A C C 



«)«rform« on fl kej'ed-inftniment to accompany a good or 

 a bad linger. 



Rouffcaii, though no deep theorlft, had a vcr>' good taltc 

 in miific, and excellent views concerning its refinements and 

 tffefts 5 and, in his " Letter on French Mufic," the bed 

 piece of criticifm on the art, perhaps, that has ever been 

 written, fpcaking of accowpanimcnt on the Jmqjfichord, he 

 fays J " when burlctta operas were fnll perfonned at Paris, 

 ever)- one was ilruck at feeing the manager's fon, a child of 

 ten years old at mod, accompanying the fingers, and pro- 

 ducin"- with his little fingers cffetls fo different from tliofe 

 of m1 Noblet, the ufual performer on the harpfichord, a 

 good harmoniil, and exaCi in giving the full complement to 

 «iach chord. 13ut w'nat was my furprife in watching the 

 hands of the little man, and obferving that he hardly ever 

 gave tlie wliolc harmony to the bafe ; but fuppreffing many 

 of the founds, and frecjuently uling only two fingers, with 

 one of which he generally played the odave to the bafe, 

 and with the othsr the interval mod important in the 

 melody ! What ! fays I to niyfclf, has a mutilated harmony 

 more effcA than one 'that is complete ? And do our thorough, 

 bale players, by gi^'ing the full chords produce only a con- 

 fufed noile, while this cliild with fewer founds enforces the 

 melody more, and renders the accotnpaitimeni more ufeful 

 and agreeable ? This was a problem which I was unable 

 to folve ; but 1 became more fenfiblt of its importance af- 

 terwards, by obfcrving that all the Italians accompany good 

 fino-crs in the fame manner as this infant did ; and upon the 

 fame principle as the compofers have their fcorts thin, often 

 making the tenor play only in octaves above the bafe, and 

 the fecond violin in octaves below the fird. I remembered 

 that I had read fomewhere in Rameau, that every concord 

 had a different character, or power of affecling oiu- fenfi- 

 bility, peculiar to itfelf ; that the effect of the 3d was dif- 

 ferent from that of the 5th, the 4th from the 6th. In the 

 fame manner 3ds and 6ths minor muft produce different 

 affeftions from thofe of 3ds and 6ths major. Thefe fads 

 once edablidied, it evidently follows, that even difcords and 

 ever)- kind of interval will be included in the rule : an idea 

 which reafon confirms, fince, when the relations are different, 

 the imprcffion cannot be the fame." 



The reafoning of the citizen of Geneva on this principle 

 is very fpecious and ingenious. " I fee clearly," continues 

 he, " that, by adding concord to concord, injudicioufly, 

 though agreeable to the doftrine of chords, by augmenting 

 the harmony, we may weaken and counteraft the effeft of 

 each found. If the entire and pure effect of a 5th, be 

 neceffary for the expreffion which I want, I riik the weak- 

 ening this impreffion by a 3d found, which, dividing the 5th 

 into two 3ds of different kinds, tho\igh when druck together 

 the harmonical effeft is good, yet they may mutually di- 

 minilh the peculiar effeft of each other. In like manner, if 

 the fir.iultaneous impreffion of the 5th and two 3ds were ne- 

 ceffary to my defign, I diould fail in producing the effect I 

 intended by retrenching either of the 3ds from the chord. 

 This reafoning becomes dill more intelligible, applied to 



difcords." " It follows from all this, that, after having 



well dudied the elementary rules of harmony, the mufician 

 diould not hadily lavifh it inconfiderately, nor behtve him- 

 felf a compofer b-:caufe he can croud the chords with un- 

 meaning notes ; but, before he begins to combine founds, 

 he fhould apply himfelf to a much longer and more difficult 

 ftudy : that of the different impreffions which the concords, 

 difcords, and all the intervals make on the ear of fenfibility, 

 and often fay to himfelf, that the great art of a compoier 

 conCfts no lefs in difcerning what foun(^ occafionally to 



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fupprefj, than what to admit. It is in ftudyhig and turn- 

 ing over inceffantly the mader-pieces of Italy, for vocal 

 mufic, (andof Gennany for indrumental, he would now liave 

 added) that a compofer vi'ould learn to make this exquifitc 

 choice, if Nature has given him fufficient genius and tafte to 

 feel its neceffity ; for the difficulties of the art are only per. 

