Chapter V: Part 5

The _clavicembalo_ (often designated merely _cembalo_) is called in German “Flügel,” on account of its shape somewhat resembling the wing of a bird. _Clavicembali_ formerly in use generally had a compass of five octaves. The instrument was usually supplied with some stops by means of which the quality of sound could in some measure be modified. Furthermore, it was frequently made with two keyboards, one for the loud and another for the soft tones. The harpsichord made in England was precisely of the same construction. In fact, the best harpsichord makers in England were emigrants from the continent, and the founders of some of the great pianoforte manufactories still flourishing in London. Burkhardt Tschudi, for instance, a harpsichord maker from Switzerland, was the founder of Broadwood’s celebrated manufactory, which dates from the year 1732. Kirkman, a German (who, before he established himself in England, wrote his name Kirchmann) sold his harpsichords in London, according to the German Musical Almanac for the year 1782, at the price of from 60_l._ to 90_l._ apiece. In the beginning of the eighteenth century many of the harpsichords made in England had, according to Grassineau (Musical Dictionary, London, 1740), a compass of only four octaves.

However, already as early as in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, harpsichords or clavicembali, of a superior quality, manufactured by Hans Ruckers and his sons Jean and Andreas, were imported into England. The instruments of these celebrated Antwerp manufacturers were tastefully embellished, and the best Dutch painters not infrequently enriched them with devices. The consequence has been that after the invention of the pianoforte, many of these old harpsichords were taken to pieces in order to preserve the valuable panels. The price of a fine harpsichord by Ruckers about 1770, was £120.

The old _clavicembalo_ by Antonio Baffo, of Venice (Fig. 66), has slips of prepared leather instead of the usual crowquills, which, if original, would show that the statement of some writers as to Pascal Taskin in Paris being the first to use leather is erroneous. Taskin, in constructing in the year 1768 the _Clavecin à peau de buffle_, may have revived an old invention, which, however, he seems to have much improved. He made a _clavecin_ with three keyboards, two of which were connected with actions constructed of crowquills, and the third with an action of leather. The modification in quality of sound thereby obtained was greatly admired.

The illustration (Fig. 67) represents a clavecin made by Pascal Taskin in the year 1786. The case is highly ornamented with Japanese figures and gilding.

The invention of the _clavicembalo_ as well as of the _clavicordo_, is by some old writers ascribed to Guido Aretinus (or Guido d’Arezzo), the famous monk who is recorded to have invented, in the year 1025, the Solmisation, and also to have first conceived the idea of employing lines and dots in the notation of musical sounds. Unauthentic though the tradition may be which assigns to Guido the invention of the stringed instruments with a keyboard, it appears very probable that some rude kind of clavichord was first constructed about his time, or soon after.

The _claviorganum_, or organ-harpsichord, consists of an organ and a harpsichord (or a spinet) combined. Either can be played separately or with the other together. The separation and the union are effected by means of a stop or a pedal. The claviorganum was, some centuries ago, not uncommon. It enables the performer to sustain the sound at pleasure, which on the harpsichord is as little possible as on the pianoforte. A _claviorganum_ from Ightham Mote, near Sevenoaks, illustrated in Fig. 68, affords evidence of a higher antiquity of instruments of this kind than might perhaps be expected. It bears the inscription, _Lodowicus Theewes me fecit_, 1579. There is scarcely more remaining of this interesting relic than the outer case; but this is so elaborately finished that, if the mechanism was constructed with equal care and success, it must have been a superior instrument. The maker is unknown in musical history. Perhaps he belonged to the family of Treu (also written Trew), musicians of repute in Anspach about the year 1600.

The pianoforte, which now has entirely superseded the harpsichord, was first constructed at the beginning of the eighteenth century, in Italy and Germany. About the year 1767 it was from Germany introduced into England; but the English musicians for a considerable period objected to it, and preferred to retain the harpsichord.

That there was, in the time of Shakespeare, a species of flageolet, called _recorder_, is undoubtedly known to most readers from the stage direction in Hamlet: _Re-enter players with recorders_. The recorder is also mentioned by Milton, and described by Bacon, who states that “the figures of recorders, flutes and pipes are straight; but the recorder hath a less bore, and a greater above and below.” An illustration of this old instrument, which has now become very scarce, is given in “The Genteel Companion; Being exact Directions for the Recorder: etc.” London, 1683.

The _flauto dolce_ (French, _flûte douce_, and _flûte à bec_), much in use some centuries ago, was made of various lengths (Fig. 70). The Germans called it _Pflockflöte_, _i.e._, a flute with a plug in the mouth-hole. The most common _flûte à bec_ was made with six finger-holes, and its compass embraced somewhat more than two octaves. Several of the finger-holes required to be only partly covered in order to produce the desired tone. There was often a key on this instrument in addition to the finger-holes. This flute was much in favour in England; hence it was called in France “Flûte d’Angleterre.” It has gradually been supplanted by the “Flûte traversière,” or “German Flute.”

The _flageolet_ (Fig. 71), the smallest _flûte à bec_, was formerly played in England even by ladies. Pepys, in his Diary (March 1st, 1666), records:――“Being returned home, I find Greeting, the flageolet-master, come, and teaching my wife; and I do think my wife will take pleasure in it, and it will be easy for her, and pleasant.”

The flageolet was made of various sizes. Pepys (Diary, January 20th, 1667) records:――“To Drumbleby’s, the pipemaker, there to advise about the making of a flageolet to go low and soft; and he do show me a way which do, and also a fashion of having two pipes of the same note fastened together, so as I can play on one and then echo it upon the other, which is mighty pretty.”

The _double flageolet_ was invented by Bainbridge about the year 1800. The _triple flageolet_ (Fig. 69) is less common but equally useless for musical performances of the present day. The “Harmonicon,” London, 1830, records:――“Within these few years Mr. Bainbridge has added a bass joint to his double flageolet and the tone resembles the lower notes on a German flute. The effect produced by the combination of three notes is very good and mellifluous. The bass joint is fixed at the back of the double flageolet, and the breath is conveyed by means of a tube; and by the introduction of what are termed stop-keys, a solo, duet, or trio may be instantaneously performed. The bass notes are produced by keys pressed with the thumb of the left hand.” The writer remarks that “this instrument being purely English, I consider it deserving of being recorded as a very ingenious invention.”

