ORGAN-POINT. A long sustained tone in one voice while the other voices proceed in in tint of an organ-point in the bass are: (I) That the sustained note shall be either the tonic or dominant; (2) that it shall begin and end on a strong beat and form an essential part of the harmony of the beginning and closing chord-. During the organ-point the other voices may proceed through any chords. Of course modula tion of any length is excluded. An organ-point is generally introduced just before the end of a composition. Bach and Handel end many of their fugues on an o•gan-point. The following from the Scherzo of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is an organ-point on the tonic: In Fugue No. 4 from part I. of the Well-ton percd Clavichord Baeh introduces an organ-point on the dominant before the close which he con structs over an organ-point on the tonic, at the same time giving a holding note to the soprano.
A double organ-point on both tonic and domi nant is often found in modern compositions, espe cially in those of a pastoral character. A fine example is found in the first movement of Beet dependent harmonies. The name is derived from organicits punches, which in the twelfth century, the time of the organum (q.v.), was a long sus
tained note of indefinite duration generally held by the tenor (whence the name of the voice), over which the other voices executed a florid counterpoint. Organ-point is also called prdal point, because the pedal of the organ is best hoven*s Pastoral Symphony (beginning at bar 2J). There is also a figured organ-point. when the sustained note is varied, sometimes with a single note, sometimes with a group of notes. The following example from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony (Trio of Scherzo) illustrates this The longest organ-point that has ever been written consists of 138 bars and occurs at the suited to sustain those long notes. But for ety mological reasons it is best to use the name organ-point. The organ-point may occur in any voice. It seldom cactus in the middle voices, more frequently in the soprano. hut generally in the bass. The modern tendency is to recognize the organ-point only in the bass; hence the sus taming of a long note in the soprano is called holding note. The laws governing the introduc beginning of the prelude to Wagner's ITheingold.
See I1ARMON Y. •