A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Dactyl

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Dachstein, Wolfgang

A Dictionary of Music and Musicians
edited by George Grove

Dactyl

Dalayrac, Nicolas

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From volume 1 of the work.

1504024A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — DactylGeorge Grove

DACTYL, a metrical 'foot' (

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \new RhythmicStaff \stopStaff s4\tenuto s\lheel s\lheel }$

), exactly expressed by the original word δάκτυλας, a finger—one long joint and two short ones. A fine example of dactyls in instrumental music is in the slow movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony, alternately with spondees, or alone:—

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \time 2/4 \relative e' { e4 e8 e | e4 e | e e8 e | e4 e \bar "||" \clef bass a,, a'8 a | a,4 a'8 a } }$

etc.