organ literature consists of sets of Concertos. These concertos, a
number of which are still played and admired, excited the
enthusiasm of Sir John Hawkins, who gives a glowing account of
them in his history. Bach was appointed Cantor at the St. Thomas
Schule, Leipzig, in 1723, and it was here that much of his greatest
work was accomplished. In addition to his duties at the school, he
directed the music in the Churches of St. Thomas and St. Nicholas.
As to the relative superiority of Bach and Handel as organists,
contemporary opinion seems to have differed widely. Each
undoubtedly had a style of his own as shown in his published
compositions. Each excelled in improvisation.
The Chorale in Protestant Organ Music.—In addition to his
incomparable preludes and fugues, toccatas, fantasias and pieces in
the larger forms, Bach made the polyphonic treatment of the
chorale an art peculiarly his own. In fact, the German style of organ
playing may be said to have developed from the chorale and from
the music of the Reformation. This furnished a fresher and very
different source of inspiration from the Gregorian chant which had
been handled so effectively by Frescobaldi and his Italian successors.
Marchand.—One of the most renowned of early French
organists was Louis Marchand (1671-1732). In 1717, while living
under banishment in Dresden, he was to have entered into a trial of
skill with Bach, but lost courage and departed on the morning of the
appointed day. A certain triviality has at times characterized the
French school of organ music, undoubtedly a reflection of the
prevailing style and taste in other branches of musical composition.
Of later years, however, a more serious and exalted style has
developed.
The German School.—To return to the German organists. A
name familiar to all students of the organ is that of Rinck. Johann
C. H. Rinck (1770-1846) was a pupil of Kittel, who in turn was a
pupil of J. S. Bach. Rinck’s reputation is based largely on his
32. “Practical Organ School,” a work still in use. Another name of
importance is that of Johann Gottlob Schneider (1789-1864). He
has had the reputation of being one of the greatest German
organists since the time of Bach. Of the great composers since Bach,
Mendelssohn stands conspicuous as an organist and composer of
organ music. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, although occasionally
using the organ in their scores, did not compose for the instrument.
Mendelssohn developed a decided fondness for the organ, which he
played admirably. His six sonatas and three preludes and fugues are
masterpieces. Among the representative German organists and
composers should be mentioned: Adolph Hesse (1809-1863),
author of the “Practical Organist” and a prolific composer; Karl
August Haupt (1810-1891), a celebrated teacher, numbering
among his many pupils from all countries such prominent American
organists as Eugene Thayer, Clarence Eddy and J. K. Paine; Carl
Ludwig Thiele (1816-1848) composer of some of the most difficult
known works for the organ; Gustav Merkel (1827-1885), a prolific
composer, whose sonatas are numbered among the standard works
for the instrument; J. G. Rheinberger (1837-1901), one of the
finest organists and best teachers of his time and a composer of
great ability, whose twenty sonatas form a permanent addition to
the best organ literature. A number of American organists were
among his pupils.
The French School.—Prominent among organists of the French
school in the 19th century may be mentioned: L. J. A. Lefébure-
Wély (1817-1869) and Antoine Eduard Batiste (1820-1876). The
works of both these organists are still widely played and have won
much popularity. Wely has been called the “Auber of the organ.” His
works display fertility of melodic invention and a piquancy of
harmonic treatment, but are entirely lacking in the polyphonic
element. Much the same may be said of Batiste, who was a fine
player and teacher, and who equalled Wely in tunefulness but not in
musicianship. Nicholas Jacques Lemmens (1823-81), a great
player (especially of Bach) and author of the celebrated “Ecole
d’Orgue” may be said to have laid the foundation of the modern
33. French school. Conspicuous among his successors have been:
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-——), a most versatile musician and a
noted organist; Théodore Dubois (1837-——), Théodore Salome
(1834-——) and Felix Alexandre Guilmant (1837-——). Guilmant,
one of the most noted organists and composers of the present day,
was a favorite pupil of Lemmens. He has been one of the most
prolific composers since the time of Bach, is a master of all the
resources of the modern organ, and has a fertility of invention and a
fluent command of contrapuntal resources. Another eminent French
organist is C. M. Widor (1845- ——), also a composer of distinction.
A powerful influence was exerted on modern organ music, as well as
general composition, by the eminent organist and composer, César
Franck, who was, for a number of years, in charge of the organ
class at the Paris Conservatoire.
