\ 



9+ On RYTHMICAL MEASURES. 



fie, and particularly in that fpecies of it, which is known by 

 the name of the fugue. This had its rife at the tim« when the 

 chief profefTors and improvers of the mufical art were church- 

 men, and when, of courfe, that kind of mufic was chiefly cul- 

 tivated, which was thought to be bell calculated to compofe 

 and elevate the mind, and to infpire devotion. A fimple, regu- 

 lar and difliincfl rythm was probably thought by them to give 

 the mufic a light and airy cafl:, inconfiilent with the eifed 

 which they wifhed to produce. They either made the move- 

 ment flow and the notes equal, in which cafe the attention of 

 the hearer was almoft wholly direifled to the tone and modula- 

 tion ; or if, in their infl;rumental mufic, they introduced a 

 quicker and more varied movement, they fl:udioufly avoided 

 every thing, which might have the appearance of regular air. 

 The fugue feems to be well calculated to anfwer this intention. 

 It is executed by two, three or more voices or infl:ruments in 

 concert. All of them in fucceflTion are rflade to found fome 

 fliort fimple melody, which is called the fubjedt. This is fre- 

 quently repeated or imitated by them, in a variety of different 

 keys, the repetitions coming in at unequal intervals, and often 

 in the middle of a bar. As the compofition of the fugue was 

 thought to be a great difplay of art and flcill, it was afterwards 

 introduced into every kind of infl:rumental mufic, and was 

 gradually rendered more complicated. As the rythmical com- 

 binations are often irregular and indiftincflly marked, and the 

 harmonical parts are frequently running counter to one another, 

 it requires great attention to perform it with precifion and ac- 

 curacy, and of all mufic it gives leaft: pleafure to one who has 

 not been accuftomed to it. The tafl:e for this kind of mufic has 

 been for fome time declining, and it is now mofl;ly confined to 

 the church. 



Almost every degree of irregularity, then, in the combina- 

 tions of the . bars may be occafionally tolerated. This, how- 

 ever, is by no means the cafe with the bars themfelves, or the 



fingle 



