Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/721

PHYRGIAN MODE. and a Perfect Fifth, between E and B. [See pp. 341–342 of this volume.]

The antient Plain Chaunt Melody of 'Te Deum Laudamus' is in the Mixed Phrygian Mode; that is to say, it extends through the entire compass of the Authentic and Plagal forms, united; and, as it brings out the peculiar characteristics of the Mode very strongly, it may be taken as a good example of its use. [ W. S. R. ]

PHYSHARMONICA. A little reed organ invented in Vienna in 1818 by Anton Häckel, who intended it to be placed under the keyboard of the piano, to sustain the melody. It was increased in size and importance and by various improvements at length developed into the The name is used in Germany for a free-reed stop in the organ. [ A. J. H. ]

PIACERE, A, 'at pleasure,' is generally prefixed to a cadenza, or cadenza-like passage, in solo vocal music, to indicate that the expressions, and the alterations whether of time or force, are left to the will of the individual performer. In such cases the accompaniment is generally directed to be played 'colla voce,' 'with the voice,' without regarding the strict time of the composition. A piacere is sometimes put to cadenzas in a concerto, but is not of frequent occurrence. It is not seldom found in cantabile passages in instrumental music, but ad libitum is the more common direction of the two, and expresses the same thing. [ J. A. F. M. ]

PIACEVOLE, 'agreeable, pleasant.' This word, when used as a musical direction, indicates that the piece is to be played in a graceful way, without passion. It has nearly the same meaning as 'grazioso' or the direction 'con amabilità' used by Beethoven in the Pianoforte Sonata, Op. 110 (1st movement). 'Allegro piacevole' is used by him in the 3rd movement of the Sonata for piano and violin, Op. 12, No. 2; and 'piacevole' alone in the 4th variation in the slow movement of the Sonata, Op. 109. A more modern but not less well-known instance of its use is Sterndale Bennett's lovely 'Rondo Piacevole' for pianoforte solo, Op. 25. [ J. A. F. M. ]

PIANETTE; a very low pianino, or upright pianoforte, introduced in 1857 by Bord, of Paris, the well-known maker. The low price and good quality of these instruments soon extended their sale to England, where they received the name 'pianette'—an impossibility in France, 'piano' being of the masculine gender. The French name, originating in Bord's establishment, is 'Bibi,' a workman's corruption of 'Bébé'—'the baby.' Pianettes have been made in London for some years by Broadwood, Cramer, and others. This year (1880) a new style in black cases has been named 'Zoulou' (Zulu), a name already generally accepted. Bord's spiral hopper-spring (ressort à boudin), used in pianettes, is a useful and very effective contrivance, economical of space. [ A. J. H. ]

PIANGENDO, 'wailingly.' A direction properly only used in vocal music, but affected a good deal of late by writers of drawing-room pieces. Its proper instrumental equivalent is 'dolente' or 'con dolore.' [ J. A. F. M. ]

PIANISSIMO, 'very softly.' This direction, which on all ordinary occasions is expressed by pp, is sometimes, but not very often, written in full—as a rule, to emphasize the fact of its presence in cases where it would least be expected. Beethoven often uses the full direction simultaneously with the abbreviation, as in the 10th Variation of the 33 on a valse by Diabelli, op. 120, in which variation may also be found an instance of one of his chief characteristics, the sudden leap from ff to pp in the 3ist bar. Another striking instance of both these uses is in the Scherzo of the Eroica Symphony, where the pianissimo is insisted on, not only at the beginning of the movement, but on almost every page of the score until the crescendo (only for one bar) up to fortissimo, after 27 bars of which there is a sudden piano which is used again frequently throughout the rest of the movement. Since Beethoven's time, the practice has become very common of using ppp, for what Weber in the beginning of the overture to Oberon calls 'Il tutto pianissimo possibile.' It is used notably by Berlioz in the 'Damnation de Faust,' just before the 'Danse des Sylphes,' and in the middle of it, where the first subject is resumed. He even goes so far as to use the sign pppp for the last two notes of the clarinets at the end of the dance. Verdi, in his Requiem, has gone even farther, and at one point uses ppppp. [ J. A. F. M. ]

PIANO, 'soft.' This word, expressed in general by its initial p, is used to denote the least degree of strength except pianissimo. It is used, as is the case with most other directions, in full only when it is necessary to draw particular attention to its presence, or where it is unlikely that it should stand; for instance, in the Finale of Beethoven's PF. Sonata, Op. 2, No. 1, where the second subject is labelled 'Sempre piano e dolce.' Mezzo piano (abbreviated mp) denotes a degree of force slightly louder than piano. Beethoven was very fond of using a 'sudden piano' as a kind of surprise directly after a forte or fortissimo. Examples are very common throughout his works, and the occurrence of the sudden change only recently observed, and even now not always attended to makes a material difference in the performance of his works. [See ; vol. i. p. 556 a.] [ J. A. F. M. ]<section end="Piano" />

<section begin="Pianoforte" />PIANOFORTE—or, as often written in the 18th century—an instrument of Italian origin. The earliest mention of the name appears in records of the family of Este, in the letters of a musical instrument maker named Paliarino, dated June 27 and Dec. 31, 1598, and addressed to Alfonso II, Duke of Modena. They were found in 1879 by Count L. F. Valdrighi, custos of the Biblioteca Estense, at Modena; and the discovery was immediately announced in the Florentine musical paper, 'Boccherini.' In August of that year Valdrighi published the text of the letters, with an essay, in a pamphlet entitled 'Musurgiana' (Olivari, Modena,<section end="Pianoforte" />