A C C 



and gcTienna, snd ctiltivate a firm hope of the refurrc£tion of 

 the dead by Chrift, without believing that tlie archangel will 

 found a trumpet to awaken us from the llecp of death ? Is 

 it ncceflar)- to our belief that Jefus is the Chrill of God, 

 that we refer to him uU thofe paflages which the Jewilh 

 doftors, and, after their example, the Jcwidi converts to 

 Chrillianity, from their love of allegones and types, ex- 

 plained as relative to him ? &c. &c. In a word, if we con- 

 fider the genuine nature of our religion, as taught by our 

 divine mailer, v.-e iliall fee, fays the author, that none of the 

 inftances, in which it has been htre fuppofed, that Chrill 

 and his apoftlcs accom.modated their inlhuftions to the 

 pn judices and not:.'is of their countrymen and contempo- 

 raries, have any neceffaiy conneftion with the defign of t!ie 

 gofpel, or interfere with any of its effential truths. The 

 rrofcflbr proceeds to fpecify fome rules by which we may 

 difcriminate thofe pafiiigcs of fcripture that n;;iy be con- 

 ildercd as inftances in which the facred writers acquiefee in 

 popular prejudices ; and he clofcs with fome obfen'ations 

 on the utility of th.is hypothcfis of accommodation in ex- 

 plaining the fcriptui-es. M. De Vos traces nearly the fame 

 ground of argument ; but without extending the hypo- 

 thefis of accommodation fo far or fo intrepidly ccntrovert- 

 ing received opinions ; opinions which the reader of this 

 article will not incautioufly rejeft, and without the previous 

 hefitation and fubfequent examination which they' demand, 



ACCOMMODATION, in La-Ji, is ufed for an ami- 

 -cable agreement or compofition between two contending 

 parties. Thus we fav, the procefs is become fo intricate 

 and perplexed that there is no hope of getting out of it 

 but by an accommodation. The!e accommodations are 

 frequently effefted by means of compromife and arbitration. 



ACCOMPANIMENT, fomething attending or added 

 as a circumllance to another ; either by way of ornament, 

 or for the fake of fymmetry, or the hke. 



Accompaniment, accompagnamento, accompag- 

 ■»Kiv^k,m Mufic, iinplicsthe inftruments that ^m3m^<2n)i the 

 voice, folo, or concerto, to fuftain the principal part, whe- 

 ther vocal or infa-umental, as v/ell as to enrich the harmony. 



The Crufca Diflionary gives no authority from early 

 writers in Italian, of accompagnamento, accompaniment, 

 being ufed as a technical term. In the fourth and laft ac- 

 ceptation of the verb accompagnare, it is only faid, in 

 general, to be a mufical term, fignifying " to play on un 

 inllirument in harm.ony with the voice :" and this definition 

 aopears in no edition anterior to that of 1 746. 



Italian mufical tenns have now been adopted by all 

 Europe ; yet we are acquainted with no profeffed mufical 

 diclionaiy in that language. But the words pecuhar to the 

 art being taken from the common language of the countiy 

 where it v.-as firil cultivated, they need no explanation to 

 tlie natives ; yet, in other countries which have derived their 

 knowledge, or at leaft, their tafle, from the Italians, thefe 

 words are become technical, and need a gloflary. 