The Italian School.—Among recent Italian organists Filippo
Capocci (1840-——) and Enrico Bossi (1861-——) are worthy of
mention. Both are splendid organists and prolific composers. They
are leaders in the revival of good organ playing in Italy, where a
determined effort is being made to restore the art to its former
supremacy.
The English School.—England has furnished a long line of 19th
century organists of ability, prominent among whom are: Sir John
Goss (1800-1880), Henry Smart (1813-1879), E. J. Hopkins
(1818-1901), S. S. Wesley (1810-1876), Dr. Wm. Spark (1825-
1897). Foremost among English organists stands the name of Wm.
T. Best (1826-1897). He was one of the most famous concert
organists of his time, but is best known to organ students by his
“Arrangements from the Scores of the Great Masters,” in which he
demonstrated that the organ is in itself capable of reproducing
certain orchestral effects without transcending its proper functions or
descending to trickery. “The Organ,” by Sir John Stainer (1840-
1901), is one of the most widely used elementary works for
instruction in organ playing. Dr. Stainer was the successor of Sir
John Goss, at St. Paul’s, London, and was appointed Professor of
Music at Oxford University in 1889. Frederic Archer (1838-1901)
34. has been considered one of the greatest of organ players. After a
successful career in England, he came to America in 1880. He did
much towards popularizing and elevating the art of organ playing in
this country. Prominent among contemporary English organists
stands Edwin H. Lemare (1865-——), who succeeded Frederic
Archer as organist of Carnegie Hall, Pittsburg, in 1902. He is a skilful
virtuoso, a composer of originality, and a leading representative of
the modern English school.
Modern Organ Music.—Organ playing and composition have
kept pace with the mechanical and artistic evolution of the
instrument, and the lines between the various schools are becoming
less closely drawn. The tendency of builders to imitate orchestral
tone and effects has had influence on composers and players alike.
This tendency is less noticeable in the works of the German school,
where a modified polyphony still flourishes, based on the principle of
the classic treatment of the chorale and growing out of the music of
the Lutheran Church. The organ compositions of the modern French
school are characterized by grace, refinement and originality,
coupled with a certain dignity and elegance. They combine free
harmonic treatment and modern polyphony, together with certain
ornate characteristics, growing out of the elaborate ceremonial
music of the Latin Church, and bringing into play all the resources of
tone color and expressive treatment of the modern instrument. Much
the same may be said of the modern English school, which
nevertheless still shows traces of the early English style, based on
the dignity and purity of cathedral use and tradition. The orchestral
tendency, both in composition for the organ and in the transcription
of orchestral works for the instrument, shows itself more or less in
all schools, and the organ, in addition to its position in the church, is
becoming more and more a concert instrument. The compositions of
the American organists reflect, in a measure, the characteristics of
the schools in which they have been trained, and in particular show
traces of the styles of the masters with whom they have chiefly
studied.[9]
35. References.
Grove.—Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Articles on the
Organ,
and Organists mentioned in this lesson.
Williams.—Story of the Organ.
Lahee.—The Organ and its Masters.
Matthews.—Handbook of the Organ.
Pirro.—J. S. Bach: The Organist and His Works.
Audsley, G. A.—The Art of Organ Building, 2 vols.
Questions.
In what early instrument is the germ of the organ found?
Describe its gradual development.
Describe the general character of the early organs.
Describe the various mechanical improvements.
When and by whom were pedals introduced?
Mention some of the early organists.
In whom did the Polyphonic Period culminate? Who is the source
of modern organ composition and playing?
Mention some German organists since the time of Bach.
Mention some prominent French and English organists of the
19th century.
Describe the modern tendencies in organ composition.
Suggestions for a Review of Lessons VIII to XVI.
Get a clear idea of the period, which includes the years between
1100 and the death of Palestrina in 1594, almost 500 years. The
lesson on the organ and organ playing belongs to this period,
chronologically, in part only.
The difference between the monophonic and polyphonic styles
must be clearly appreciated in order to get a clear grasp of the two
fundamental styles in music. Illustrations from the masters are to be
36. placed in contrast. Polyphony developed from melodic principles, the
simultaneous sounding of several melodies. Monophony depends
upon a harmonic basis.
Indicate the steps in the growth of Polyphony.
How did the Church contribute?
What political and other conditions made Paris the centre of
Europe in the 12th century?
What is the force of Imitation as a principle to secure Unity in
musical composition? How was it used by the composers of the Paris
school?
What advances in the use of Imitation did the men of the Gallo-
Belgic school make?
Indicate certain historical events and name prominent
personages of the periods included in this section.
