Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/249

SCALE. indeterminate, and depends on the taste of the performer; but for the second use it is obvious that the new note must be given its correct harmonic position according to the scale it belongs to: in fact it loses its chromatic character, and becomes strictly diatonic. For example, if an F♯ be introduced, determining the new diatonic scale of G, it must be a true major third above D, in the same way that in the scale of C, B is a major third above G. In this manner any other chromatic notes may be located, always adhering to the same general principle that they must bear concordant harmonic relations to other notes in the diatonic scale they form part of.

Proceeding in this way we should obtain a number of chromatic notes forming a considerable addition to the diatonic scale. For example, in order to provide for eleven keys, all in common use, we should get ten chromatic notes in addition to the seven diatonic ones, making seventeen in all, within the compass of a single octave. This multiplication of notes would produce such a troublesome complication in practical music, that in order to get rid of it there has been adopted an ingenious process of compromising, which simplifies enormously the construction of the scale, particularly in its chromatic parts. In the first place it is found that the distance between the diatonic notes E and F, and between B and C is nearly half that between C and D, or G and A; and secondly, it is known that the adjacent chromatic notes C♯ and D♭, G♯ and A♭, etc., are not very different from each other. Putting all these things together, it follows that if the octave be divided into twelve equal parts, a set of notes will be produced not much differing in pitch from the true ones, and with the property of being applicable to all keys alike. Hence has arisen the modern chromatic scale, according to what is called equal temperament, and as represented on the keyboard of the ordinary pianoforte. According to this, the musical scale consists of twelve semitones, each equal to a twelfth part of an octave; two of these are taken for the tone of the diatonic scale, being a very little less in value than the original major tone of the Greek divisions.

This duodecimal division of the octave was known to the Greeks, but its modern revival, which dates about the sixteenth century, has been one of the happiest and most ingenious simplifications ever known in the history of music, and has had the effect of advancing the art to an incalculable extent. Its defect is that certain harmonic combinations produced by its notes are slightly imperfect and lose the satisfactory effect produced by harmonies perfectly in tune. The nature and extent of this defect, and the means adopted to remedy it will be more properly explained under the article, which see. [ W. P. ]

SCARAMUCCIA, UN' AVVENTURA DI. A comic opera in 3 acts; libretto by F. Romani, music by L. Ricci. Produced at the Scala, Milan, Sept. 6 [App. p.781 "March 8"], 1834, with great success. In French (by Forges), 'Une aventure de Scaramouche,' Versailles, June 1842; and in Italian. Théâtre des Italiens, Feb. 26, 1846. [ G. ]

SCARIA,, born in 1838 at Gratz, Styria, studied at the Conservatorium, Vienna, under Gentiluomo, made his début at Pesth as St. Bris in 'The Huguenots,' and afterwards sang at Brunn and Frankfort. In 1860 he came to London for the purpose of further study under ../Garcia/, where he was heard by Abt, who procured him an engagement in 1862 at Dessau. He next played at Leipzig, and from 1865 to 72 at Dresden. Among his best parts were Hercules (Alceste), Sarastro, Leporello, Caspar, Rocco, Landgrave (Tannhäuser), Pogner (Meistersinger) Burgomaster (Czaar und Zimmermann), Dulcamara, Geronimo (Il Matrimonio segreto), and Falstaff, in which last a critic remarks that he made one of his greatest successes … when he was at Dresden, and made it in great measure by his really excellent acting of the character. From 1872 till now (1881) he has been engaged at Vienna, where he has established his reputation as a versatile singer and actor in both baritone and bass parts, but best in the latter, as his 'carefully deadened high notes form so great a contrast to the vigorous notes of his lower and middle register' (Hanslick). Among his more recent parts are Hans Sachs (Meistersinger) Wotan (Nibelungen)—for which character he was originally selected by Wagner for Bayreuth—Micheli (Wasserträger) Escamillo, Marcel, Bertram, and (1879) Seneschal (Jean de Paris). He has played in the principal German and Austrian cities, also in Italian opera at St. Petersburg. [App. p.781 "Add that he created the part of Gurnemanz in 'Parsifal' at Bayreuth, and sang the same at the concert performances of the work in Nov. 1884 at the Albert Hall. He subsequently became insane, and died July 22, 1886.'] [ A. C. ]

SCARLATTI, ALESSANDRO, a musician of great importance, and the creator of modern opera. Of his early life nothing is known beyond what may be gathered from his tombstone in the St. Cæcilia chapel of the Church of Monte Santo in Naples:

