222 THE ORIGIN AND FUNCTION OF MUSIC. 



Once more, it was pointed out tli.it not only extreme but also 

 rapid variations of pitch, arc characteristic of mental ex 

 citement ; and once more we see in the quick changes of 

 every melody, that song carries the characteristic as far, if 

 not farther. Thus, in respect alike of londncss, timbre, 

 pitch, intervals, and rate of variation, song employs and 

 exaggerates the natural language of the emotions ; it arises 

 from a systematic combination of those vocal peculiarities 

 which are the physiological effects of acute pleasure and 

 pain. 



Besides these chief characteristics of song as distinguish 

 ed from common speech, there, are sundry minor ones 

 Himilarly explicable as due to the relation between mental 

 and muscular excitement ; and bcfurc proceeding further 

 these should be bricily noticed. Thus, certain passions, 

 and perhaps all passions when pushed to an extreme, pro 

 duce (probably through their influence over the action of 

 the heart) an effect the reverse of that which has been de 

 scribed : they cause a physical prostration, one symptom of 

 which is a general relaxation of the muscles, and a conse 

 quent trembling. AVe have the trembling of anger, of 

 fear, of hope, of joy ; and the vocal muscles being implicat 

 ed witli the rest, the voice too becomes tremulous. Now, 

 in singing, this trcmulousness of voice is very effectively 

 used by some vocalists in highly pathetic passages ; somc- 

 time, indeed, because of its effectiveness, too much used 

 by them as by Tamberlik, for instance. 



Again, there is a mode of musical execution known as 

 the staccato, appropriate to energetic passages to passages 

 expressive of exhilaration, of resolution, of confidence. 

 The action of the vocal muscles which produces this stac- 

 oato style, is analogous to the muscular action which pro 

 duces the sharp, decisive, energetic movements of bodv in 

 dicating these states of mind; and therefore it is that the 

 staccato ntvle has the meaning we ascribe to it. Converse 