Why did the early English school exercise so little influence on
music?
What noted musical composition is credited to the English
school? What kind of work is it?
What historical periods coincide with the English school as
described in this section?
Compare the Gallo-Belgic and the Netherlands schools. What did
the former contribute to the latter?
What is the musical value of the principle of the Canon?
Why did the musical centre shift respectively from Paris to
Belgium, to the Netherlands and then to Italy?
Make a list of the composers of the different schools of this
period and trace the connection between them.
Give a sketch of Palestrina and show his contribution to church
music.
37. Describe the madrigal. Compare a madrigal with a modern part-
song and note the difference in style.
Give the classification of musical instruments. Examples in each
class.
Give a sketch of the development of the viol.
What is the germ of the principle of the organ?
What is the necessity for the use of a bellows?
What are the successive steps in improving the organ?
Mention the important players in chronological order.
Classify them in the proper schools.
Compare the German, French and English schools.
38. LESSON XVII.
The Beginning of the Opera.
The Renaissance.—The Opera, in its inception, was literary
rather than musical in nature. It was a result of what is known as
the Renaissance, so-called because its most prominent manifestation
in Italy was a revival of the learning of the ancients. This phase of
the movement was initiated by Petrarch (1304-1370), who devoted
his life to the study of the classical past of Italy. The Latin classics
had never been entirely lost, but those of the Greeks had become
practically extinct during the dark ages which followed the conquest
of the Roman Empire by the barbarians of the North, in the 5th
century. The arts had been kept alive only through the fostering care
of the Church, and all had taken on a conventionally ecclesiastical
character. Education had declined; it was practically confined to
churchmen—even kings and rulers could barely sign their names,
while the people at large were sunk in gross ignorance. The revival
of Latin literature through the influence of Petrarch led to an interest
in the Greek classics which soon became the engrossing study of the
learned. Diligent search was made for lost and forgotten
manuscripts; academies of learning were founded; lectures were
given on Greek philosophy. In the enthusiasm thus created it was
even thought that not only the arts and literature of the ancient
world might be restored, but its governmental, social and political
structure as well.
Scope of the Renaissance.—The Renaissance, however, was
not merely literary in nature. It was in reality the awakening of man
from the spiritual and intellectual slumber which had bound him for
nearly a thousand years. Long before it was defined it had been
39. perceptible in many ways. First, materially, in a spirit of exploration,
of adventure and enterprise. Traders and travelers startled Europe
with glowing accounts of the far East; missionaries took long and
dangerous voyages in the hope of converting its heathen
inhabitants. An eager desire for increased commercial facilities with
these favored countries by means of a westward passage brought
about the discovery of America, with which modern history may be
said to have opened.
With this extension of the world’s boundaries, the mind of man
began to expand as well. As he looked forward with eager
anticipation to the future, he studied the past with an eye newly
alive to the treasures of its buried culture. Instead of his former
acquiescence in being one of a dull, inert mass, serving without
question those in authority over him, he began to feel and to assert
his own individuality, to resist the crushing weight of feudalism
which had hitherto oppressed him. Freedom of intellect, of
conscience, of science, of art, was in the air.
The effect of this transition from medievalism toward modern
liberty of thought and action varied with different nationalities. In
northern nations it took the direction of rebellion against prevailing
religious and political conditions, for example, in Germany and
England. Italy, however, remained steadfast in religion and
government; the revolt was against traditions in matters of art and
literature. Roman law and Greek philosophy were exhumed; the
classics were zealously studied for standards of taste and culture.
Music of the Ancients.—Notwithstanding this research, no
trace was found of the music actually in use among the ancients.
From the evanescent nature of the art and the total lack of
examples, the elaborate descriptions of its complicated system of
scales and modes given by Greek philosophers failed to yield a
trustworthy clue to its real character.
It was known, however, that the drama, owing to the enormous
proportions of the amphitheatre in which it was performed, was
musically declaimed, and that the voices of the actors and chorus
40. were sustained by lyres and flutes. Thus, in the Greek tragedy we
find the principal features of the modern opera—scenery, dramatic
action, solo and choral singing, the orchestra. It was also known that
in the music of the Greeks the word was the governing principle;
that there was no independent instrumental music—nor was there
elsewhere for many centuries afterward. The tone was regarded only
as a means of heightening the effect of the poetry; the succession of
long and short syllables dictated both rhythm and melody. Of
harmony in the modern sense of the term, there was none;
instruments and voices alike were in unison.
