Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/705

rudimentary form, used a single red line to determine the place of a single note. The employment of the spaces between the lines springs from the custom of writing Neumæ above, or below, the normal red line, as well as upon it. The advantage of the system lies in the combination of these two methods. Yet this advantage was not, at first, very generally understood. Early in the 10th century, Hucbaldus invented a Stave consisting of an indefinite number of lines, between which he wrote the syllables he intended to be sung, without the aid of Neumæ, upon a principle which will be found fully explained at page 469 of our second volume. Here, then, was a Stave, of which the spaces only were used, while the lines lay idle. Contemporary with this as nearly as can be ascertained was another kind of Stave, also consisting of an indefinite number of lines, on which the notes to be sung were indicated by points. An example of this form, in which the spaces lay idle, will also be found at page 469b, vol. ii. But, these collateral inventions soon fell into disuse. The system of alternate lines and spaces was adopted, to the exclusion of all others, in every country in Europe. Henceforth, the only difference lay in the number of lines employed. The natural tendency, at first, was, to multiply them. In early MSS. we constantly find Staves of six, eight, twelve, fifteen, and even a still greater number of lines, embracing a compass sufficient for the transcription of an entire Vocal Score.^[1] After a time, the difficulty of reading so many lines at once, led to the adoption of a more commodious form, consisting of two groups, with four black lines in each, separated by a single red line. Staves of this kind are rare; but an example may be seen at fol. 201a of the Chaucer MS. in the British Museum.^[2] Finally, these variable forms were relinquished, in favour of a fixed standard, which, in the 15th and 16th centuries, admitted the use of four, five, or six lines only. The Stave of four lines was used exclusively for Plain Chaunt, and is retained for that purpose to the present day. That of six lines was used for Organ Music, and Music for the Virginals. That of five lines was used for all Vocal Music, except Plain Chaunt; and, after the invention of printing, for Music of every kind.

It seems scarcely likely that the Stave of five lines will ever be superseded; or that that with four lines will be discontinued for Plain Chaunt. A private attempt made, some twenty years ago, to revive the six-lined Stave, for the purpose of reducing the F and G clefs to a common standard, failed instantly.

[ W. S. R. ]

STEFFANI, Agostino. This very remarkable man was born in 1655 at Castel franco, between Bassano and Treviso, six years after Alessandro Scarlatti and three years before Purcell. Of his parentage nothing is known. He appears to have entered one of the Conservatorios early, and become a singing boy at St. Mark's in Venice, where in 1667 he was heard by a Count Tattenbach, probably an emissary of the Court of Bavaria. The Count was so delighted with his voice and intelligence, that he carried him off to Munich. He was educated at the expense of the Elector Ferdinand Maria, as appears from a decree^[3] of July 26, 1668, ordering a payment of 150 florins to Count Tattenbach for the board and lodging of the 'Welscher Musikus Augustin Steffani' during the previous year. By another decree of July 9, 1668, the young 'Churfürstliche Kammer- und Hofmusikus' had been already apprenticed to Johann Kaspar Kerl to learn to play (schlagen) the organ, and to be boarded, for the yearly sum of 432 florins. A further entry of the pay office shows that the yearly cost of the Hof- and Kammermusikus was, for 1669, 903 fl. 12 kr.; for 1670, 997 fl. He remained with Kerl till Oct. 1, 1671, from which day he was boarded and lodged by the Churfürstlichen Karamerdiener Seyler for 156 fl. a year. As Hofmusikus, Steffani received 300 fl., in addition to a clothing allowance of 300 fl. a year, by a decree of Jan. 15, 1672. At the commencement of Oct. 1673 he travelled to Rome in order to perfect himself in his art. Here he began to compose assiduously, for there is a small oblong volume of motets in the Fitzwilliam Museum, at Cambridge, an original MS., of which there seems no reason to doubt the authenticity. This is, as far as I know, the only autograph score of his in existence, and strange to say has hitherto been unnoticed. In it we find the following compositions, all dated except one. To speak of them chronologically:—the first, dated Nov. 1673, is a 'Laudate Pueri' for 9 voices, divided into 2 choirs, the first composed of S.S.A.T.B., and the second of S.A.T.B. It contains some fine part-writing and massive effects, also an astonishing bass passage.

The next, dated Dec. 30, 1673, is a splendid and altogether remarkable 'Laudate Dominum' for 8 canti concertati, divided into 2 choirs, in which the most beautiful part-writing and counterpoint are combined. Again in 1673, with no month given, we have a 'Tribuamus Domino'—one short movement for 2 choirs of S.S.A.T., without any bass voice part. In the following year we have a 'Sperate in Deo' for S.S.A.T.B. in three fine movements, the last a fugue. In one of the movements there is a very bold passage in thirds in contrary motion. The remaining piece, not dated, is a 'Beatus vir' for S.S.B., with 2 violins and a bass, not quite equal to the other compositions.

In Rome he appears to have had a long illness, as he received 50 crowns extra for expenses incurred while laid up. This illness, and a journey to Venice, for which he received a sum of 665 fl. 11 kr. in three instalments, render it improbable that he found time to take lessons from Ercole

1. See vol. iii. p. 428.
2. Arundel MSS. 248.
3. See Rudhart's 'Geschichte der Oper am Hofe zu München. Nach archivalischen Quellen bearbeitet. Erster Theil, Die Italiauische Oper, 1634–1787.'