Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/719

PHRASING. Sometimes these extra accents have the effect of appearing to alter or add to the harmonies upon which the passage is founded, as in Ex. 2, where the additional accents demanded by the composer's method of writing in groups of two notes instead of four, seem to indicate an alternation of the tonic and dominant [App. p.748 "subdominant"] harmonies of C minor, whereas if the passage were played as in Ex. 3 the effect would be that of a single C minor harmony.

On the other hand, there are cases in which the phrasing requires the omission of some of the regular accents. This occurs in quick movements, when owing to the introduction of a melody written in notes of great length, two or even four of the actual written bars combine, and appear to the listener to form a single bar. This is the case in Ex. 4, the effect of which is precisely that of such a bar as Ex. 5, and the whole phrase of four bars will only require two accents, falling upon places corresponding to the first and third beats of Ex. 5. In the movement quoted the effect of the long bars remains in force during no less than 44 of the actual written bars, the original 3-4 rhythm coming into use again on the entrance of the syncopated subject.

As a rule, the accent of a passage follows the grouping, the first note of each group receiving the accent; whenever therefore the grouping of a passage consisting of notes of equal length varies, the number of accents in the bar must vary also. Thus in Ex. 6 the first bar will contain four accents, while the third requires but two.

The signs which govern the connection or disconnection of the sounds are the dash (') or dot (⋅), and the curved line indicating legato. The ordinary use of these signs has already been described [], and the due observance of them constitutes a most essential part of phrasing, but in addition to this the curved line is used to denote an effect of peculiar importance, called the Slur.

When two notes of equal length in quick or moderately quick tempo are joined together by a curved line they are said to be slurred, and in playing them a considerable stress is laid on the first of the two, while the second is not only weaker, but is made shorter than it is written, as though followed by a rest.

The rule that the first of the slurred notes receives the accent holds good even when it is in an unaccented part of the bar (Ex. 8). In such a case the slur causes a very effective displacement of accent.

Groups of two notes of which the second is the shorter may also be slurred in the same way (Ex. 9), but when the second is the longer note it must be but slightly curtailed, though still perceptibly, and there is no displacement of accent (Ex. 10).

The slur is often used in combination with staccato notes in the same group (Ex. 11). When this is the case the second of the two slurred notes must be played both weaker and shorter than the notes marked staccato.