The _hautboy_ or _oboe_ (Fig. 72) came into more general use about the year 1720.

The most noteworthy kinds of the hautboy of the time of Handel and Sebastian Bach are,――the _oboe da caccia_, which is identical with the _corno inglese_ (_English horn_, _cor anglais_), a large hautboy still occasionally employed in the orchestra, and the _oboe d’amore_, or _oboe lungo_, whch has fallen into oblivion. The pitch of the _oboe d’amore_ was a minor third lower than that of the common hautboy, or _oboe piccolo_; and its sound, owing to the narrowness of the bore at its further end, was rather weak, but particularly sweet.

The precursor of the hautboy was evidently the _bombardino_, or _chalumeau_. The _bombardino_, also called in Italian _bombardo piccolo_, was a small _bombardo_, an instrument of the hautboy kind, about three centuries ago much in use on the Continent.

The Germans called the _bombardo_ “Pommer,” which appears to be a corruption of the Italian name. The _bombardo_ was made of various sizes, and with a greater or smaller number of finger-holes and keys. That which produced the bass tones was sometimes of an enormous length, and was blown through a bent tube, like the bassoon, the invention of which it is said to have suggested.

The smallest instrument, called _chalumeau_ (from _calamus_, “a reed”) is still occasionally to be found among the peasantry in the Tyrol and some other parts of the Continent. The Germans call it _Schalmei_, and the Italians _piffero pastorale_. In England it was formerly called _shawm_ or _shalm_.

The _clarinet_, likewise an instrument of this class, is said to have been invented by Denner, in Nürnberg, about the year 1700. The clarinet has only a single vibrating reed in the mouth-piece; the hautboy has a double one.

The invention of the _bassoon_ (Italian, _fagotto_; French _basson_; German, _Fagott_) is ascribed to Afranio, a canon of Ferrara, who constructed the first in the year 1539. The instrument was, however, an improved _bombardo_ rather than a new invention. As early as the year 1550, the celebrated wind-instrument maker Schnitzer, in Nürnberg, manufactured bassoons which were considered as very complete. Fig. 73 illustrates a species of bassoon bound with brass with brass keys, and complete with mouth-piece and reed.

Various bassoons of small dimensions in use about two centuries ago, and earlier (the _dolciano_, _Quartfagott_, _Quintfagott_, _tenor-bassoon_, _corthol_, etc.), are now antiquated.

In the list of musical instruments of Sir Thomas Kytson, of Hengrave Hall, about the year 1600, recorded in the “History and Antiquities of Hengrave, Suffolk,” by John Gage, London, 1822, is mentioned “A Curtall,” which was probably the _corthol_ or French _courtaut_, an early kind of bassoon, a specimen of which, dating from the fifteenth century, is preserved in the Conservatoire de Musique at Paris. According to Prætorius (anno 1619) the _fagotto piccolo_, a small species of bassoon, was called in England _single corthol_.

The invention of the _serpent_ (Fig. 74) is attributed to Edme Guillaume, a canon of Auxerre in France, anno 1590. It was, however, no new invention, properly speaking, but merely an improvement upon the old _Basszinken_, the management of which was rendered more convenient by giving a serpentine winding to the tube. This instrument subsequently became rather popular. It was used in military bands and in processions until about the middle of the last century. The French made use of it also in church to support the voices. Towards the end of the eighteenth century it appears to have still been a common substitute for the organ in France. Dr. Burney, in his “Journal,” London, 1773, states that he frequently met with it in the churches of that country, and he expresses a more favourable opinion of its suitableness for promoting edification than might have been expected from a refined musician:――“It gives the tone in chanting, and plays the bass when they sing in parts. It is often ill-played, but if judiciously used would have a good effect. It is, however, in general overblown, and too powerful for the voices it accompanies; otherwise, it mixes with them better than the organ, as it can augment or diminish a sound with more delicacy, and is less likely to overpower or destroy, by a bad temperament, that perfect one of which the voice only is capable.”

The _serinette_, or bird organ (Fig. 75), was formerly used in France by ladies to teach airs to little singing birds, especially to a kind of siskin or canary, called in French _serin_; hence the name of the instrument.

The _organ positive_ (Fig. 76) is distinguished from the _organ portative_ in so far that the former was a larger instrument, generally placed on a table and blown by an attendant, while the latter was carried about by the performer in religious processions and on such-like occasions.

In England some rude species of organ is said to have been used in public worship as early as about the middle of the seventh century. It was, however, on the Continent, principally in Germany, that almost all the important improvements originated which gradually brought the organ to its present high degree of perfection. Many old organs of fine workmanship are still extant in the churches of Germany. During the 18th century especially several large organs of deserved celebrity were built in that country; suffice it to instance those of the brothers Andreas and Gottfried Silbermann. In England the important inventions of the continental builders were not readily adopted. Recently, however, several huge organs of very fine workmanship have been constructed in England, chiefly for use in concert rooms, or public halls.

The _regal_, often mentioned in English literature of the time of Shakespeare, and earlier (_see also_ p. 96), was a small _organ portative_. There was till about the end of the 18th century a “Tuner of the Regals,” in the Chapel Royal St. James’s, with a salary of 56_l._ The name _regal_ is supposed to have been derived from _rigabello_, a musical instrument of which scarcely more is known than that it was played in the churches of Italy before the introduction of the organ.

The expression “a payre of regalls,” used by writers some centuries ago, evidently implies only a single instrument. Thus also the virginal is not unfrequently mentioned as “a payre of virginalls.” Moreover, it appears that the regal was occasionally made with two sets of pipes, so as to constitute a double organ of its kind.

In the following lines from Sir W. Leighton’s “Teares or Lamentations of a Sorrowful Soule,” London, 1613, this little organ is mentioned in combination with other curious instruments now antiquated, most of which will be found in the present collection:――

“Praise him upon the claricoales,
The lute and simfonie:
With the dulsemers and the regalls,
Sweete sittrons melody.”

