Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/563

SOLMISATION. The first of these Mutations is called Sol-re, in allusion to its peculiar interchange of syllables: the second is called Re-la. As a general rule, Re is found to be the most convenient syllable for ascending Mutations, and La, for those which extend downwards, in accordance with the recommendation contained in the following Distich:

This rule, however, does not exclude the occasional use of the forms contained in the subjoined Table, though the direct change from the Hard to the Soft Hexachord, and vice versa, is not recommended.

The principle upon which this antient system was based is that of 'the Moveable Ut'—or, as we should now call it, 'the Moveable Do'; an arrangement which assists the learner very materially, by the recognition of a governing syllable, which, changing with the key, regulates the position of every other syllable in the series, calls attention to the relative proportions existing between the root of the Scale and its attendant sounds, and, in pointing out the peculiar characteristics of each subordinate member of the system, lays emphatic stress upon its connection with its fellow degrees, and thus teaches the ear, as well as the understanding. We shall presently have occasion to consider the actual value oi these manifold advantages; but must first trace their historical connection with the Solmisation of a later age.

So long as the Ecclesiastical Modes continued in use, Guido's system answered its purpose so thoroughly, that any attempt to improve upon it would certainly have ended in failure. But, when the functions of the Leading-Note were brought more prominently into notice, the demand for a change became daily more and more urgent. The completion of the Octave rendered it not only desirable, but imperatively necessary, that the sounds should no longer be arranged in Hexachords, but, in Heptachords, or Septenaries, for which purpose an extended sylabic arrangement was needed. We have been unable to trace back the definite use of a seventh syllable to an earlier date than the year 1599, when the subject was broached by Erich van der Putten (Erycius Puteanus) of Dordrecht, who, at pages 54, 55 of his 'Pallas modulata,' proposed the use of BI, deriving the idea from the second syllable of labii.' No long time, however, elapsed, before an overwhelming majority of theorists decided upon the adoption of SI, the two letters of which were suggested by the initials of 'Sancte Ioannes'—the Adonic verse which follows the three Sapphics in the Hymn already quoted. The use of this syllable was strongly advocated by Sethus Calvisius, in his 'Exercitatio musicæ tertia,' printed in 1611. Since then, various attempts have been made to supplant it, in favour of Sa, Za, Ci, Be, Te, and other open syllables; but, the suggested changes have rarely survived their originators, though another one, of little less importance the substitution of Do for Ut on account of its greater resonance—has, for more than two hundred years, been almost universally accepted. [See .] Lorenzo Penna, writing in 1672, speaks of Do as then in general use in Italy; and Gerolamo Cantone alludes to it, in nearly similar terms, in 1678, since which period the use of Ut has been discontinued, not only in Italy, but in every country in Europe, except France.

In Germany and the Netherlands far more sweeping changes than these have been proposed, from time to time, and even temporarily accepted. Huberto Waelrant (1517–1595), one of the brightest geniuses of the Fourth Flemish School, introduced, at Antwerp, a system called 'Bocedisation,' or 'Bobisation,' founded on seven syllables—Bo, Ce, Di, Ga, Lo, Ma, Ni—which have since been called the 'Voces Belgicæ.' At Stuttgart, Daniel Hitzler (1576–1635) based a system of 'Bebisation' upon La, Be, Ce, De, Me, Fe, Ge. A century later, ../Graun/ (1701–1759) invented a method of 'Damenisation,' founded upon the particles, Da, Me, Ni, Po, Tu, La, Be. But none of these methods have survived.

In England, the use of the syllables Ut and Re died out completely before the middle of the 17th century; and recurring changes of Mi, Fa, Sol, La, were used, alone, for the Solmisation of all kinds of Melodies. Butler mentions this method as being in general use, in 1636 ; and Playford calls attention to the same fact in 1655.

In France, the original syllables, with the added Si, took firmer root than ever in Italy; for it had long been the custom, in the Neapolitan Schools, to use the series beginning with Do for those Keys only in which the Third is Major.