121 



CONCERT PITCH. 



CONCORDANCE. 



122 



music has been diffused among the working-classes, and the teaching 

 of music is permanently established in charity schools. 



CONCERT PITCH, in Music, is the pitch the degree of acuteness 

 or gravity generally adopted for some one given note, and by which 

 every other note is of course, governed. Concert-pitch has frequently 

 much varied, and musicians have hitherto (with one exception) made 

 little if any effort to obtain a fixed standard, though so desirable, and 

 so easily established. Many years ago, Fischer, of Berlin, ascertained 

 that the number of vibrations per second in the pitch note A, in four 

 celebrated Continental orchestras was as follows ; Berlin Theatre, 

 4*37-r^5, the Grand Optra Franfaii at Paris 431-,%%, Optra Comique, 

 4 -"-To'<T> and Opera Italien, 424- T 1 7 n , which would give for the pitch 

 note c adopted in this country, 52i-Jf , 517-f s ' v , 513- T ' %, and 509 

 vibrations per second respectively. The Philharmonic c used in this 

 country, is equal to about 500 vibrations per second. Some years ago, 

 when Mr. Mullah introduced the Wilhelm method into this country 

 under the patronage of government, he applied to Mr. Charles Tomlin- 

 son to adjust a standard tuning-fork, for the regulation of his classes. 

 It was recommended that the natural c represented by 512 vibrations 

 per second be adopted as the standard, that number being preferred 

 from its being the power of 2, and, moreover a good mean between 

 the 524 vibrations of Berlin, and the 500 of the Philharmonic Society. 

 This recommendation was adopted, and during the last eighteen years 

 many thousand tuning forks have been issued, all of which have 

 passed through Mr. Tomlinson's hands. Hence it may be safely 

 asserted that a uniformity of pitch has been attained throughout the 

 country in the numerous classes taught on Mr. Hullah's method, 

 such as has never before been approached or attempted. At the 

 time we are writing, the Society of Arts, London, apparently quite 

 unaware of what Mr. Hullah had been practising for eighteen years, 

 have formed a committee of distinguished individuals, to consider the 

 whole subject of concert pitch and to report thereon. The result of 

 their deliberations, if any, will be given under the article TUNING. 



(,'UNCERTI'NA, a musical instrument invented by Professor 

 \Vheatatone, the principle of which is explained under ACCORDION. 

 The concertina, in its simple form, claims priority of the accordion in 

 point of date, though the former, in its highly improved state, and as 

 n.Av generally in use, was more lately introduced. 



This instrument is composed of a bellows, with two hexagonal 

 faces or ends, and on these are placed the various stops or studs, by 

 the action of which air is admitted to the laminae (or tongues, or steel 

 bars) producing the sounds ; and hereon are also fixed the thumb-straps 

 and finger-rests. The finger-stops are in four rows, the two middle 

 ones confined to the notes of the natural scale, the two external rows 

 to the flats and sharps. Each sharp and flat is placed by the side of its 

 corresponding natural note, and the instrument has, in addition to a 

 complete chromatic scale, two other notes in each octave, whereby the 

 chords in different keys are rendered more perfect than on the organ 

 or piano-forte, and by which also the fingering of the various scales is 

 rendered equally easy. 



The concertina, when the bellows is extended, is twelve inches in 

 length, and the sides are about six inches wide. Its compass is three 

 octaves a:: ! three notes, commencing at G, the fourth space in the base, 

 and thence ascending. Some instruments, however, are made with a 

 higher, some a lower, scale. That which we here describe is called the 

 dou(ftf-a''t tvn concertina, because two springs, or tongues, are given to 

 each note, in order that the same sound may be produced, whether the 

 bellows be pressed in or drawn out. The iin<jle-actimi concertina has 

 but one spring, or tongue for each note, and it yields a sound only 

 when the bellows is moved inwards ; that is, pressed. But it is pro- 

 virl ! with a self-acting valve, in order that the bellows may collapse 

 instantaneously, which closes while the latter is presssed, and opens to 

 admit air when it is expanded. 



There are also tenor and base concertinas : the compass of the first 

 from c, the second space in the base, to c the second additional line 

 above the treble : of the last, from the second additional line below 

 the base, to the third space in the treble. [HARMONIUM.] 



CONCERTO, in Music (an Italian word adopted in our language), a 

 composition in whicli many performers play in concert, that is, in 

 unison, but in which some one or two instruments take rather a more 

 prominent part than the others. Such are the concertos of Corelli, 

 Handel, Oeminiani, Avison, &c. But from the latter part of last 

 century the term has been applied to the species of composition written 

 for one principal instrument, with accompaniments for a full orchestra. 

 Of this description are the piano-forte concertos of Mozart, Dussek, 

 Cramer, Beethoven, &e, ; and the violin concertos of Viotti, Rode, &c. 

 It must be observed, however, that in the concertos of Mozart and 

 Beethoven the orchestral parts are so full and so essential, that those 

 compositions may, if the expression is allowable, be designated as 

 symphonies with a piano-forte part o/ibligato. 



''i iN'CHIOLIN. An azotised organic substance little examined, 

 found in some species of shells. 



CONCHOID (xoyxofityf, resembling a shell). This name was given 

 by Nicomcdes (in the 2nd century) to a curve, by which he proposed 

 the finding of two mean proportionals, and the duplication of the cube. 

 It W found in the commentary of Eutocius on the sphere and cylinder 

 of Archimedes, and in the fourth book oi Pappus. 



