41. " Padre -Martini is of opinion that this species of com position had its beginnino- in the following manner: The first composers having begun to add another part to canto fermo, which, at the sante time that it formed a different inelody, was in harmony or counterpoint, which is the union of' different melodies, contrived that whatever part they su peradded to the chant, should resemble it as much as possi ble, if not throughout the movement, at least in the subject." This we may. easily suppose would be suggested by- the anti phonal singing, in which one choir sung a short sentence, which was answered by another choir. " But as this canto fermo is sometimes transposed from one hexachord (or pro prietci del canto,) to another, in the same manner the imi tations of the several parts in counterpoint are made, some times in unison or octave, and sometimes on the 4th or 5th above or below; still taking care that the intervals and sylla bles, or sohnisation, arc the same with those of the principal chant. And it is easy to discover, from the skeleton of the ecclesiastical modes, given in art. Ir.) that this is the true original of fugue, and all the laws of reply. If these fixed and fundamental sounds were filled up with their interme diate sounds, we should have all the scales w-hence the me lody of fugues and canons was drawn, during alinost three centuries. The chants of the church furnished the subjects and their answers; the accuracy of At hich was proved by the .syllables of the Guidonian hexachords. The 5th above, and 5th below, or 5th and 4tli of the key, either major or minor, are its first relatives; and as they furnish the most agreeable modulation, so they are the only intervals, differ ent front the identity of unison and octaves, in which the answer of a regular canon or fugue can be made. All other replies are allowed by theorists to be Hothimr but imitations. And the literal names of the notes, their appearance on pa per, or even their effect on the ear, will not demonstrate the truth of an answer with such certainty as sohnisation ; and it seems as if the Guidonian syllables would be more useful in this species of composition than in singing.
" I have dwelt the longer on these first principles of Canon and Fugue, as the lives and labours of the primitive fathers of harmony were spent in establishing. and those of their immediate successors in producina such illustrations of them, as were not only the delight of their OW11 age; but are still the admiration of every friend to the art." 42. Both Tinctor and Franchinus ascribe the invention of florid counterpoint, or figurative harmony, to the English, and specifically to John Dunstable, who died in 1433, or 145S. This nem art, as Tinctor calls it, was soon after cultivated with success in the different countries of Europe; and from this period downwards, not only the names of com posers are know-n, but many of their works are preserved. It was our intention to exhibit progressive examples of an cient composition: but this would occupy too much of our limited space. We must therefore be contented with men tioning the chief of these venerable masters, and giving a general account of their harmony, and of the progress of the art tow-ards its present condition.
43. The Netherlands took the lead of the rest of Eu rope, and produced, from the close of the fifteenth century downwards. John Okenheim, his scholar Josquin Des Prez, or Jodocus Pratensis, who was deservedly reckoned by his contemporaries the greatest musician of those times; Henry Isaac, Jacob llorbrecht, who was music master to the cele brated Erasmus. It is related of him, on the authority of
that he composed an excellent mass in one night, which was very greatly admired by the learned.
44. At this time the Netherlands furnished masters to the rest of Europe; even Italy did not disdain to take her in structors from that country. Adrian Willaert settled at Ve nice, and is regarded by the Venetians as the head of their school. His scholar, C;iosetro Zarlino of Venice, the most celebrated and voluminous theorist of the 16th century, published Demonstrationi IIarmoniclie, in 1571. Gaudio Nell, a Fleming, supposed to be the same with Goudimel, a native of Franche Compte, was the nmster of the celebrated Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, from the place of his birth, the ancient Praeneste. This great musician is justly consi dered as the head, not only of the Roman school, but of ecclesiastical musicians. The rage for learned and intricate contrivances, and crowded harmony, was cal ried so far, that the church services tended only to distract or amuse, instead of assisting devotion. Pope Marcelhis the Second, it is said, had come to the resolution, in the year 1555, of entirely suppressing choral singing in the church. The Bull was already prepared, and on the point of being promulgated, when Patestrina, at that time in his 26th year, entreated his holiness to suspend the decree till he should hear a mass composed in what Ile the author, conceived to be the true church style. The 'lope granted his request; and was so delighted with the purity of the harmony, and facility of the style, that the design was laid aside. The compositions of Palestrina are still continually performed at Rome.
45. At this epoch, the general ride for harmony was to accompany every note of the scale with its own conmton chord, except those which rise by semitone, which had a chord of the sixth : and it is this which gives those ancient compositions their peculiar character and effect. It was towards the middle of the 17th century, that the key and mode were generally well ascertained, and that the harmony of the scale was reduced to that of the key-note, of the fourth and of the fifth of the key. At the time we are speaking of, discords were used chiefly as passing notes, or by syncopation. " The old contrapuntists," says Dr. Bur ney, " held the sharp (major) fourth, and flat (lesser) fifth in such abhorrence, that, to avoid them, they frequently made the seventh of the key flat, even before a close." This observation is applicable, however, to an earlier age than that of Palestrina. " Whoever," says the Doctor, in ano ther place, " first combined the sharp Sd and 7th to the 5th 6 Of the key, and inverted this chord into 4 to the second,6,5 to 3 the sharp (major) seventh, and 4 + to the fourth of a key, 2 conferred as refreshing a benefit on the craving lovers of inusic, as Moses on the thirsty Israelites, in producing water Witit iliS wand from the rock on Alount Iloreb. These combinations, though unknown to the olcl masters, are utterly indispensable in tile present Rcgle dc l'Octave. The com binations are found in the compositions of Palestrina, used in a regular manner; but always prepared, and very gpar ingly. They seem not to have been considered, as in the present day, a constituent part of harmony, next in import ance to the chord of the key. The olcl masters seldom or never add the seventh to the leading chord in a close on the key; but the major third of the leading chord ascends by semitone to the octave, as at present.