A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Rovescio, Al

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A Dictionary of Music and Musicians
edited by George Grove

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From volume 3 of the work.

2696083A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Rovescio, AlGeorge GroveFranklin Taylor

ROVESCIO, AL. A term used, in instrumental music, to express two different things, (1) An imitation by contrary motion, in which every descending interval in the leading part is imitated by an ascending one, and vice versa; see Moscheles's Etude 'La Forza,' op. 51. (2) A phrase or piece which may be played backwards throughout. It is then synonymous with Cancrizans. An interesting example occurs in the minuet of a Sonata for PF. and violin by Haydn, in which, on the repetition after the Trio, the minuet is played backwards, so as to end on the first note, Haydn's indication being Menuetto D.C. wird zurückgespielt. [See Recte et Retro.]

$\new ChoirStaff << \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) \new Staff \relative a' { \key a \major \time 3/4 \tempo \markup \small \italic "Menuetto al Rovescio." <a cis,>2. | <gis d b>4 e <e b'> | << { a b cis | d2. | cis4 d e | fis2. | e4 gis a } \\ { e,2. b'4 a gis | a2. a a } >> \repeat unfold 2 { b'4 <d, b> <cis a> } <b gis>2. \bar "||" \break \tempo \markup \small "[The repeat, as played after the Trio.]" <b gis>2. \repeat unfold 2 { <cis a>4 <d b> b' } << { a gis e | fis2. | e4 d cis | d2. | cis4 b a } \\ { a2. a a | gis4 a b | e,2. } >> <e b'>4 e <gis d b> | <a cis,>2. \bar "||" } \new Staff \relative a, { \clef bass \key a \major a4 e' a | e e' d | cis b a | gis fis e | a b cis | d a d | cis e fis <e gis,>2 <e a,>4 | <e gis,>2 <e a,>4 | e, e' e, | e e' e, | <e' a,> <e gis,>2 | <e a,>4 <e gis,>2 | fis4 e cis | d a d | cis b a | e fis gis | a b cis | d e e, | a e a, } >>$

[ F. T. ]