The _bagpipe_ (Fig. 77) appears to have been from time immemorial a special favourite instrument with the Celtic races; but it was perhaps quite as much admired by the Slavonic nations. In Poland, and in the Ukraine, it used to be made of the whole skin of the goat in which the shape of the animal, whenever the bagpipe was expanded with air, appeared fully retained exhibiting even the head with the horns; hence the bagpipe was called _kosà_, which signifies a goat.

The bagpipe is of high antiquity in Ireland, and is alluded to in Irish poetry and prose said to date from the tenth century. A pig gravely engaged in playing the bagpipe is represented in an illuminated Irish manuscript, of the year 1300.

The _bell_ has always been so much in popular favour in England that some account of it must not be omitted. Paul Hentzner, a German, who visited England in the year 1598, records in his journal: “The people are vastly fond of great noises that fill the ear, such as firing of cannon, drums, and the ringing of bells; so that in London it is common for a number of them that have got a glass in their heads to go up into some belfry, and ring the bells for hours together for the sake of exercise.” This may be exaggeration,――not unusual with travellers. It is, however, a fact that bell-ringing has been a favourite amusement with Englishmen for centuries.

The way in which church bells are suspended and fastened, so as to permit of their being made to vibrate in the most effective manner without damaging by their vibration the building in which they are placed, is in some countries very peculiar. The Italian _campanile_, or bell tower, is not unfrequently separated from the church itself. In Servia the church bells are often hung in a frame-work of timber built near the west end of the church. In Zante and other islands of Greece the belfry is usually separate from the church. The reason assigned by the Greeks for having adopted this plan is that in case of an earthquake the bells are likely to fall and, were they placed in a tower, would destroy the roof of the church and might cause the destruction of the whole building. Also in Russia a special edifice for the bells is generally separate from the church. In the Russian villages the bells are not unfrequently hung in the branches of an oak-tree near the church. In Iceland the bell is usually placed in the lych-gate leading to the graveyard.

The idea of forming of a number of bells a musical instrument such as the _carillon_ is said by some to have suggested itself first to the English and Dutch; but what we have seen in Asiatic countries sufficiently refutes this. Moreover, not only the Romans employed variously arranged and attuned bells, but also among the Etruscan antiquities an instrument has been discovered which is constructed of a number of bronze vessels placed in a row on a metal rod. Numerous bells, varying in size and tone, have also been found in Etruscan tombs. Among the later contrivances of this kind in European countries the sets of bells suspended in a wooden frame, which we find in mediæval illuminations, deserve notice. In the British Museum is a manuscript of the fourteenth century in which King David is depicted holding in each hand a hammer with which he strikes upon bells of different dimensions, suspended on a wooden stand.

It may be supposed that the device of playing tunes by means of bells merely swung by the hand is also of ancient date. In Lancashire each of the ringers manages two bells, holding one in either hand. Thus, an assemblage of seven ringers insures fourteen different tones; and as each ringer may change his two notes by substituting two other Dells if required, even compositions with various modulations, and of a somewhat intricate character, may be executed,――provided the ringers are good timeists; for each has, of course, to take care to fall in with his note, just as a member of the Russian horn band contributes his single note whenever it occurs.

Peal-ringing is another pastime of the kind which may be regarded as pre-eminently national to England. The bells constituting a peal are frequently of the number of eight, attuned to the diatonic scale. Also peals of ten bells, and even of twelve, are occasionally formed. A peculiar feature of peal-ringing is that the bells, which are provided with clappers, are generally swung so forcibly as to raise the mouth completely upwards. The largest peal, and one of the finest, is at Exeter Cathedral: another celebrated one is that of St. Margaret’s, Leicester, which consists of ten bells. Peal-ringing is of an early date in England; Egelric, abbot of Croyland, is recorded to have cast about the year 960 a set of six bells.

The _carillon_ is especially popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, but is also found in Germany, Italy, and some other European countries. It is generally placed in the church tower, and also sometimes in other public edifices. The statement repeated by several writers that the first carillon was invented in the year 1481 in the town of Alost is not to be trusted, for the town of Bruges claims to have possessed similar chimes in the year 1300. There are two kinds of carillons in use on the Continent, viz.: clock chimes, which are moved by machinery, like a self-acting barrel-organ; and such as are provided with a set of keys, by means of which the tunes are played by a musician. The carillon in the “Parochial-Kirche” at Berlin, which is one of the finest in Germany, contains thirty-seven bells; and is provided with a key-board for the hands and with a pedal, which together place at the disposal of the performer a compass of rather more than three octaves. The keys of the manual are metal rods somewhat above a foot in length, and are pressed down with the palms of the hand. The keys of the pedal are of wood; the instrument requires not only great dexterity, but also a considerable physical power. It is astonishing how rapidly passages can be executed upon it by the player, who is generally the organist of the church in which he acts as _carillonneur_. When engaged in the last-named capacity he usually wears leathern gloves to protect his fingers, as they are otherwise apt to become ill fit for the more delicate treatment of the organ.

The want of a contrivance in the _carillon_ for stopping the vibration has the effect of making rapid passages, if heard near, sound as a confused noise; only at some distance are they tolerable. It must be remembered that the _carillon_ is intended especially to be heard from a distance. Successions of tones which form a consonant chord, and which have some duration, are evidently the most suitable for this instrument.

Indeed, every musical instrument possesses certain characteristics which render it especially suitable for the production of some particular effects. The invention of a new instrument of music has, therefore, not unfrequently led to the adoption of new effects in compositions. Take the pianoforte, which was invented in the beginning of the eighteenth century, and which has now obtained so great a popularity; its characteristics inspired our great composers to the invention of effects, or expressions, which cannot be properly rendered on any other instrument, however superior in some respects it may be to the pianoforte. Thus also the improvements which have been made during the present century in the construction of our brass instruments, and the invention of several new brass instruments, have evidently been not without influence upon the conceptions displayed in our modern orchestral works.

Imperfect though this essay may be it will probably have convinced the reader that a reference to the history of the music of different nations elucidates many facts illustrative of our own musical instruments, which to the unprepared observer must appear misty and impenetrable. In truth, it is with this study as with any other scientific pursuit. The unassisted eye sees only faint nebulæ, where with the aid of the telescope bright stars are revealed.

