A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Mean

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Mazzinghi, Joseph

A Dictionary of Music and Musicians
edited by George Grove

Mean by William Smyth Rockstro

Measure (of time)

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From volume 2 of the work.

1653241A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — MeanGeorge GroveWilliam Smyth Rockstro

MEAN (Old Eng. Meane, Mene; Lat. Medius.) 1. An old name for a middle Voicepart, whether Alto, or Tenor.

2. A name given to the second instrument in a Concert of Viols, as in Orlando Gibbons's 'Fantasies in three parts, for Viols,' reprinted by the Musical Antiquarian Society.

3. The name of the Second and Third Strings of the Viol—the former being called the Small, and the latter, the Great Meane.

4. The title of an ingenious Fugue, for the Organ, composed by William Blitheman,^[1] and printed, by Hawkins, in the Appendix to Vol. V. of his History.

${ \time 4/2 << { \key d \minor \relative g' { g1 f | bes c | d2 bes1 a2 | bes d1 c2 | s4 bes4 bes1 a2 | bes1 } } \new Staff { \clef bass \key d \minor << \new Voice { \stemUp R\breve g1 f | bes c' | d'2 bes bes a | r bes ees'1 | d1 } \new Voice { \stemDown R\breve*2 g,1 f, | bes,1. c2 | d ees c1 | r } >> } >> }$

etc. The piece may probably owe its singular title to the obligato character of the middle part.

[ W. S. R. ]

↑ William Blitheman was a noted Organist, and Gentleman of the Chapel Boyal, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and is, moreover, celebrated as having been the Master of Dr. John Bull. He died, in London, on Whitsunday 1591; and was buried in the Church of S. Nicholas Cole-Abbey, where his talents were set forth in a poetical Epitaph, which was destroyed, in the Great Fire, but has been preserved by Stow, and reprinted by Hawkins.

[1] William Blitheman was a noted Organist, and Gentleman of the Chapel Boyal, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and is, moreover, celebrated as having been the Master of Dr. John Bull. He died, in London, on Whitsunday 1591; and was buried in the Church of S. Nicholas Cole-Abbey, where his talents were set forth in a poetical Epitaph, which was destroyed, in the Great Fire, but has been preserved by Stow, and reprinted by Hawkins.

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