BASIS OF A THEORY OF MUSIC. 221 



Have we not here, then, adequate data for a theory of 

 music ? These vocal pecuharities which indicate excited 

 feehng, are those which especially distinguish song from or- 

 dinary speech. Every one of the alterations of voice which 

 we have found to be a physiological result of pain or pleas- 

 ure, is carried to its greatest extreme hi vocal m.usic. Fop 

 instance, we saw that, in virtue of the general relation be- 

 tween mental and muscular excitement, one characteristic 

 of passionate utterance is loudness. Well, its comparative 

 loudness is one of the distinctive marks of song as contrast- 

 ed with the speech of daily life ; and further, the forte 

 passages of an air are those intended to represent the climax 

 of its emotion. We next saw that the tones in which emotion 

 expresses itself, are, in conformity with this same law, of a 

 more sonorous timbre than those of calm conversation. 

 Here, too, song displays a still higher degree of tlie pecu- 

 liarity ; for the singing tone is the most resonant we can 

 make. Again, it was shown that, from a like cause, men- 

 tal excitement vents itself in the higher and lower notes 

 of the register ; using the middle notes but seldom. And 

 it scarcely needs saying that vocal music is still more dis- 

 tinguished by its comparative neglect of the notes in which 

 we talk, and its habitual use of those above or below them 

 and, moreover, that its most passionate eJBfects are common- 

 ly produced at the two extremities of its scale, but especi- 

 ally the upper one. 



A yet further trait of strong feeling, similarly accounted 

 for, was the employment of larger intervals than are em- 

 ployed in common converse. This trait, also, every ballad 

 and aria carries to an extent beyond that heard in the 

 spontaneous utterances of emotion : add to which, that tho 

 direction of these intervals, which, as diverging from or 

 converging towards the medium tones, we found to be 

 physiologically expressive of increasing or decreasing emo- 

 Uon, may be observed to have in music like meaninga 