APPENDIX.

HANDEL’S HARPSICHORD.

The following documentary evidence of this instrument’s authenticity as Handel’s harpsichord (Fig. 78) has been transmitted by Messrs. Broadwood:――

33, Great Pulteney Street, London,
_November 18th, 1868_.

Handel’s harpsichord was bought by us of Mr. Hooper, a
pianoforte tuner at Winchester, in 1852. He had obtained it
from Dr. Chard, the Cathedral organist of that city, who had
taken pains to prove it to be the same instrument which
Handel had left by will to his friend and amanuensis,
Christopher Smith. In Handel’s will, dated June, 1750, was
the bequest:――‘I give and bequeath to Christopher Smith my
large harpsichord, my little house-organ, my music books,
and 500_l._ sterling;’ and in a codicil, dated 6th of
August, 1756: ‘I give to Christopher Smith 1,500_l._
additional to the legacy already given to him in my will.’
Dr. Chard wrote to the Rev. George Coxe, of Twyford (Rector
of St. Michael’s, Winchester), to obtain his testimony to
the identity of this harpsichord with the ‘_Large
Harpsichord_’ of the will. Mr. Coxe was nearly related to
Smith, and had frequently heard him play upon it. On the
13th of May, 1842, and in the presence of witnesses, Mr.
Coxe confirmed this. Dr. Chard states in the document signed
by Mr. Coxe, that this harpsichord was left with a large
collection of Handel’s MSS. by Christopher Smith to his
step-daughter, the Dowager Lady Rivers, who parted with it
to Mr. Wickham, a surgeon, who, in his turn, parted with it
to the Rev. Mr. Hawtrey, Prebendary of Winchester, after
whose death it came into the possession of Dr. Chard.

This interesting relic of Handel is also worthy of notice
from having been one of the best-constructed instruments of
the celebrated harpsichord makers, the Ruckers family of
Antwerp. It is not remarkable for any beauty of decoration
beyond the conventional ornamentation of the period; but the
structure shows great skill in the manufacture, and that the
harpsichord had become nearly perfected in the middle of the
seventeenth century.

The two key-boards were used for variety of tone. The lower
key-board, the _jacks_ of which acted upon two sets of
strings in unison, and one set an octave higher, was the
louder in tone; the upper key-board, acting on one set of
strings only, was the softer. But the lower key-board could
be made to act upon one set of strings only, by means of
stops drawn out by the hand of the performer. In touching
the keys, a distinctive quality of tone may still be
recognised, particularly in the higher notes, a reedy but
soft and delicate _timbre_ testifying to the former beauty
of the instrument. It may be assumed as certain that the
keys are not of Handel’s time. We do not know when the
present key-boards were put, or by whom, but the style of
the white and black keys is undoubtedly modern. Neither can
it be doubted that there were originally keys in keeping
with the fashion of the harpsichord, which we may suppose to
have been worn out, to account for the substitution of those
existing. The case of deal, black japanned, the brass
hinges, the ornamentation, and the mottoes are original.
Inside the top is inscribed:――

_Sic transit Gloria Mundi_;

on the flap or folding of the top――

_Musica Donum Dei_;

and on the slip of wood above the upper keys――

_Andreas Ruckers me fecit, Antwerpiæ, 1651_.

There is a date on the sounding-board “1651,” and in the
ornamental sound-hole are the initials “A. R.” Among the
flowers represented on the sounding-board may be seen a
concert of monkeys, one beating time, another playing the
viol da gamba, etc. A third motto existed until about
fifteen years ago――_Acta Virum Probant_. This was rubbed off
by a workman engaged in mending the lock-board (upon which
this motto was), which had been split.

As a musical instrument, this harpsichord has lived its
life. It is not now capable of being tuned, and any attempt
to improve the accord of it might prove disastrous by the
sounding-board giving way altogether. It is, therefore, of
consequence to the preservation of the woodwork that tuning
should not be attempted.

JOHN BROADWOOD & SONS.

Letter to the Rev. G. Coxe, Twyford, Rector of St. Michael’s, Winchester:――

MY DEAR SIR,――Will you oblige me by certifying (if I am
correct) the following:――

The celebrated Mr. Smith (or Schmidt) was Handel’s private
friend, and amanuensis. This said Mr. Smith was presented by
Handel with his favourite fine double-keyed harpsichord,
made by the best makers of the day, Andreas Ruckers of
Antwerpia, 1651. This said instrument you have heard
repeatedly Mr. Smith play on. Mr. Smith was father-in-law to
you as well as your sister, the late Dowager Lady Rivers;
and at his death, the said harpsichord, together with a
large collection of Handel’s oratorios, etc., etc., MSS.,
came into the hands of the Dowager Lady Rivers. This
instrument was parted with to a Mr. Wickham, surgeon, who
parted with it to the Rev. W. Hawtrey, Prebendary of
Winchester Cathedral, upon the death of whom I purchased it
at the sale of his effects; and in my possession it still
remains. Is not this the identical instrument now spoken of?
Your early answer to these queries, as the only living
witness, will oblige.

Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,
G. W. CHARD.

_P.S._――Will you oblige me by certifying on this sheet of
paper, and returning it?

_Answer._

I certify that the above statement is correct, as far as my
knowledge goes.

GEORGE COXE.

Twyford, _May 13th, 1842_.
Witness to the above signature,
SUSANNA GREGG.
JAMES HARRIS.

[1] Figured and described in Lartet & Christy’s _Reliquiæ
Aquitanicæ_, London, 1865-75, Pl. B. v., p. 48.

[2] The best instance is to be found in Lepsius’
_Denkmäler_, III. 106a., where a music-school of the
Akhenaten period (about 1400 B.C.) is depicted.

[3] For coloured plate after this painting see Wilkinson’s
_Ancient Egyptians_, Vol. I., Pl. xii. (facing page 480).

[4] See _Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh_,
Vol. xx., Part I (1850).

[5] _See_ E. Aldis, _Carvings and Sculptures of Worcester
Cathedral_ (IV).

[6] _See_ illustration in _Ann. Arch._, IV., p. 37.

