Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/60

44 1714, 1722, 1727, and 1732, and an undated edition about 1760. A portrait of the author, drawn and engraved by Faithorne, is prefixed to the first eight editions. Sir John Hawkins in his History gives a long description of the Division Viol and Compendium (Novello's edition, pp. 708–712). He tells us also that Sympson 'dwelt some years in Turnstile, Holborn, and finished his life there' (at what date is not stated), and that he was of the Romish communion. [ W. H. H. ]

SYNCOPATION. The binding of two similar notes so that the accent intended for the second appears to fall upon the first. [See .] In the Coda of the great 'Leonora' Overture ('No. 3') Beethoven has a passage given out syncopated on the wind and naturally on the strings, then vice versa.

It was not however always sufficient for Beethoven's requirements, as may be seen from a well-known place in the Scherzo of the Eroica, where he first gives a passage in syncopation—

and then repeats it in common time, which in this instance may be taken as an extreme form of syncopation.

Schumann was fonder of syncopation than any other composer. His works supply many instances of whole short movements so syncopated throughout that the ear loses its reckoning, and the impression of contra-tempo is lost: e.g. Kinderscenen, No. 10; Faschingsschwank, No. 1, and, most noticeable of all, the opening bar of the 'Manfred' Overture.

Wagner has one or two examples of exceedingly complex syncopation: an accompaniment figure in Act 2 of 'Tristan und Isolde,' which runs thus throughout,

and a somewhat similar figure in Act 1 of 'Götterdämmerung' (the scene known as 'Hagen's watch'), where the quavers of a 12-8 bar are so tied as to convey the impression of 6-4. The prelude to Act 2 of the same work presents a still more curious specimen, no two bars having at all the same accent.

Its effect in the accompaniment of songs may be most charming. We will only refer to Mendelssohn's 'Nachtlied' (op. 71, no. 6), and to Schumann's 'Dein Bildniss' (op. 39, no. 2). [ F. C. ]

SYNTAGMA MUSICUM, i.e. Musical Treatise. A very rare work, by Michael Prætorius.

A detailed account is given in vol. iii. pp. 25–26. It remains only to speak of its interest as a bibliographical treasure. It was originally designed for four volumes, three only of which were published, with a supplementary collection of plates which Forkel mistook for the promised fourth volume. The first volume of the edition described by Fétis was printed at Wittemberg in 1615; the second and third at Wolfenbüttel in 1619; and the collection of plates—Theatrum Instrumentorum seu Sciagraphia—at Wolfenbüttel in 1620. A copy of this edition is in the Town Library at Breslau; Mr. Alfred H. Littleton also possesses a very fine and perfect copy, which corresponds, in all essential particulars, with that described by Fétis. But neither Fétis nor Mendel seems to have been aware of the existence of an older edition. A copy of this is in the possession of the Rev. Sir F. A. G. Ouseley. The 1st volume bears the same date as Mr. Littleton's copy, 'Wittebergae, 1615'; but the 2nd and 3rd volumes are dated 'Wolfenbüttel, 1618'; and the difference does not merely lie in the statement of the year, but clearly indicates an earlier issue. In the edition of 1618, the title-page of the 2nd volume is printed entirely in black: in that of 1619, it is in black and red. The title-page of the 3rd volume is black in both editions; but in different type: and, though the contents of the 2nd and 3rd volumes correspond generally in both copies, slight typographical differences may be detected in sufficient numbers to prove the existence of a distinct edition, beyond all doubt. It has long been known that twenty pages of the General Introduction were more than once reprinted; but these belong to the first volume, and are in no way concerned with the edition of 1618, of which, so far as we have been able to ascertain, Sir F. Ouseley's copy is an unique example.

But, apart from its rarity, the book is doubly interesting from the extraordinary dearth of other early treatises on the same subject. Three similar works only are known to have preceded it; and the amount of information in these is comparatively very small. The earliest is a small volume, of 112 pages, in oblong 4to, by Sebastian Virdung, entitled 'Musica getuscht und aussgezogen,