Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/183

TREMOLO. kind. In soft passages it has a beautifully weird and ethereal effect of half-light when not spun out. In vocal music it is to be used in the first-named situations. The human voice loses its steadiness in every-day life under the influence of joy, sorrow, eagerness, fear, rage, or despair, and as subjects for vocal treatment usually have their fair share of these emotions, we must expect to hear both the vibrato and the tremolo in their places, and are very much disappointed if we do not. Reason, judgment, and taste must be brought to bear with the same kind of philosophical and critical study by means of which an actor arrives at the full significance of his part, and it will be found that a big vocal piece like 'Ah perfido,' 'Infelice,' or 'Non più di fiori,' requires more psychological research than is generally supposed. Singers, and those of this country especially, are very little (in too many cases not at all) alive to the fact, that the moment singing is touched, we enter upon the region of the dramatic. In speaking generally of dramatic singing, the operatic or theatrical is understood. But the smallest ballad has its share of the dramatic, and if this were more widely felt, we should have better singing and a better use of the tremolo and vibrato, which can hardly fail to place themselves rightly if the import of the piece to be sung be rightly felt and understood. By tremolo is usually understood an undulation of the notes, that is to say, more or less quickly reiterated departure from true intonation. In some cases this has been cultivated (evidently) to such an extent as to be utterly ludicrous. Ferri, a baritone, who flourished about thirty-five years ago, gave four or five beats in the second, of a good quarter-tone, and this incessantly, and yet he possessed a strong voice and sustaining power to carry him well through his operas. But there is a thrill heard at times upon the voice which amounts to neither tremolo nor vibrato. If it is the result of pure emotion, occurring consequently only in the right place, its effect is very great.

The vibrato is an alternate partial extinction and re-enforcement of the note. This seems to have been a legitimate figure, used rhythmically, of the fioritura of the Farinelli and Caffarelli period, and it was introduced in modern times with wonderful effect by Jenny Lind in 'La Figlia del Reggimento.' In the midst of a flood of vocalisation these groups of notes occurred—

executed with the same brilliancy and precision as they would be on the pianoforte, thus—

[See, iii. 496; also .] [ H. C. D. ]

TREMULANT. A contrivance in an organ producing the same effect as tremolando in singing. Its action practically amounts to this:—the air before reaching the pipes is admitted into a box containing a pallet to the end of which is attached a thin arm of metal with a weight on the end of it; when the air on its admission raises the pallet the metal arm begins to swing up and down, thus producing alternately an increase and diminution of wind-pressure. Its use is generally limited to such stops as the Vox humana and a few other stops chiefly of the reed family. The tremulant is happily much less in vogue in this country than on the continent, where its abuse is simply offensive. It is difficult to conceive how good taste can tolerate these rhythmical pulsations of a purely mechanical pathos. [ J. S. ] 

TRENCHMORE, an old English country dance, frequently mentioned by writers of the 16th and 17th century. According to Mr. Chappell ('Popular Music') the earliest mention of it is in a Morality by William Bulleyn, published in 1564. The character of the dance may be gathered from the following amusing quotation from Selden's 'Table Talk' (1689): 'The Court of England is much altered. At a solemn Dancing, first you had the grave Measures, then the Corrantoes and the Galliards, and this is kept up with Ceremony; at length to Trenchmore, and the Cushion-Dance, and then all the Company dance, Lord and Groom, Lady and Kitchen-Maid, no distinction. So in our Court, in Queen Elizabeth's time, Gravity and State were kept up. In King James's time things were pretty well. But in King Charles's time, there has been nothing but Trenchmore, and the Cushion-Dance, omnium gatherum tolly-polly, hoite come toite.' Trenchmore appears first in the Dancing Master in the fifth edition (1675), where it is directed to be danced 'longways for as many as will.' The tune there given (which we reprint) occurs in 'Deuteromelia' (1609), where it is called 'Tomorrow the fox will come to town.'

[ W. B. S. ]

TRENTO,, composer, born in Venice, 1761 (or 1765), date of death unknown, pupil of Bertoni, and composer of ballets. His first, 'Mastino della Scala' (1785), was successful enough to procure him commissions from various towns. He was induced by Dragonetti to come to London, and there he composed the immensely popular 'Triumph of Love' (Drury Lane, 1797). His first opera buffa, 'Teresa Vedova,' succeeded, and was followed by many others. In 1804 he composed 'Ifigenia in Aulide.' In 1806 he became impresario in Amsterdam, and there produced with great success an oratorio 'The Deluge' (1808). Soon afterwards he went to Lisbon, also as impresario. In 1824 he returned to Venice, and after that his name disappears. He composed about 10 ballets, 20 operas, and a