[7] _See_ illustration in _Ann. Arch._, iv., p. 98.

[8] For a more complete list of lute-makers see Von
Lütgendorff, _Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter
bis zur Gegenwart_, Frankfort, 1904.

INDEX

Abyssinian instruments, 20.
Acocotl, 67.
Adair, quoted, 81.
Adufe, 25.
Æolian harp, 4.
African instruments in America, 82.
Ajacaxtli, 72.
Al-Farabi, lutist, 55-57.
American Indian instruments, 58 _seq._
American Indians, metrical psalms of, 81.
American Indians, musical performances of, 75.
American Indians, North, musical talent of, 81.
Anglo-Saxon instruments, 84, 86, 90, 94.
Arab instruments, 3, 36, 48, 53 _seq._, 108.
Arabs in Spain, 36, 56.
Archlute, 101, 105.
Ashantee, trumpet from, 2.
Ash-shakandi, 55.
Asor, 20.
Assyrian instruments, 16 _seq._
Aulos, 31.
Aztecs, instruments of the, 58, 59.

Bach, 115.
Bacon, quoted, 125.
Bagpipe, Celtic, 130.
” Greek, 130.
” Hebrew, 23.
” Irish, 130.
” mediæval, 102.
” Persian, 53.
” Polish, 130.
” Roman, 35.
Bainbridge, inventor, 126.
Banduria, 110.
Bansi, 47.
Barbitos, 27, 30, 33.
Baryton, 116.
Bassoon, 127, 128.
Bass-viol, 114, 119.
Basszinken, 128.
Bells, Assyrian, 18.
” Buddhist, 80.
” Chinese, 39, 40.
” Egyptian, 14, 15.
” English, 131.
” Etruscan, 132.
” Hebrew, 25.
” Japanese, 46.
” Mexican, 73.
” Peruvian, 73, 80.
” Roman, 36, 132.
” hanging of, 131.
” ringing of, 131, 132.
Bene, 11.
Beni Hassan, painting at, 21.
Bernhard, inventor of the pedal, 96.
Beverley Minster, sculpture at, 97.
Bîn, 49.
Bird Organ, 129.
Biwa, 44.
Blasius, St., manuscript at, 89, 90.
Bombardino, 127.
Bombardo, 127.
Bombulom, 97.
Bone instruments, 58.
Boscherville, St. Georges de, sculpture from, 99.
Botuto, 68.
Bow, 50, 55, 88, 90, 113, 119.
Bridges, movable, 44.
Bruce, his discovery of harps on frescoes, 11.
Buccina, 35.
Bûche, 118, 119.
Budbudika, 47.
Buddhism, 39, 43, 52.
Buddhist Temples, bas-reliefs on, 43, 44.
Bunibulum, 97.
Bunting, quoted, 88.
Burmese instruments, 2, 3, 42.
Burney, Dr., quoted, 128.

Cachua, Peruvian dance, 79.
Calamus, 34.
Cambodia, temples in, 43.
Capistrum, 34.
Carians, pipes of the, 28.
Carillon, 131, 133.
Caroados, trumpet of the, 67.
Castanets, Egyptian, 14.
” Greek, 32.
” Roman, 36.
Cembalo, 122.
Ceylon, instruments of, 51.
Chalil, 23.
Chalumeau, 127.
Chang, 53.
Chanrares, 73.
Chatzozerah, 24.
Chayna, 62, 79.
Chelys, 28, 29, 33, 47.
Chên, 40.
Cheng, 6.
Chhilchiles, 72.
Ch’ih, 42.
Chimes, 133.
Ch’in, 43, 44.
Chinese “Board of Music,” 78.
” instruments, 2, 3, 4, 6, 37 _seq._, 43.
Ch’ing, 37, 38, 39.
Chin-ku, 41.
Chiriqui Indians, pipe of, 60, 79.
Chiterna, 109.
Chitarrone, 106.
Ch’iu (wood), 41.
Ch’un-tu, 40.
Chorus, or choron, 93.
Chu, 41.
Chung, 39.
Cionar cruit, 89.
Cithara, 33, 84, 85, 94.
” Anglica, 89.
” Teutonica, 89.
Cither, 109, 119.
Cithern, or cittern, 102, 109.
Citole, 86.
Cittern, 102, 109.
Clarin, 67.
Clarinet, 127.
Clarion, mediæval, 102.
Clarseth, 110-112.
Clavecin, 124.
Clavicembalo, 6, 122, 124.
Clavichords, 121.
” makers of, 122.
” prices of, 122.
Clavicordo, 124.
Claviorganum, 124.
Conch trumpets, Hindu, 47.
” ” Mexican, 80.
Confucius, 37, 39, 40, 43.
Congo, instrument of the, 2.
Constantinople, obelisk at, 95.
Cor anglais, 127.
Corno inglese, 127.
Cornu, Etruscan, 32.
” Roman, 33, 35.
Corthol, 128.
Courtaut, 128.
“Chronicon picturatum Brunswicense,” quoted, 91.
Crotala, 36.
Crowd, _see_ Crwth.
Crusaders, 36.
Crusmata, 36.
Crwth, 89, 90, 113.
Cuddos nut, instrument made of, 52.
“Curtail,” A, 128.
Cymbals, Assyrian, 18.
” Egyptian, 14, 15.
” Greek, 32.
” Hebrew, 25.
” mediæval, 103.
” Roman, 36.
Cymbalum, 36, 97.
Cythera (cithara), 109.

Dalyell, Sir J. G., quoted, 116.
Damaras, 6.
Damaru, 47.
Darabuka, 14, 24.
Darius, 19.
David, King, 19.
Day, Major C. R., 49, 52.
Diaulos, 31.
Diff, 25.
Doff, 25.
Dōhachi, 45.
Dolciano, 128.
Dora, 45.
Dordogne, 9.
Double-bass, 117.
” flageolet, 126.
” pipe, in Anglo-Saxon MS., 84.
Double-pipe, Egyptian, 13.
” ” Greek, 31.
” ” Phœnician, 36.
” ” Roman 34, 35.
Dragonetti, Signor, 117, 118.
Drums, American Indian, 82.
” Assyrian, 17, 18.
” Chinese, 41.
” Egyptian, 14.
” Fiji, 80.
” Greek, 32.
” Hebrew, 24.
” Hindu, 47.
” Japanese, 45.
” mediæval, 56, 97.
” Mexican, 70.
” New Guinea, 2.
” Persian, 53.
” Peruvian, 72.
” of Tonga, 80.
” of Torres Strait Islands, 80.
Dublin Museum, harps in, 111.
Dulcimer, 6.
” Anglo-Saxon, 86.
” Assyrian, 17.
” Greek, 30.
” Hebrew, 19.
” Persian, 54, 55.

