o12 
even in the same choir, he will hear them 
played faster or slower, by diferent per- 
sons-at the organ. | 
And although most of these times must, 
of course, be wrong (as there can be but 
one proper time strictly belonging to any 
composition, or movement), yet every 
one will justify his own measure. The 
advocate for slow time, for instance, will 
say he disapproves of hurrying the solemn 
compositions for the church; whilst an- 
other will be no less offended by the 
drageing, languid style, in which they are 
sometimes performed, as though dulness 
were a necessary characteristic of church 
mousic. 
_ In concerts too, one leader will play all 
quick movements with such rapidity, 
that half the orchestra are puzzied to 
keep up with him, and nothing 1s dis- 
tinctly articulated; whilst another, by 
falling into the opposite extreme, will 
~ mar the effect of the performance, and 
communicate to it a Janguor and want of 
energy, which does not belong to it. 
And although it is by no means to be 
supposed, that leaders will always be in 
extremes, yet the precise medium is diffi- 
cult to hit; and as where matters are left 
to the opinions of individuals, such opi- 
nions will always vary ; leaders and con- 
ductors will in general be inclined, in 
some degree, to lean towards one extreme 
or the other. 
It is true that nothing can be more 
elearly laid down, than the proportion of 
the different notes to each other, in the 
Time Table. But yet, if neither of these 
be fixed as. any standard, the only end 
that can be answered by this accuracy, 
isto enable the. performers to keep to 
such time as the leader happens to set 
ovt with. 
In the general divisions of time, into 
years, months, or days, the greater di- 
visions being fixed, and exactly ascer- 
tained by the motions of the sun and 
earth, the smaller ones are accurately 
subdivided from them. 
Also in all measures of length, weight 
or quantity, there are fixed standards for 
the pound, or gallon, or yard; so that it 
is not left to opinion to decide how much 
ought exactly to constitute any particu- 
lar weight, or measure, that may he re- 
quired. . 
It will, however, probably be observed, 
that the analogy between the tables just 
alluded to, and the Musical Time Table 
will not held good; because, while the 
former are subject to no variation what- 
evér, the latter is’ so essentially altered 
i cy d z 
Scale for Musical Time. 
April 1, 
by the terms adagio, allegro, and others, 
insomuch that although in the Time 
Table, one minim is Said to consist of 
four quavers, yet these are played in an 
adagio movement, much slower than 
even minims in adlu-breve time. Were 
indeed these vague terms abolished, and 
a standard framed and adhered to for the 
semibreve, minim or crotchet, then slow . 
music might be written in breves, and 
semibreves; andantes in mimims and 
crotchets; allegros and prestos in qua- 
vers, semiquayvers and demisemiquavers ; 
and the analogy would be preserved 
throughout, so that the degrees of mu- 
sical time might be regulated by che ge- 
neral divisions of minutes and seconds, 
with as much certainty and precision as 
the measures of length or weight are by 
the foot or the pound. But as matters 
stand, ali that can well be done is, to fix 
separate standards for the different mea- 
sures of adagio, largo, andante, allegro. 
and presto, which are all that I think 
necessary to be particularly defined and 
ascertained; the terms, lurghetto, alles 
gretto, presiissimo, and the rest- being 
either diminutions, or accelerations of 
their principals, And this order; or ar- 
rangement of them, appears to me to 
be the most generally acknowledged ; it 
being the general rule to reckon the time 
in adagio movements by quavers (that 
is, 8 in a bar in common time, or 6 in 
triple) and in largo movements by, 
crotchets (or 4 m a bar in common 
time, or S in triple). As for the others, 
presto is’ universally allowed to denote 
the greatest degree of quickness, and 
andante forms the medium between 
Jargo and allegro. There is one more 
terin sometimes used as a mark of time, 
namely, vivace, which however seem¢ 
more properly to relate to the manner 
of touching the instrument, or of bowing; 
as music may be played, spirituose, (or 
with spirit) without accelerating the 
time. 
Although T am far from presuming to 
fix this point myself, or absolately to de- 
termine any standard for the 5 degrees of 
time hefore-mentioned, yet by way of 
doing something towards it, and exciting 
Others better qualified to set about it, 
I venture to suggest the following seale, 
which may be observed by means of the 
pendulum proposed by Dr. Crotch, in 
the paper of the Monthly Magazine be- 
fore alluded to.. 
Let there be, for adagio time, a pen- 
dulam of SO inches, to vibrate the quaver ; 
or sk.uld one of that length be found 
inconvenient, 
