scription of the Æolian Harp, of which Father Kircher claims to be the inventor.
A careful perusal of this curious work will be found neither useless nor uninteresting, provided its statements be received cum grano salis. Remembering that its author was rather a well-read Scholar than a practical Musician, we can scarcely wonder at the errors it contains. Its merits are the result of laborious research. Its faults arise from Father Kircher's inability to form a correct judgment on points, which, to a more experienced Artist, would have presented but little difficulty. And, the like may be said of the same writer's Phonurgia nova—a work on the Nature and Properties of Sound—which appeared in 1673.
[ W. S. R. ]
MUTA (Italian), i.e. change. A word often seen attached to Horn parts—'muta in Es,' 'muta in B,' etc., meaning simply 'change to E♭ or B♭,' etc.; that is, take off the crook in which you are playing and put on that which will make the horn sound in E♭ or B♭.
[ G. ]
MUTATION. (Lat. Mutatio, from muto to change.) I. When, in the Solmisation of a Plain Chaunt Melody, it becomes necessary to pass from one Hexachord to another, the process by which the transfer is effected is called a Mutation. [See Hexachord.] In ascending from the Hexachordon durum to the Hexachordon naturale, the change may be conveniently made by substituting the re of the latter for the sol of the former, at the note D—whence this particular Mutation is known as that of Sol Re. [See example, vol. i. p. 734b.]
In descending from the Hexachordon naturale to the Hexachordon durum, the sol of the latter must be taken, instead of the re of the former, at the same note; and the Mutation is then called Re Sol. The same process will also serve for the mutual interchange between the Hexachordon naturale and the Hexachordon molle, at the note G.
But, in ascending from the Hexachordon naturale to the Hexachordon durum, the re of the latter must be substituted for the la of the former, at the note A, by means of the Mutation La Re: and, in descending from the Hexachordon durum to the Hexachordon naturale, the la of the second will be sung instead of the re of the first—Re La.
Direct communication between the Hexachordon durum, and the Hexachordon molle, is rarely used, on account of the False Relation described under the head of Mi Contra Fa.
Many different systems of Mutation have been recommended by early writers; but all agree in the necessity of so arranging that the Semitone shall always fall between the Syllables mi and fa. Lucas Lossius (Erotemata musicæ, 1563) directs the change to be always made by means of re in ascending, and la in descending; and enforces his rule in the following distich—
Vocibus utaris solum mutando duabus:
Per re quidem sursum mutatur, per la deorsum.
II. The term is also applied to the change which takes place in a Boy's Voice, when it passes from Treble, or Alto, into Tenor, or Bass. The period of this transformation is uncertain; but it generally declares itself between the ages of fourteen and sixteen, and is very rarely deferred later than the completion of the seventeenth year. During the time that it is in progress, the vocal organs undergo so much disturbance, that great care is necessary in order to prevent them from being seriously injured by incautious exercise.
III. More rarely, the word is used to denote that change in the position of the hand upon the Violin, which, by English Violinists, is called the Shift.
[ W. S. R. ]
MUTATION STOPS, in an organ, are those registers which do not produce a sound agreeing with the name of the key pressed down, but either the perfect fifth or the major third to it, as G or E on the C key. The former are called fifth-sounding, or Quint stops; the latter third-sounding, or Tierce stops. The proper relative size of the largest fifth-sounding stop is one-third that of the Foundation stop from which it is deduced; as 10⅔, 5⅓, or 2⅔, from the 32, 16, or 8 feet stops respectively. The largest Tierce-sounding stops are one-fifth the size of the Foundation stops from which they are deduced; as 62⁄5, 31⁄5, and 13⁄5 feet respectively. The third-sounding rank on the manual has been much more sparingly used since the introduction of Equal Temperament, as it does not sound agreeably with that system of tuning; and an additional rank of pipes consequently becomes available for some other purpose.
The only Mutation stop in use in England previously to the arrival of Smith and Harris (1660) was the twelfth (2⅔ feet). After that date the Tierce (13⁄5 foot), Larigot (1⅓ foot), and their octaves (among the small Mixture ranks) became not uncommon.
[ E. J. H. ]
MUTE (sordino; sourdine; dämpfer). A contrivance applied to a musical instrument for the purpose of deadening or lessening the sound. In the pianoforte the effect is produced by the dampers or the soft pedal. .jpg)
In instruments of the violin-tribe the mute is a piece of brass so formed as to stick on to the bridge and stand clear of the strings. It adds weight to the bridge and thus checks the vibrations of the body of the instrument. [See Appendix, Dolce Campana.] [App. p.727 "omit reference"] In the horn and trumpet a sort of leathern pear is employed, which fills the bell to a great extent, and thus prevents the sound from coming fully out.
Beethoven mutes the strings of the orchestra in the slow movement of his 3rd and 5th P.F. Concertos, and in that of the Violin Concerto. A fine instance is the middie portion of Weber's