This curve is described by a revolving line, which passes through a 



fixed point, and is always produced to meet a certain fixed line. On 

 the revolving line, from the point at which it meets the fixed line, set 

 off a given line both ways. The two points thus laid down trace out 

 the upper and lower conchoid, two branches of the same curve. The 

 lower conchoid has two points of contrary flexure, a cusp, or a loop, 

 according as the given line is less than, equal to, or greater than the 

 perpendicular from the pivot of revolution to the fixed line. Taking 

 the pivot of revolution as the origin, and the perpendicular just named 

 as the axis of x, the equation of the conchoid is, 

 (x* + y) (x - If = a? &, 



where a is the given line, and b the distance of the pivot from the 

 fixed line. 



CONCINNOUS INTERVALS, in Music, are the various concords. 

 [CONCORD.] 



CONCLAVE (a Latin word, which signifies a private room) is the 

 name given to the assembly of cardinals when they meet for the pur- 

 pose of electing a pope. [CARDINAL.] The day following the last of 

 the funeral of the late pope, the cardinals, after hearing a solemn mass 

 de Spiritu Sancto, proceed to one of the pontifical palaces, generally the 

 Vatican, where rooms have been prepared for each of them, and where 

 they remain shut up till the election has taken place. The keys of the 

 palace are left in the care of a prelate, chosen previously by the 

 cardinals, and who is styled governor of the conclave. Each cardinal 

 has with him a secretary, called conclavista, and two domestics. They 

 meet once a day in the chapel of the palace, where a scrutiny is made 

 of their votes, which are written and placed in an urn : this is re- 

 peated every day till two-thirds at least of the votes are in favour of 

 one candidate for the pontifical chair, who is then considered as duly 

 elected. Each cardinal in giving his written vote accompanies it by 

 his name, written in a separate sealed paper, which is not opened till 

 the pope is elected, when the names of the voters are made known. 

 When the election is strongly contested, and the cardinals grow weary 

 of bring shut up in conclave, negotiations in writing are carried on 

 between the leaders, and a compromise is entered into by which two 

 or more parties, not being able singly to carry the election of their res- 

 pective candidates, join in favour of a third person, who is acceptable 

 to them all, or at least not obnoxious to any of them. This often 

 gives an unexpected turn to the election. During the conclave the 

 ambassadors of Austria, France, and Spain, have a right to put their 

 veto each upon one particular cardinal, whose election would not be 

 acceptable to their respective courts. The new pope being elected, and 

 his assent being given, he proceeds to dress himself in his pontifical 

 robes ; after which he gives his blessing to the cardinals, who give him 

 the osculum pacis (kiss of peace). After this the name of the new 

 pontiff is proclaimed to the people, from the great balcony of the 

 palace, and the castle Sant' Angelo fires a salute, and all the bells of the 

 city of Rome ring a merry peal for one hour. (Calindri, ' Saggio Geo- 

 grafico Statistico dello Stato Pontificio,' 1832.) 



Regulations for the conclave, and the mode of election, have been 

 issued by several popes, beginning from Nicholas II., in the council of 

 Lateran, in 1059, down to Gregory XV,, by his bull of 1621, and 

 Urban VIII. in 1625. In times of war or civil disturbance the con- 

 clave has been held in other places besides Rome ; that in which Pius 

 VII. was elected was held at Venice. Accounts of particular conclaves 

 have been given by numerous writers who have treated of the history 

 of the popes. (Meuschen, ' Cseremoniale Electionis et Coronatiouis 

 Pontificum Romanorum,' Frankfort, 1732.) 



CONCORD, in Music, two combined sounds which are universally 

 agreeable to the ear. It is commonly held, that the more frequently 

 the vibrations of two strings coincide, and which amounts to the 

 same thing the lower the terms in which the proportions of vibra- 

 tions are expressed, the more pleasing the concord ; but the 4th, an 

 interval much less agreeable than either the 3rd or 6th, is a formidable 

 exception to those rules, proving their fallibility by the test of ex- 

 perience. Rousseau is of opinion and we agree with him that the 

 pleasure afforded by concords is attributable to their source, namely, 

 the perfect chord [CHORD], which is itself the product, or combination, 

 of nature. This, and its inversions, furnish us with all the concords. 



Concords are the 8th (or octave), 5th, 3rd, and 6th. Their ratios are, 

 2:1, 3:2, 5:4, 5:3. The two first are called perfect, because, as 

 concords, not liable to any alteration by sharps or flats. The two last 

 are called imperfect, because alterable. 



The 4th has always proved a stumbling-block to writers on harmony, 

 for the reason above alluded to ; but as a component part of an inver- 

 sion of the perfect chord, it has some claim to be admitted among the 

 concords. A great and recognised authority of the modern French 

 school, says, that it is treated as a discord in relation to the bass, as a 

 concord in relation to the middle and upper parts. M. Catel, however, 

 has not in this instance proved as correct as usual : except in the 

 chords of * and J, the 4th, as an inner part, is, and can only be, treated 

 as a discord. 



CONCORDANCE, "a book which shows in how many texts of 

 Scripture any word occurs." (Dr. Johnson). More particularly, it is a 

 dictionary or index of all the important words in the Bible, alpha- 

 betically arranged for the purpose of finding passages and of com- 

 paring the various significations of words. To critical interpreters this 

 class of books is justly considered of the greatest utility, as furnishing 