Egyptian instruments, 8, 10 _seq._, 27, 98.
Elizabeth, Queen, 119, 120.
El-ood, 54, 56.
English instruments, 104.
Etruscan ” , 32 _seq._
Europe, introduction of instruments in, 36.
European instruments, 83 _seq._
Evelyn, quoted, 106, 116.
Exeter Cathedral, minstrel gallery in, 102.

Fagott, 127.
Fagotto piccolo, 128.
Fang-hsiang, 40.
Fiddle, Anglo-Saxon, 90.
” Bengalese, 50.
” Chinese, 51.
” German, 90.
” Hindu and Indian, 50, 88.
” Moorish, 90.
Fidis or Fides, 33.
Fidla, 113.
Finnish instrument, 47, 88.
Fistula, 35.
Fithele (fiddle), 114.
Flageolet, English, 125, 126.
” Japanese, 45.
Flauto dolce, 125.
Flutes, American Indian, 82.
” Arab, 55.
” Aztec, 60.
” Chinese, 42.
” Egyptian, 12.
Flutes, Etruscan, 32.
” German, 126.
” Greek, 31.
” of Guiana Indians, 62.
” Hebrew, 23, 26.
” Hindu, 47.
” Japanese, 45.
” Mexican, 58 _seq._
” Peruvian, 58 _seq._
” Phrygian, 28.
” Roman, 34.
Flûte à bec, 125.
” d’Angleterre, 125, 126.
” traversière, 126.
Forkel, quoted, 23.
Fortunatus, quoted, 89, 90.
Franz, Karl, 115.
Free reed, 5.
French instruments, 112, 125, 126, 128, 129.
Frestele, Fretel or Fretiau, 94.
Fuye, 45.

Gage, John, quoted, 128.
Gaspard di Salo, 118.
Gerbert, Abbot, mentioned, 84, 89, 90.
Gittern, 56, 102, 108.
Gittith, 25, 26.
Gizeh, 13.
Gongs, Chinese, 45.
” Egyptian, 14.
” Japanese, 45.
” Mexican, 80.
” Tezcucan, 73.
Greek instruments, 27 _seq._
Guatemala, instrument of, 82.
Guitar, instruction books for, 108, 109.
Guitar, Japanese, 44.
” mediæval, 102.
” post-mediæval, 108, 109.
” Spanish, 110.
Gut-komm, 43.
Gythorn, 108.

Handel’s harpsichord, 135.
Harmonica, 97.
Harmonicon, Chinese, 2, 37, 40.

_Harmonicon, The_, quoted, 126.
Harps, Anglo-Saxon, 87.
” Arabian, 53.
” Assyrian, 16, 28.
” Burmese, 16.
” Celtic, 87.
” Egyptian, 11.
” Finnish, 88.
” French, 112.
” German, 87.
” Greek, 28, 29.
” Hebrew, 19.
” Hindu, 50.
” Irish, 88, 110-112.
” mediæval, 89, 100-102.
” Persian, 53.
” Scandinavian, 87.
Harp-guitar, 110.
” lute, 110.
Harpsichord, 116, 121, 123.
” Handel’s, authenticity of, 135 _seq._
Harpsichord-makers, 123, 136.
Harp-theorbo, 110.
Harpu, 88.
Harp-ventura, 110.
Hautboy, 126.
Haydn, 116.
Hebrew instruments, 19 _seq._
Hentzner, Paul, quoted, 131.
Hichiriki, 45.
Hindu instruments, 3, 46, 52, 88, 89, 93.
Hindus, musical scale of, 50.
Holmos or mouth-piece, 35.
Horn, English, 127.
” Greek, 32.
” Hebrew, 24.
Hsiao, 42.
Hsüan, 42.
Hsüan-chung, 39.
Huanca, 72.
Huayllaca, 62.
Huayra-puhura, 63, 79.
Huehuetl, 71, 80.
Hydraulis, 32.

Icelandic instrument, 114.
Ikuta-goto, 44, 45.
Instrument makers, 106, 111, 114-116, 118, 122-126, 128, 129, 136,
137.
Instruments, decoration of, 2, 8, 11, 16, 39, 41, 42, 109, 112, 113,
115, 116, 123, 136.
Intervals, diatonic, 112.
” in American Indian instruments, 79.
Intervals in Chinese instruments, 39.
Intervals in Persian instruments, 53.
Irish bards, meetings of, 111.
” instruments, 89.
Isis, worship of, 36.
Italian instruments, 106-109, 113, 120, 123, 130.

Japanese instruments, 3, 4, 44 _seq._
Jars, musical, 69.
Javanese instruments, 2, 3.
Jerusalem, Temple of, 19, 23.
Jew’s harp, 102.
Jinagovi, 52.
Jobel, 25.
Jones, Edward, quoted, 90.
Junk, 53.
Juruparis, 66.

Kach’-hapi, 47.
Kalmuks, trumpet of the, 80.
Kane, 46.
Kantele, 47, 88.
Kei, 45.
Kemángeh, 55.
Ken, 42.
Keras, 32.
Keren, 24.
Keyboards, instruments with, 120-125.
Khorsabad, 16.
Kinnor, 20.
Kiōto, bell at, 46.
Kithara, Asiatic, 27.
” Greek, 28, 29.
K’iu (wood), 41.
Ko-kiū, 44.
Kosà, 130.
Koto, 44.
Kouyunjik, 16.
Kratzenstein, 6.
Krotala, 32.
Ku, 41.
Kuan-tzŭ, 42.
K’uei, musician, 37.
Kuitra, 56, 108.
Kymbala, 32.

