Harmony, £ 
HAR 
&c. called Concorps. 
4, $x 3 b y Yn 13 4, tp Hs 
See that article. : ; teu 
The further progress of musical discoveries next 
shewed, that certain others of the simple: intervals, as 
I, 2, II, IV, 5, 7, VU; 8, 9, IX, XI, 12, 14, XIV; 15, 
16, XVI, &ce, ; or 3H, ay 4, ib 4h ts > CELE + 
4,25, Alp Yo tes tre te > &c. called Discorps, 
(see that article,) might be occasionally introduced 
among, or inthe place of some of the concords above 
mentioned, without destroying, but, on the contrary, 
heightening the pleasure of their effect on an ear accus= 
tomed to this mixed harmony of concords and discords, 
When this mixed harmony came to be practised on 
instruments having fixed notes, the pitch of which the 
performer could not alter, as the singer, violinist, &e, 
can their notes, it was further discovered that each of 
the concords and discords above mentioned, admitted of 
alteration, in small and unequal degrees, without alto- 
gether losing their respective characters or effects, 
when heard together in chords ; but the pleasing effect 
in composition of many of these chords, were some- 
times even improved, by the alteration of a major comma, 
(c, or £2) ; and hereby another class, of comma-defi- 
cient and of comma-redundant concords were introdu- 
ced, as 3, 3’, III’, 4’, VV’, 6, 6’, VI’, VIIT ; &c. and 
so of the discords, I’, 2’, II’, Il’, IV’, [V’, V’, 7’, VIL, 
VIV'8’, &e. + 
And in adapting music to only 12 fixed sounds, with- 
in each octave, the simple or numeral intervals above 
mentioned were found altered, in some instances more 
than the major comma, but in more numerous instances, 
by less and very different degrees of alteration or at- 
temperament, in order to render music played thereon 
tolerably agreeable .to the ear.. And hence it becomes 
necessary for the musical student to be aware of the 
distinctions, which we shall now proceed briefly to enu- 
merate, viz. 
Artificial Harmony, implies a mixture of simple or 
untempered concords, and of discords in the chords, or 
between the notes that are heard together, in any piece 
of music, 
Equal Harmony implies, according to one class of | 
writers, an equality of harmoniousness between the dif- 
ferent keys of music, but which is more properly called 
Equat Temperament: See that article, and Isoronrc. 
But according to Dr Robert Smith, and others of our 
best writers on the subject, this term should be restrict- 
ed to systems in which each of the six concords, 3, III, 
4, V, 6, and VI, are so tempered, as to be equally and 
the most harmonious or pleasing amongst themselves, 
while 1 and VIII remain perfect. See Equau Har- 
mony. 
altural Harmony, according to Dr Busby, admits 
only of the harmonic triod, or common chord — in the 
accompaniments of a piece of music. 
Perfect Harmony, implies the use of perfect or un- 
tempered concords only, such as are produced by good 
singers, violinists, &c. when they perform full music in 
concert, and which, as Mr Farey has shewn, in the 
Philosophical Magazine, vol. xxvii. pp. 206 and $14, 
contains all its temperaments in the leaps or successive 
intervals of the melodies of the different parts, and none 
of such in their combined or simultaneous intervals of 
harmony, all of which are produced perfect, or without 
temperament. Mr Maxwell, in 1781, fully explained 
this system, as applicable to the violin, and made some 
attempts at applying the same to the organ, but without 
effect, (see Maxwewx’s Scales.) Several years after 
642 
HAR 
wards, however, the Rev. Mr Liston completed his 
Evuarmonic Organ, (see that article,) and, in 1812, 
published his Essay on perfect Intonation, wherein this 
curious and important system is fully explained. See 
Liston’s Scales. Y 
Tempered Harmony, is such as must of unavoidable 
necessity be heard, in several or all of the concords, 
(and discords too,) in performance on the common or 
imperfect keyed instruments, having only twelve, or 
even a greater number of sounds in each octave. See 
Tempered Systems. (¢) Cain 9 
paekObe I. See Eneianp, vol. viii. p. 595— 
HAROLD II. See Eneuanp, vol: viii. p. 597. 
HARP, is a stringed musical instrument, which has 
gained much celebrity from. the estimation in which it 
was held among the ancients. Though the harp be of 
eastern origin, it has been the subject of animated con« 
troversies, whether the instrument was actually known 
to the Greeks and Romans in any shape ogous to 
its present form, It appears most probable, however, 
that they were not ignorant of it, and that some of 
the instruments passing under different names, whose 
elementary and principles are the same, should 
be considered only as modifications of each other. But 
the researches of late travellers have brought more in- 
teresting objects to view than those exciting dry dispu- 
tations. Mr Bruce, in visiting the catacombs of the 
Theban kings, who are supposed to have been cotem- 
poraries with David king of the Jews, 1000 years be« 
tore Christ, discovered two paintings of the here in 
fresco, each played by an old man standing, clothed in 
a wide tunic, and having his head shaven, One has 
13 strings, but wants the upright, or that piece of the 
frame next to the longest; and the sounding board: 
is of a conical form, en arging below in proportion to 
the length of the string. The other has 18 strings, 
and seems to be a harp formed of similar materials; 
but the distribution of the parts is different, and the 
lower strings are united to the base, not to the sounding 
board. Both are represented as being played in the 
same manner, and by men in the same position. After’ 
describing the ornamental parts, Mr Bruce affirms, that 
«it would be even now impossible either to construct 
or finish a harp of any form with more taste and ele« 
gance,” However, while preparing to make further 
researches, he could not prevail on his conductors toe 
wait any longer in the catacombs; “ with great cla« 
mour and marks of discontent, they dashed their torches 
against the largest harp, and made the best of their way 
out of the cave, leaving me and my people in the dark; 
and all the way they went, they made dreadful denun~ 
ciations of tragical events that were to follow their de- 
parture.” It is to be inferred from the figures, that 
each harp is above six feet high. The purport of Mr 
Bruce’s description, which is much more copious than 
quoted here, has been strangely misunderstood, though 
it must be admitted that this was partly owing to his own 
imperfect communications to Dr Burney. Whence it 
has been asked by Mr Jones, “ Whether the Theban 
harp originated in a phantasm?” and even Mr Browne, 
the African traveller, says, while visiting the catacombs 
of Thebes, “I particularly observed the two harpers 
described by Bruce, but his engraved figures seem to be 
frommemory.” We cannot entirely solve these difficul- 
ties; but had those who have spoke most positively on 
the subject, referred to the first volume o Mr Bruce’s 
Travels, instead of Dr Burney’s History of Music, they 
would have obtained more distinct ideas of it. How- 
ei PT. 
