Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/255

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

MEASURE.

MEDIAL CADENCE.

243

MEASURE, in relation to music pure and simple, apart from the dance, means the group of beats or main rhythms which are contained between two bar-lines. This is the measure of time, and defines the number of pulsations, such as 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, or other aggregate which is to be taken as the determinate standard or unit by which the multifarious complications of rhythms in an extended piece of music are to be ultimately regulated.

[ C. H. H. P. ]

MEASURE originally denoted any dance remarkable for its well-defined rhythm, but in time the name was applied to a solemn and stately dance, of the nature of a Pavan or a Minuet. The dignified character of the dance is proved by the use of the expression 'to tread a measure'; a phrase of frequent occurrence in the works of the Elizabethan dramatists. In the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, Measures were danced at court, and at the public entertainments periodically given by the Societies of Law and Equity. On these occasions the great legal and state dignitaries took part in them, but the custom seems rapidly to have died out under Charles I. It is somewhat remarkable that no trace can be found of any special music to which Measures were danced; this circumstance seems to prove that there was no definite form of dance tune for them, but that any stately and rhythmical air was used for the purpose.

[ W. B. S. ]

MÉDÉE. Opera in 3 acts; words by Hoffmann, music by Cherubini. Produced at the Theatre Feydeau, March 13, 1797; in London, at Her Majesty's Theatre, in Italian, with recitatives by Arditi, June 6, 1865.

[ G. ]

MEDESIMO TEMPO, 'in the same time,' is occasionally used in the same way as L'Istesso Tempo, and has the same meaning.

[ J. A. F. M. ]

MEDIAL CADENCE (Clausula in medio modi). I. Among the numerous Cadences formed upon the Regular and Conceded Modulations of the Ecclesiastical Modes, that proper to the Mediant holds a place inferior in importance only to those occupied by the Final and Dominant.

In Plain Chaunt Melodies, the Medial Cadence sometimes leads to a close so satisfactory that it almost sounds final; as in the First Ending of the First Tone—

$\new Staff { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \cadenzaOn \relative a' { a\breve g1 f g( a) g( f) \bar "||" } }$

In Polyphonic Music, it is susceptible of infinite variety of treatment, as may be seen from the following examples—

Mode I.	Kircher.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative c'' { \stemUp c1 d2 c \| c1 a \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative f' { \stemDown f1 f2 f _~ \| f e f1 } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp a1 a2 a \| g1 f } \new Voice { \stemDown f1 d2 f \| c1 f, } >> } >>$
Mode II.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative a' { \stemUp a1 a2 a ^~ \| a gis4 fis gis1 \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative f' { \stemDown f1 e2 d \| e\breve } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp d'1 c'2 a \| b\breve } \new Voice { \stemDown d1 a2 f \| e\breve } >> } >>$
Mode III.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \partial 2 \relative g' { \stemUp g2 \| a g1 fis2 \| g\breve \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative e' { \stemDown e2 \| e1 d \| d\breve } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp b2 \| c'1 a \| g\breve } \new Voice { \stemDown e2 \| a, c d1 \| g,\breve } >> } >>$
Mode IV.	Vittoria.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative a' { \stemUp a1 b \| c2 c b1 \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative f' { \stemDown f1 d2 g _~ \| g fis g1 } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \relative c' { \stemUp c2 d1 e2 ^~ \| e c d1 } } \new Voice { \stemDown f1 g \| a2 a g1 } >> } >>$
Mode V.	Cæsare de Zachariis.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative f' { \stemUp f2 a2. gis8 fis gis2 \| a\breve \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative c' { \stemDown c2 d e1 \| e\breve } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp a1 b \| a\breve } \new Voice { \stemDown f1 e \| a,\breve } >> } >>$
Mode VI.	Orlando di Lasso.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \partial 1 \relative c'' { \stemUp c2 f ^~ \| f e d cis \| d1 \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative f' { \stemDown f2 c\| d e f e \| f1 } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp a1 \| a2 a a a \| a1 } \new Voice { \stemDown f2. e4 \| d2 cis d a, \| d1 } >> } >>$
Mode VII.	Palestrina.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \partial 1 \relative b' { \stemUp b1 \| c d \| e \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative g' { \stemDown g1 \| a f \| e } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \relative d' { \stemUp d2 d ^~ \| d c2. b8 a b2 \| c1 } } \new Voice { \stemDown g2 \| f1 d \| c } >> } >>$
Mode VIII.	Palestrina.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative e'' { \stemUp e1 d \| r r2 c \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative f' { \stemDown r1 f1 \| g a } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \relative e' { \stemUp e2 c d f ^~ \| f4 e8 d e2 f1 } } \new Voice { \stemDown c'2 a bes1 \| g f } >> } >>$
Mode IX.	Kircher.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative e'' { \stemUp e1 f2 e \| d1 c \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative g' { \stemDown g1 f2 g \| a g e1 } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp c'1 a2 c' ^~ \| c' b c'1 } \new Voice { \stemDown c1 d2 e \| f g c1 } >> } >>$
Mode X.
$<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 4/2 \new Staff << \new Voice { \relative a' { \stemUp a1 g2 a \| b\breve \bar "\|\|" } } \new Voice { \relative e' { \stemDown e1 e2 e _~ \| e dis4 cis dis1 } } >> \new Staff { \clef bass << \new Voice { \stemUp c'1 b2 e \| fis\breve } \new Voice { \stemDown a,1 e2 c \| b,\breve } >> } >>$