Langspiel, 114.
Laos, instruments of, 4, 42.
Launedda, 36.
Lay, T., quoted, 43.
Lei-ku, 41.
Leighton, Sir W., quoted, 130.
Lidl, Anton, 115.
Lionedda, 36.
Lira di braccio, 101.
Lituus, 35.
Lombrive, 10.
Lute, 104, 105, 116.
” Arab, 54.
” Hindu, 89.
” Japanese, 44.
” mediæval, 102.
” Moorish, 56.
” Tibetan, 43.
Lute-makers, principal, 106, 116.
Lutists, Arabian, 54, 55, 56.
Lydians, Kithara of, 28.
Lyra, German, 90.
” Greek, 28.
” Roman, 33.
Lyre, 84.
” Assyrian, 18.
” Greek, 27 _seq._
” Hebrew, 20.
” Roman, 33.

Mace, Thomas, quoted, 104, 105, 119.
Machalath, 22, 25, 26.
Machol, 26.
Magadis, 27, 30, 52.
Magoudi, 52.
Magrepha, 23, 24.
Mam, 13.
Mandoline, 107, 108.
Mandora, 108.
Mandorina, 108.
Marimba, 82.
Martin, instrument-maker, 118.
Mattheson, quoted, 105.
Melozzo da Forlì, painting by, 97.
Melrose Abbey, sculpture at, 97.
Melville, Sir James, quoted, 120.
Menaaneim, 25.
Metzilloth, 25.
Metzilthaim, 25.
Mexican instruments, 59, 80 _seq._
Miao-tsze, 43.
Middle Ages, instruments of the, 83.
Minnim, 22, 23.
Miriam, 25.
Mishrokitha, 23.
Monaulos, 31.
Monochord, 31, 92.
Moorish instruments, 56, 108.
Mosul, bas-relief from, 16.
Mozart, 107.
Munich Museum, vase in, 28.
Music, ancient books on, 48, 84.
” supposed origin of, 47.

Nabla, 30.
Nablas, 27.
Nablia, 34.
Nablum, 86, 100.
Naker, 56.
Naḳḳárah, 56.
Nakrys, 56.
Nara, bell near, 46.
Nebuchadnezzar, 18.
Nechiloth, 25, 26.
Nefer, 12.
Nekeb, 23.
Nevel, 19, 22, 30.
New Guinea, instruments of, 2.
New Zealand, instruments of, 2.
“Nibelungenlied,” The, 90.
Nimroud, 16, 18.
Nineveh, 16.
Nootka Sound, instrument of, 2.
Norwegian instruments, 113.
Nuy, 55.

Oboe da caccia, 127.
” d’amore, 127.
” Hindu, 79.
” lungo, 127.
” Persian, 55.
” piccolo, 127.
Ocarina, Chinese, 42.
Octave, Arabian, 54.
” Chinese, 39.
Octavina (Ottavino), 120.
Oliphant, 94.
Organ, Burmese, 42.
” Chinese, 42.
” English, 129.
” French, 129.
” Gamba stop in, 115.
” German, 129.
” Hebrew, 24.
” hydraulic, 32.
” pneumatic, 94.
” portative, 129, 130.
” positive, 129.
” Siamese, 42.
Organ-builders, German, 129.
Organ-harpsichord, 124.
Organistrum, 92, 99, 101.
Orchestras, mediæval, 99.
Orpheus, Chinese, 37.
Ottavino, or Octavina, 120.
Ovalle, Alonso de, quoted, 62.

P’ai-hsiao, 42.
Palenque, instruments from, 62.
Pandean pipes, 23, 31, 35, 42, 53, 80.
Pandoura, 30.
Pandurina, 108.
Pasquali, Signor, 117.
Passerini, Signor, 117.
Pedal, invention of, 96.
” in harpsichord, 124.
Pektis, 30.
Pepys, quoted, 120, 126.
Persian instruments, 3, 48, 52 _seq._
Peruvian instruments, 58, 59.
Peruvians, songs of the, 80, 81.
Phaamon, 25.
Phœnicians, 36.
Phorbeia, 34.
Phorminx, 28, 29.
Pianoforte, 123, 125, 134.
Piao, 39.
Pien-ch’ing, 38, 39.
Pien-chung, 39.
Piffero pastorale, 127.
Pincullu, 62.
P’i-p’a, 43, 44.
Pipe of the Aztecs, 60.
” Berecynthian, 27.
” Carian, 28.
” of Chiriqui Indians, 60, 79.
” Egyptian, 12.
” Greek, 31.
” Hebrew, 23.
” Japanese, 45.
” Mexican, 58 _seq._
” Peruvian, 58 _seq._
” Phrygian, 27.
Pitch of Chinese instruments, 39.
” the oboe, 127.
” the ottavino, 120.
” whistle sounds, 59.
Pito, 60.
Plectrum, 30, 40, 44, 45, 109, 110.
Plektron, _see_ Plectrum.
Po-fu, 41.
Poitiers, 10.
Post-mediæval instruments, 104 _seq._
Pottery, instruments of, 58 _seq._
Prætorius, quoted, 111.
Pre-historic relics, 9.
Psalms, musical directions in, 26.
Psalterion, 20.
Psalterium, 33, 85, 86.
Psaltery, 102, 116, 117.
Psanterin, 20.
Pungi, 52, 93.

Quanūn, 54, 55.
Quartfagott, 128.
Quills for twanging strings, 107, 109, 119.
Quills in virginal, 120.
Quinterna, 109.
Quintfagott, 128.
Quyvi, 62.

Rabôb, 55, 56.
Ranking, J., quoted, 75.
Rattles, 80.
” American Indian, 72, 82.
” Indian, 2.
Ravanastra, 50.
Rebec, 56, 102, 113.
Rébek, 90.
Recorder, 125.
Regal, or regals, 96, 102, 129.
Rigabello, 130.
Rin, 46.
Roman instruments, 32 _seq._
Rote, 88.
Rotta, 88, 89.