Music Chiefly Choral.—In the 16th century, Florence was the
centre of the enthusiasm for Greek culture. She and her sister-cities
in the north of Italy were the arbiters in matters of taste, of learning
and erudition. There, toward the end of the century, a small group
of scholars and musicians, known as the Camerata (Chamber),
meeting at the house of Count Bardi, discussed the possibility of
reproducing the musical declamation of Greek tragedy. The time was
ripe for such an experiment. The polyphonic school had reached its
climax in the intricate works of di Lasso (1520-1594) and
Palestrina (1514-1594). Though admirably suited to the Church,
the contrapuntal style of these great composers was manifestly unfit
for dramatic purposes; it could voice the aspirations of a body of
worshipers swayed by a common belief, but could not express
individual feeling. No voice was more important than another, all
progressed according to canonic law, their complex intertwining
practically destroying the essentially secular elements of accent and
rhythm. It was, in short, the embodiment in music of the
medievalism which had so long controlled Church and State.
Thus far the spirit of emancipation which had produced such
great results in the other arts and in politics elsewhere had touched
music but lightly. Attempts had been made to break the restraints of
contrapuntalism, but there was a total ignorance as to what steps
would prove most effective in reaching that end, and nothing
definite had been accomplished. Aside from the Folk-song, which
was ignored by musicians save only as it served as Cantus Firmus for
41. their counterpoint, there was no music for the solo voice; it was
conceived solely from a choral standpoint.
The Recitative.—Their dissatisfaction with the school of music
then in vogue and the impossibility of adapting it to their purpose
led to various experiments by this band of enthusiasts to discover
the principles upon which the Greeks had founded the musical
declamation employed in their tragedies. They argued that it must
have followed as closely as possible the inflections of the voice in
speaking; therefore they made this their study. Thus originated the
Recitative, the distinguishing feature of the lyric drama, which,
though using the definite pitches of the musical scale, reproduces in
its progressions and cadences the characteristic but intensified effect
of an oratorical delivery of the text. It was the exact contrary of the
music of the age in which the word counted for almost nothing, the
art of combining independent voices and of playing them off one
against the other for everything.
The Cantata.—The first result of their efforts was the Cantata
(from cantare, to sing), meaning a composition for the voice in
contradistinction to the Sonata (from sonare, to sound), which was
applied to one for instruments. The Cantata had but little in common
with what is now understood by the term. It was a recitation on
musical intervals for a single voice accompanied by but one
instrument. Anything like a formal melody was carefully avoided, and
the accompaniment, generally played on the lute, was of the most
unpretending character. The first of these cantatas was composed by
Vincenzo Galilei, the father of the celebrated astronomer, on the
tragic fate of Count Ugolino, as related by Dante in the Inferno. This,
therefore, was the first art-song ever composed. Unfortunately, it
has been lost; but contemporary accounts tell of the profound
impression it created. Other cantatas were written and sung by
Giulio Caccini (1550-1618), a skilled and an admirable lutist as
well, and all awakened the utmost enthusiasm among the little
company.
42. These works were known as Nuove Musiche (new music) and
such as have survived are, in general, painfully thin and crude to
modern ears. When compared with the rich polyphony of the
prevailing Church style they seem at the first blush to indicate
retrogression. Progress, however, seldom advances in a direct line; it
generally moves by spirals which at times apparently retreat only to
mount the higher at the succeeding curve. These dull recitatives
bore the germ of emancipation from the scholastic laws which had
heretofore prevented music from expressing individual emotion; they
typify the spirit of the Renaissance and are the foundation of the art
as we now know it.
The First Opera.—Another of the number, Jacopo Peri (1561-
1633), also a musician, took the next step by composing music of
the same style to a drama, the Dafne (Daphne) of the poet
Rinuccini, who was the life and soul of this attempt to revive the lost
declamation of the Greeks. This was performed privately in 1595 at
the Corsi Palace, and produced so strong an impression that it was
repeated a number of times at the Carnival seasons of the
succeeding years. In 1600, Peri was invited to compose a similar
work for the marriage festivities of Henry IV of France and Maria di
Medici. This was Euridice, also written by Rinuccini, which bears the
distinction of being the first opera to receive public performance,
and thus introducing the new art-form to the world at large. The
score of Dafne has been lost, but that of Euridice still exists.
