Curiosities of Music: A Collection of Facts Not Generally Known, Regarding the Music of Ancient and Savage Nations |
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accompanied actors Ambros Ambrosian chant Amiot ancient appear Athens audience bamboo beautiful bells called celebrated century ceremonies chant character chief China Chinese music chorus Christian church comedy composed Confucius contests court dance dancers drama drums earliest Egypt Egyptian emperor endeavored European existed fact female festivals Fetis flute gave Gesch give Greece Greek music hand harmony harp Hindoo Hist honor hymns instru invented Japan Japanese king kithara lady latter lyre manner melodies ment minne-singers modern modes music of Japan musical instruments musicians Nero Neumes occasion opera performers phorminx Phrynicus pitch play players plectrum poetry possessed praise priests prize probably Pythagoras reign religious resemblance Roman Rome Saltatione sang says scale seems similar singers singing sistrum skolion sometimes songs sound Sparta spectators stage stones stringed instruments strings style sung Terpander theatre Thespis tion tones took tragedy troubadours trumpets voice
Popular passages
Page 298 - ... clear and quick. In reproving he is terrible; in admonishing courteous and fair spoken; pleasant in conversation, mixed with gravity. It cannot be remembered that any have seen him laugh but many have seen him weep. In proportion of body excellent; his hands and arms most delicate to behold. In speaking very temperate, modest and wise. A man for his singular beauty surpassing the children of men.
Page 340 - Charge them " rung From each side, as in battle closing, Where the horses neigh, And the call to
Page 274 - The natives are passionately fond of music; and I believe the safest way to travel in those wild countries would be to play the cornet, if possible without ceasing, which would insure a safe passage. A London organ-grinder would march through Central Africa followed by an admiring and enthusiastic crowd, who, if his tunes were lively, would form a dancing escort of the most untiring material.
Page 297 - There appeared in these our days a man of great virtue, named Jesus Christ, who is yet living amongst us, and of the Gentiles is accepted for a Prophet of truth, but his own disciples call him the Son of God.
Page 178 - ... that of her honour. Whilst she is tearing her hair, and rending the skies with her complaints, the conqueror enters, approaches her with respect, addresses her in a gentle tone, soothes her sorrows with his compassion, talks of love and adoration, and like Richard the Third, with Lady Anne in Shakspeare, prevails in less than half an hour, on the Chinese Princess to dry up her tears, to forget her deceased consort, and yield to a consoling wooer.
Page 340 - And the vassals are there, And there fly the steeds of the dying and dead ; And where the mingled strife is spread, The noblest warrior's care Is to cleave the foeman's limbs and head, — The conqueror less of the living than dead. I tell you that nothing my soul can cheer, Or banqueting, or reposing, Like the onset cry of
Page 344 - I HEARD before the dawn of day The watchman loud proclaim ; " If any knightly lover stay In secret with his dame, Take heed, the sun will soon appear ; Then fly, ye knights, your ladies dear, Fly ere the daylight dawn ! " Brightly gleams the firmament, In silvery splendor gay, Rejoicing that the night is spent, The lark salutes the day : Then fly, ye lovers, and be gone ! Take leave, before the night is done, And jealous eyes appear...
Page 297 - In the midst of his head is a seam or partition of his hair, after the manner of the Nazarites. His forehead, plain and very delicate. His face without spot or wrinkle, beautified with a lovely red.
Page 311 - As their altercation was not likely to come to a speedy issue, the most pious King Charles asked his chanters, which they thought to be the purest and best water, that which was drawn from the source, at the fountain-head, or that, which, after being mixed with turbid and muddy rivulets, was found at a great distance from the original spring?
Page 264 - On those occasions the orchestral results might perhaps be fairly characterised as cat's music run wild. Unwearied thumping of drums, the bellowings of gigantic trumpets, for the manufacture of which great stems of trees come into requisition, interchanged by fits and starts with the shriller blasts of some smaller horns, make up the burden of the unearthly hubbub which re-echoes miles away along the desert. Meanwhile, women and children by the hundred fill gourdflasks with little stones, and rattle...