The compound speech-notes consist of both the simple vocal move ments combined iu a variety of circumflexes. They were first noted on the staff by Mr. Steele, from whose tProeodia Rationalis' the following diagram is copied :— Numerous as arc the varieties of circumfiexee, they admit of classification, of which the following, partly taken from Dr. Rush, is adopted :— The number of constituent vocal morensents.
1. Simple circumflex consists of two movements.
2. Compound circumflex consists of threo movements.
3. Continuous circumflex consists of more than three movements.
The direction of the first vocal movement.
1. Direct circumflex has the first an upward movement.
2. Inverted circumflex has the first a downward movement.
The dimensions of the vocal movements.
1. Equal circumflex, each movement of equal dimensiou.
2. Unequal circumflex, each movement of unequal dimension.
In forming a circumflex speech-note, the voice may be retarded or accelerated in parts, as well as move equably through its course. The possible varieties of circumflex are almost infinite, and the number in ordinary use is far beyond what would be anticipated. This will account for the immense variety of sounds which are heard in human utterance, and which has been more a subject of declamatiou than thoughtful inquiry.
The Compass of the of the rhetoricians of antiquity speak of the changes of pitch of the voice seldom exceeding a fifth on any one syllable. Observations conducted for twenty years on the leading public speakers of the period have convinced the author of this article of the accuracy of this ancient statement. It is true that higher intervals are used, even up to the octave, but very spar ingly, end the fifth itself is of less common occurrence in oratory than the third.
Speech melodies seldom exceed the limits of an octave and a half. Whatever the speaker's key note may be, he seldom rises more than a fifth above it, or descends more than a fifth below it in pitch. A person's key note is generally somewhat below the middle of his compass, which circumstance enables most speakers to ascend an octave if required for the purpose of expression. The following notation of Mr. Steele's speaking compass, taken from the Prosodia Ratioualis,' is interesting :— Ilelgle of Itnpieelooed 'penes. ft Common level . . • • fleet t of commoo alteouree.
Los-eet note of epeeek.
The voice of song (that is, a song-note) has been described as' con• tinning throughout its duration on one level line of pitch. This de scription was necessary at the outset in order to state the essential distinction between song (musical) sounds and speech sounds.
Close observation however of the song-notes of singers, especially in dramatic music, will show that many of the notes are nut of uniform pitch, but that the voice rapidly slides through some interval, com monly of a tone, and tho song-note is produced at its summit. Let the slide be equal to a semiquaver, and the song-note a minim, or rather to a minim minus the semiquaver slide, which is stolen from the quantity of the song-note : many singers reach the seve ral degrees of the scale by these slides according to the subjoined notation :— In taking the intervals from a fundamental note, it is not uncommon to hear a rapid slide through the entire interval, producing slide thirds, fourths, &e., and the song-note at the summit of the slide, according
to the subjoined notation :— Similar notes often occur in the passionate intonation of the wide intervals of operatic music.
These song-notes closely approximate to those speech-notes in which the movement of the voice is retarded at the upper part of its ascent ; and the approximation is the nearer in proportion to the greater retardation.
Sometimes the song-note is preceded by a rapidly descending slide, which may be of the interval of a tone, as in the subjoined diagram :— The first note, ad, a, is rapidly reiterated on each syllable to the last five. The rhythmus is left to the taste and feeling of the chanter. In both recitative and chant the words are more distinctly uttered than in song. This arises from the structure of the notes, which are chiefly either speech-notes or those song-notes which approximate to them. in both of which distinct utterance is infinitely easier than in the notes of song.
Of the Voice as a Natural Language of the Emotions.—The voice, whether it be or be not united with verbal language, is expressive of the feelings. The voice is the language of the feelings, by which they manifest themselves to the ear without previous teaching; and when heard, are recognised and felt without teaching. The scream of terror, the shout of joy, the laugh of satisfaction, the laugh of sarcasm, the laugh of ridicule, are made by man and understood by his fellow-man, wherever the one may be born and whatever may be the speech of the other. The voice is a natural, a universal language. Each mental attribute has its voice, which is in relation to that attribute ; and whether that attribute form part of the mind of man or brute, it instantly recognises the voice. The piercing cry of pain, the affright ing scream of terror, the voice of joy, are common to all, and recog nised by all. The voices of the feelings, so far as pitch, duration, and loudness are concerned, are capable of notation. Dr. Colombat has attempted the notation of cries arising from various pains and Dr. Burney has noted the song of several birds. The changes of pitch pre sent the most remarkable changes in the voice ; and on these mainly depend the voices of the feelings. The mind adopts changes of pitch to express its condition, and the interval of musio is but a means of measuring, and thence imitating, that expression. A higher intensity of feeling increases the interval. Composers know this fact, and avail themselves of it in dramatic music. The pages of Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, and Rossini are full of illustrations of it. The "Messiah," the greatest of all musical compositions, abounds with degrees of intensity of the same feeling.