SECTION XXI.

Of the Interval of the Downward Octave.

THE Concrete Downward Octave, in addition to the expression, ascribed generally to the downward movement, conveys in the colloquial uses of the voice, the vivacity of facetious surprise, as in the instance of the phrase well done, given above. It is in this case, the very picture of amazement, and so to speak, raises the brow and opens the eye of the voice. In its more dignified uses, there is the highest degree of admiration, astonishment, and positive command, either alone, or united with other sentiments. Thus the astonishment and positiveness marked by this interval, may be coexistent with the complacent feeling of mirth and sociability, or with the repugnant sentiment of fear, contempt, hatred, or in short, with almost any state of mind not incompatible with that of astonishment, and positiveness. For though these associated sentiments have other signs in expression, yet when they go with this high degree of astonishment, the downward octave is the true and only sign of the combination.

But as the same interval thus represents different sentiments, it may be inquired, whether some modification of its structure may not be necessary. It was shown in the second section, that the concrete movement, whether in its upward or downward direction, bears with distinguishable audibility, additional force or stress, on the beginning, the middle, or the end of its progress through a prolonged quantity. Now the application of a different stress to the downward octave, variously modifies its expression. On the radical, it denotes a high degree of mirthful wonder. On the middle of its course, by a swell at that place, the expression becomes more serious and repulsive with its wonder. On the upper extreme, reversing thus the natural structure of the radical and vanish, it increases the degree of

the repulsion, and mingles with it some slight sentiment of anger and of scorn. The characteristic thus assigned to the octave, might at once assure us that it is of rare occurrence. It may be found occasionally in the intensity of colloquial excitement, and in the fervor of the drama: but never, perhaps, in the course of plain narrative or description, since the strained energy of its expression must be the real or the personated pouring out of the heart.

For an illustration of the downward Radical Pitch of the octave; there is, in the first diagram of the fourteenth section, a notation of the fall of the voice, from an upper current of melody, -supposed to be on immutable syllables,-to an indefinite syllable, an octave below, for the purpose of rising again through a concrete octave. This downward radical pitch has the same expression as the downward concrete octave; and is employed in skipping from immutable syllables, in phrases of emphatic astonishment, admiration, and command.

SECTION XXII.

Of the Interval of the Downward Fifth.

THE expression of the last described interval is marked by a quaint sentiment of familiarity, or by an excessive degree of violence. The Downward concrete Fifth has in many respects a similar meaning; but it clothes its sentiment of smiling surprise, admiration, and command, with greater dignity than the octave. This interval is often used on imperative phrases. Its concrete, like that of the octave, may be modified in meaning, by different applications of stress.

In the following derisive exclamation of Gabriel to Satan,

from the fourth book of Pardise Lost, the syllable ra is properly made by the natural form of the fifth: that is, by stress on the radical or opening portion of the interval, while the vanish dwindles away in its descent.

Courageous chief!

The first in flight from pain!

When the Queen says to Hamlet,

If it be, [that is, if death be the common lot]
Why seems it so particular with thee?

Hamlet returns,

Seems, Madam, nay it is! I know not seems.

Now, is, uttered with the natural downward concrete of the fifth, represents the positive affirmation and surprise of the speaker, at the misconception of his real state. But the solemn feeling of the prince, which rejects, with indignation, the profanity of the supposition, that there is any formal show in the deep reality of his grief, cannot be expressed by the natural form of the radical and vanish. There is a light and pleasant surprise in the form of this concrete, that would misrepresent the sentiment. If the voice is swelled to a greater stress as it descends, the grave severity and dignified conviction of the speaker become at once conspicuous. The intonation of this line, without, however, the swelling stress on the falling fifth, may be thus delineated:

Seems, Madam, nay

it is! I know not seems.

Here a rising third, or the most moderate form of interroga tive expression, is set to the first word: for it includes a slight sentiment of inquiry. The succeeding clause, containing a most positive affirmation, has the downward fifth; and the whole diagram is calculated to show the opposite powers of expression

in the rising and falling intervals. In a future section, it will be shown why the radical of this emphatic downward movement is set, as here represented, so far above the line of the current melody.

The Discrete transition of the falling fifth, has the same expression as its concrete form. It is used for syllables that do not bear a prolongation, necessary for the concrete; the two extremes of the interval, as in all cases of discrete transition, whether rising or falling, being on two different syllables. The following notation exemplifies the radical change or skip of the falling fifth:

Yet

Bru-tus says

he

was

am-biti- -ous.

The sentiment of this line, as it seems to me, requires the intonation of grave surprise rather than that of contemptuous contradiction, with which it is sometimes read: and this I have endeavored to express, by the radical skip of a fifth, between the syllables of Bru-tus, and of biti-ous. The craft of Antony's oration, in Julius Cæsar, turns upon the design to excite odium against the conspirators, by a favorable and moving representation of Cæsar's virtues, rather than by the coloring of their crimes. And though in the well known burden of the speech, they are reported as 'honorable men,' certainly not with the least good will in the title; still, the vocal curl of sneer, sometimes heard on the words just quoted, is inappropriate and affected. At least this may be said of it, as it occurs in the early part of the speech: and when at last the speaker is encouraged to bolder sentiments and declarations, they are those of anger and revenge; and these waste no time in the winding course of contemptuous intonation. But whatever may be said of other parts of the speech, I must claim for the above sentence, the intonation which expresses the surprise of the orator, that any one could so violently reverse the just conclusions to be

drawn from the enumerated motives and actions of Cæsar: leaving to the audience to infer, from this surprise, that some other than ordinary or honest reasons must have influenced Brutus to make the charge of ambition against him. When the line is read in the common diatonic melody, with the difference of a tone only in the radical pitch of its emphatic words, it merely reports what Brutus had said: without the least show of the sentiment I have ascribed to it, and endeavored to illustrate by the preceding diagram.

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SECTION XXIII.

Of the Interval of the Downward Third.

THE Downward Concrete Third has an expression similar to that of the fifth, but of a more moderate degree.

of

Dignity of vocal character, like that of personal gesture, consists not only in the slowness of time, and the restraint of forceful effort, but in a limitation within the widest range movement. And as there is more composure in an interrogation, by the rise of the third; so the expression of surprise and admiration by a downward interval, is most subdued and digni fied, when heard on the falling third.

One remarkable effect of the concrete descent of the third, on a single syllable of long quantity, is shown at the end of a sentence, or of a clause, containing a complete sense, but which may not be marked by the grammatical notation of a period. This use of the third was noticed and illustrated in the eighth section, and there described as the feeble Cadence. Its character is not quite definite: for while indicating a close of the sense at its place, it does not altogether destroy the idea of its further continuation. No one on hearing this cadence, would suppose the discourse to be necessarily finished.