It was then known as a music drama (melo dramma or dramma
per la musica); the term opera (abbreviation for opera in musica,
that is, musical work) did not come into use until the middle of the
century. The orchestra, which was played behind the scenes,
consisted of a harpsichord, two lutes and a bass-viol. In addition,
three lutes played a short ritornello (interlude) in one scene. With
this exception, the instruments were used merely to support the
voice; the tonality was almost exclusively minor, and the harmony of
the simplest. It is thought that Peri sang the part of Orpheus and
that Francesca Caccini, daughter of the composer and one of the
most gifted singers of the day, sang Euridice.
43. Part of an Air by Caccini.
[Listen.]
Caccini claimed the new style as his invention, and it is certain
that parts of Euridice were composed by him, though Peri’s name
alone appears on the title page of the published work. Emulating the
success of his colleague, the former soon set the same drama to
music.
Characteristics of the Early Opera.—The two settings are so
similar that one might almost be taken for the other. Both display the
same characteristics. Of dramatic feeling or characterization as
understood at the present day there is no sign; development of
musical thought, none whatever; a dreary waste of recitatives is but
slightly relieved by the occasional flourishes (giri e gruppi, that is,
runs and turns) allowed the singers by the taste of the times. The
choruses, however, which are introduced freely, serve to vary the
monotony somewhat. They exhibit a singular mingling of the old and
new styles, natural under the circumstances. The voices sing either
in a recitative-like unison, or begin in fugato, and later move in
simple harmonic progression. Their distaste for the contrapuntal
style led these reformers to reject it so far as they could. Its
appearance at all is due to the fact that no other mode of writing for
44. a number of voices had as yet been devised—a strictly harmonic
treatment had not been thought of. Since, then, they were at a loss
as to the management of choral masses, they were obliged to have
recourse in part to old methods.
Another name associated with the Florentine school deserving
mention is that of Marco da Gagliano, a priest who soon took the
lead in the new movement. His first opera was Dafne (1607),
composed to Rinuccini’s drama which had already served Peri; it was
a common practice in those days for composers to use the same
text. As a scholar and musician, Gagliano was superior to his
predecessors. He shows a greater warmth of feeling and a tendency
toward melody which they considered as a lowering of their ideals.
The Florentine School.—One particular characteristic of the
Florentine school was a sedulous avoidance of anything like
extended melody or definite form. To the composers of this school,
music was not an end in itself; it was subordinate to the distinct,
impassioned declamation of the poet’s verses. They held that any
independent development of musical thought was a weakness; that
it tended to distract the attention of the hearer from the drama, and
to interfere with its logical continuity. The predominant influence was
that of the scholar, not of the musician. This was to be expected
from the character of the little coterie interested in the new art-form.
The majority were wealthy amateurs, zealous students of the
classics and aflame with the desire for the actual revival of the Greek
tragedy. Peri and Caccini were the only musicians and they were
strongly averse to the contrapuntal music of the day. Its persistently
ecclesiastical effect debarred it from expressing the personal feeling
which was the object of their research. In the effort to escape its
ban, they unwittingly emancipated their art from the control of the
Church, and made it accessible to mankind in general. This,
therefore, is the great service of the Florentine reformers: the
establishment of a purely secular school of music susceptible of
indefinite development.
45. Making allowance for the vast difference in means due to the
practical creation of independent instrumental music since the 17th
century, their practice was precisely the same as that of the modern
composer who writes a music drama and uses the same term to
define his work. When Dafne and Euridice first saw the light,
however, there was neither knowledge nor experience to point the
way; it was found only after a slow and laborious process of
experimentation, involving the acceptance of much that was rejected
after having served its turn. Though Peri and Caccini with their
confrères did not succeed in the end they had in view, they
accomplished far more by originating the Opera, the point of
departure for the whole modern art of music.
References.
Symonds.—The Renaissance in Italy.
Apthorp.—Opera Past and Present.
Grove.—Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Articles on subjects mentioned in this and following
lessons.
Streatfeild.—The Opera.
These general works serve for other lessons on the opera.
Questions and Suggestions.
What was the Renaissance?
What was the effect of this idea on music?
What was the origin of Recitative?
What was understood by Nuove Musiche?
Who wrote the first opera? What term was applied to this kind of
musical work?
Give a description of the early opera.
Give an account of the Florentine school and their fundamental
ideas.
46. Since the beginning of the Opera is practically the beginning of a
century, the 17th, it should not be a difficult matter to keep this date
in mind. It therefore antedates the settlement at Jamestown, Va., by
a few years, making the beginning of American history under English
auspices and the Opera coincide.
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