To write, make, or compofe, an accompaniment, are 

 fynonimous terms with muficians, for letting, or adding parts 

 for vioHns, flutes, or other inftruraents, to a melody, vocal 

 or inlhumental, in order to be performed with it. In the 

 early operas the accompaniments were very thin. In the 

 firft: operas, indeed, none appeared, except in the fympho- 

 nies and choruifes ; but, in proceis ot time, as dramiatic 

 mufic advanced towards perfeSion, it was found that ef- 

 fetls could be produced by the orchelli-a which were pic- 

 turtfque, coloured fentimcnts, and augmented auricular 

 fleafure. A fimple melody, unlefs performed by a great 

 iinger, became infipid. But, though much ingenuity and 



A C C 



fcience appear !n a rich and full accompaniment en fnfr, 

 yet in performance, the compofcr and the orcheftra tit- 

 qucnlly abufc ihcir power, ar.d tyrannilc ovit the voice, 

 which they fhould cheiilh, and difguifc the poetry l.y tom- 

 plication and noifc, which tlicy (liould help to explain and 

 enforce. And i't is a general complaint at the o])eia, when 

 a cantilena, or vocal part is good, and performed by a finger 

 of the firft clafs, that the acccmpanimtnlt are too loud — licft 

 cl.agc, fay the French, and ttxppe caricalo, cr)- the Ita- 

 lians. 



AccompammenI is likewife another word for jhoron^l>-lafe, 

 by giving in chords the wliole harmony on which ihe 

 melody is built. Thefe chords are cxprcfltd by f;gurci 

 over the bale, v.hich figures fupply the place of a treble 

 part for the ri^ht hand on keyed-infiruincnt;. 



The rules for accompaniment are few, with rcfptft to 

 harmony, but their ufe depends on judgment and good 

 talle. Some, fond of crowded harmcmy, tliink it can never 

 be too loud or full ; while others, who prefer a fimple aiid 

 beautiful melody to the mod artful combinationj of kindred 

 found:, almoll th.ink harmony a grievance. There are who 

 prefer a meagre and monotonous accompanimait in triplets ; 

 and others imagine that the voice is beft fupportcd by being 

 accompanied in unifon. But RoulTeau, in enumerating the 

 qualiikations of an acconipanier, has fettled this point : 

 " Whoever undertakes to accompany a fong or folo, Ihould 

 be a confummate mufician, well ikllled in harmony, and the 

 conilruftion of the feveral parts ; f.iould have a nice and 

 cultivated ear, a hand prepared for all difiieulties of execu- 

 tion in the.bafe, ar.d modulation into different keys, with a 

 found judgment and good taftc. It is the bufincfs of the 

 accompanur on the organ, harpfichord, or pianoforte, to give 

 the pitch to the feveral iuilruments, and the time to the 

 whole band ; to have always under his hand the note which 

 the finger is about to deliver, in order to correft, if falfc, 

 and enforce, if feeble ; and, at the beginning of an air or 

 movement, to mark with energy and prccifion the feveral 

 portions of the bar, that the orcheftra, if a quick air, may- 

 proportion the rapidity to the abilities of the finger ; and, 

 whether quick or flow, indicate fuch a fpccific motion as 

 fuits the genius of the compofition, and the defign of the 

 compoier. But, above all, whoever is nccompany'ing another 

 to whom the principal melody is afligncd, fliould remember, 

 that he is a fei-vant, an humble attendant on a temporary 

 fuperior, and ihould fupprefs all ambition of (hining at the 

 expence of the voice or inilrument which he aciompatiics." 



A great player accuilomed to be hitened to with delight, 

 and applauded with rapture, feldom accompanies well : his 

 fingers itch to be ih aciion, and to call the attention of the 

 audience from the principal performers to himfelf. 



No genei-a! rules can be given for accompanying that will 

 be apphcable on all occafions. After the harmony is well 

 known, and the hand well exercifed, experience, good fenfc, 

 and propriety mud do the rell. Accompaniment, though it 

 require little brilliancy of execution, is the laft thing which 

 a praftical mufician acquires. There is nothing which a 

 finger fo much dread.? as an ignorant or injudicious accom- 

 panier. If ignorant himfelf, the iinger wants alTiftance ; 

 if his tafte is refined, and his voice good, all his art and na- 

 tural powers are deftroyed by a cltimfey accompaniment. 



Nothing but confummate experience, and a familiar ac- 

 quaintance with all ftyles, with the beft compofition* of 

 great mafters, aud the being able to grafp at a finglc glance 

 a whole line of a fcorc, and occafionally felcft the moft im- 

 portant paffages in the inftrumental parts to play with the 

 right hand, inllead of the chords, can completely qualify 4 



perfonbcr 