Sârangi, 50.
Sackbut, 94, 102.
Sainprae, Jaques, 115.
Salpinx, 32.
Salterio, 102.
Sambuca, 34, 94.
Sambyke, 27, 30.
Samisen, 44.
Sang, 43.
San-hsien, 44.
Sankha, 47.
Santiago de Compostella, sculpture at, 101.
Santir, 6, 20, 55.
Sardinia, 36.
Sârinda, 50.
Scabellum, 35.
Scale, Chinese, 37, 39.
” diatonic, 132.
” pentatonic, 42, 79.
Scandinavian harp, 87.
Schalmei, 127.
Scheitholz, 118, 119.
Schnitzer, instrument maker, 128.
Sê, 43.
Sebȧ, 12.
Serinette, 129.
Serpent, 128.
Seshesh, 15.
Shakespeare, quoted, 114.
Shakuhachi, 45.
Shalisbim, 25.
Shalm, or shawm, 102, 103, 127.
Shehna, 79.
Shêng, 42, 43, 45.
Shime-daiko, 45.
Shō, 45.
Shophar, 24.
Shwan-che, 43.
Siam, instruments used in, 3, 4, 42.
Simikon, 30.
Sistrum, Egyptian, 14, 98.
” Hebrew, 25.
” Roman, 36.
Sitar, 110.
Sitâra, 55.
Solomon, 19.
Sordino, 118.
Spain, Arabs in, 36, 56.
Spanish instruments, 36, 110.
Spinet, 121.
Stones, sonorous, 39, 73.
Stops of the clavicembalo, 123.
Stop in organ-harpsichord, 124.
Strabo, quoted, 27.
Stradivarius, 118.
Strings, catgut, 1, 30, 108-110, 115.
Strings, silk, 1, 43, 44, 54, 109.
Strings, sympathetic, 115, 116.
” wire, 55, 108-110, 115-117, 120, 121.
Sultana, 116.
Sumphonia, 23.
Sung-ch’ing, 39.
Surnai, 55.
Suroda, 88, 89.
Syrinx, Greek, 31.
” Hebrew, 23.
” mediæval, 94, 99.
” Peruvian, 63.
” Roman, 35.

Tabret, 24.
Taiko, 45.
Talmud, The, 23.
Tamboura, Arabian, 54.
” Egyptian, 27.
” Hebrew, 22.
Tambourine, Assyrian, 18.
” Egyptian, 14.
” Hebrew, 24.
” Peruvian, 72.
” Roman, 35.
Tangents in the clavichord, 121.
T’ê-ch’ing, 39.
T’ê-chung, 39, 40.
Tenor (violin), 113.
Tenor-bassoon, 128.
Tenor-viol, 119.
Teponaztli, 70, 80.
Testudo, 33.
Tezcucans, instruments of the, 73.
Thebes, 11, 12, 14.
Theorbo, 101, 104, 105.
Ti, 42.
Tibetan instruments, 43, 80.
Tibia, 34.
” curva, 34.
” dextra, 34.
” gingrina, 34.
” ligula, 34.
” longa, 34.
” obliqua, 34.
” sinistra, 34.
” utricularis, 34.
” vasca, 35.
Tibiæ impares, 34.
” pares, 34.
Timbrel, 24, 102.
Timotheus, flutist, 57.
Tintinnabula, 36.
Tintinnabulum, 100.
Tinya, 75.
Titus, arch of, 24.
Tone of instruments, 112, 113.
Toph, 24, 25.
Toumrie, 52.
Treble-viol, 119.
Triangle, Hebrew, 25.
Triangle, Roman, 36.
Triangulum, 36.
Trigonon, 17, 28, 30, 53.
Trigonum, 34.
Triple Flageolet, 126.
Trombone, 94.
Trumpets of South American Indians, 65.
Trumpets, Anglo-Saxon, 94.
” Ashantee, 2.
” Assyrian, 18.
” of the Caroados, 67.
” Egyptian, 14.
” Greek, 32.
” Hebrew, 24 _seq._
” Hindu, 47, 79.
” of the Kalmuks, 80.
” Mexican, 80.
” New Zealand, 2.
” Persian, 53.
” Thibetan, 80.
Tschenk (Chang), 53.
Tsu-ku, 41.
Tsudzumi, 45.
Tsuri-gane, 46.
Tuba, 35.
Tuckey, Captain, 2.
Turé, 67, 79.
“Tuner of the Regals,” 130.
Tuning of the spinet, 121.
Tympanon, 32.
Tympanum, 35.
Tyrolean harp-makers, 112.
Tzeltzelim, 25.

Ugab, 23.
Ur-heen, 51, 52.

Ventura, Signor, 110.
Vielle, 101.
Vihuela, 102, 110.
Vina, 46, 47, 49.
” mahati, 49.
” rudra, 49.
Vinavah, 51.
Viol, mediæval, 99, 100.
” post-mediæval, 113, 119.
” Spanish, 102, 118.
Viola da gamba, 114, 115.
” d’amore, 116.
” di bardone, 115.
Violin, 91, 113, 114, 116.
” Japanese, 44.
” Persian, 55.
Violoncello, 114, 115.
Virginal, 119-121, 130.

Wait, the instrument, 103.
Walther, quoted, 121.
Welsh instruments, 89, 90.
Whistles, American Indian, 82.
” Mexican, 59, 60.
Wilkinson, Sir G., quoted, 21.

Ying-ku, 41.
Yotl, 73.
Yü, 40, 41.
” stone made into the ch’ing, 38.
Yüeh, 42.
Yüeh-ch’in, 43.

Zampogna, 23.
Zante, belfries in, 131.
Zither, or Zitter, 109.

Transcriber’s Note

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like this_. Footnotes were renumbered sequentially and were moved to the end of the book, preceding the Index. Dialect, obsolete and alternative spellings were left unchanged. Inconsistent hyphenation was not changed. Misspelled words were not changed. Descriptions of snippets of music were added to illustrations identified as [Music:].

Obvious printing errors, such as partially printed letters, were corrected. Final stops missing at the end of sentences and abbreviations were added. Duplicate words and syllables at line endings or page breaks were removed. Two unnecessary commas in the Index were deleted.

Fig. 53 was moved to appear in numerical sequence; Figs. 65, 69 and 70, referenced in the List of Illustrations, were omitted from the book.