 ceived by thofe w-ho are able to vanquifli them ; and fiiclj 

 will not treat with contempt the vacant lines in a fcore ; 

 but, feeing with what eafe a mere Tiro might fill them up, 

 they will fufpeft, and feck the reafons for this feeming fim- 

 plicity : fo much the more admirable, as it conceals prodi- 

 gies under a feigned negligence, and that I'arlc chu tutio fa, 

 nulla f> fenopre. Thefe ieem to me (coRtinues Rouffeau) 

 the caufes of thofe furprifing effefts which the Italian mufic 

 produces, though much lefs crowded with harmony tliaii 

 ours, (that is, the old French mufic) of which the effects are 

 fo fn-.all and the labour fo great. This does not imply 

 that a fcore diould never be full, but that it fliould be fiUed 

 with choice and difcernment ; neither is it to fay that to 

 accomplidi this, the mufician ftiould make all thefe reflexions; 

 but that he diould feel the refult. It is his bufinefs to have 

 o-enius and tade to find thefe effefts, and that of the thcorift 

 to feck and explain whence they arife." 



To accompany recitative on a keyed-indniment, where no 

 regular time is obferved, and the finger utters in mufical 

 tones, a foliloque or dialogue, under no more redraint, as 

 to meafure, than if he were declaiming in common fpeech, 

 the indrumental accompanicr mud attentively read the 

 words, and drike the chord firmly which is given to the mod 

 accented and energetic part of a verfe or period, exaftly 

 when it is pronounced by the finger, except at a clofe or 

 termination of a fcene or period, w-hen two chords are given 

 without the voice : one to the bafe of the 5th of a key, with 

 a diarp 3d, and the other ufually to the key note, in what- 

 ever key the modulation is carried ; but this expeftation is 

 often difappointed, except at the clofe which immediately 

 precedes the air. 



We fiiall purfuc the fubjeft of Accompaniment dill 

 further, under the articles Harmony, Cmords, Tho- 



ROUGH-BASE, ReGLE DE l'oCTAVE, FIGURING A BASE, 



and Recitative. 



Accompaniments, \t\ HcraUry, are all fuch things as 

 are applied about the fliield by way of ornament, as the belt, 

 mantUngs, fupporters, &c. A thing is alfo faid to be ac« 

 companied when there are feveral bearings or figures about 

 fome principal one, as a faltier, band, fefs, chevron, or the like. 



Accompaniments, in Po'inting, denote fuch objefts as 

 are added by way of aptitude or ornament to the principal 

 figures ; as dogs, guns, game, &c. in a hunting-piece. 



ACCOMPLICE, compounded of ad, to, con, together, 

 and plkare, to fold, in Law, one that has a concern in a 

 bufinefs, or that is privy in the fame defign or crime with 

 another. See Accessory. 



By the law of Scotland, the accomplice can only be pro- 

 fecuted after the conviction of the principal offender ; unlefs 

 the acceffion of the accomphce be immediate, in ipfo aBu, 

 fo as in etTeft to render them co-principal. By the general 

 nile, the accomplice fuffers the fame punidiment with the 

 principal offender. Yet if he be remarkably lefs guilty, 

 judice will not permit equal punidiment. The council of 

 Sens, and feveral other fynodical datutes, exprefsly pro- 

 hibit the reveahng of accompUces. See Discovery of 

 accomplices. 



ACCOMPLISHMENT, in a general fenfe, the entire 

 execution, atchievement, or fulfilling of fomething propofed, 

 or imdertaken. 



AccoM- 



