OCTAVE, or PRINCIPAL. An open metal cylindrical organ-stop, of four feet on the manual and eight feet on the pedal; the scale and strength of tone of which are determined by those of the open diapason on the same department. Where there are two Principals the second one is sometimes of wood, open, as at Christ's Hospital, when it partakes of the flute character. In the Temple organ the two stops, of metal, are called 'Octave' and 'Principal' respectively; the former being scaled and voiced to go with the new open diapason, and the latter to produce the first over-tone to the old diapason. In foreign organs the Octave stop sounds the first octave above the largest metal Register of Principal (Diapason) measure on the clavier; and is therefore of eight, four, or two feet size according to circumstances. [See Principal.] [App. p.734 "Add that an explanation of the term 'Short Octave' will be found in vol. ii. p. 588, and vol. iii. p. 653."]
[ E. J. H. ]
OCTAVE FLUTE. [See Piccolo.]
OCTET, or OTTETT (Ottetto), a composition for eight solo instruments. It differs from a double quartet, such as those of Spohr, as that master explains in his Autobiography (ii. 153); the eight instruments working together independently, and not in two bodies just as in the case of a composition for eight voices compared with one for two choirs or double chorus. Mendelssohn's Octet for strings is a splendid example. [See Mendelssohn, 258b.] So is Schubert's, for 2 violins, viola, cello, contrabass, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. Gade and Svendsen have each written one for strings. Beethoven's 'Grand Octuor' (op. 103), originally entitled 'Parthia in Es,' is an arrangement of his early String Quintet (op. 4), for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, and 2 bassoons.
[ G. ]
ODE (Gr. ᾠδή, from ἀείδω, I sing). A form of poetry which, both in its origin and in its later forms, has been peculiarly adapted for musical expression; in fact, the words of the earliest odes were probably written to fit music already existing. The form which has been most frequently and successfully set to music in modern times is that of the Greek odes, in which the rhythm and metre are constantly changing, thus giving great scope for variety of treatment. Modern instances of this kind of odes are Milton's 'L'Allegro' and 'Il Penseroso,' Dryden's 'Ode on St. Cecilia's Day,' Gray's 'Bard' and 'Progress of Poesy,' Collins's 'Ode to the Passions,' Wordsworth's 'Ode on Intimations of Immortality,' and Shelley's odes. Another form of ode is where the metre of the verses remains the same, as in the odes of Horace, Milton's 'Ode on the Nativity,' etc. To this class belongs Schiller's 'Ode to Joy,' used by Beethoven in the 9th Symphony. Of musical settings of odes the following are the most important, besides those already mentioned:—Handel's four odes, a list of which is given in the catalogue of his works (see Handel, vol. i. p. 657a); Purcell's 'Odes and Welcome Songs,' 28 in number, many of which are still in MS.; in later times, Sir W. Sterndale Bennett's setting of Tennyson's 'Ode for the opening of the International Exhibition of 1862.' Most of these compositions are for chorus and orchestra, and in many there are solos or semichoruses interspersed, representing the Strophe and Antistrophe of the classic chorus.
[ J. A. F. M. ]
ODÉON. A theatre near the Luxembourg in Paris, known at various times under different names. The original building, by Peyre and de Wailly, containing 1500 seats, was begun in 1773 on the site of the Hôtel de Condé, at right angles to its present position, to which it was transferred in 1779 by command of Louis XVI. It was opened in 1782 as the 'Théâtre Français,' became in 1790 the 'Théâtre de la Nation,' was burnt down March 18, 1799, and rebuilt in 1807 by Chalgrin as the 'Odéon, Théâtre de l'Impératrice,' again partially burnt March 20, 1818, but immediately restored. As an offshoot of the 'Comédie Française' ('le second Théâtre Français') it receives a subsidy from the state; but its musical relations alone concern us.
From 1808 to 1814 comedy was given at the Odéon four days in the week, and on the other three Italian opera; the chief works of Paisiello, Mozart, Salieri, Zingarelli, and Cimarosa, being produced together with those of the second-rate composers popular at the beginning of the century, Simon Mayer, Generali, Nasolini, Pavesi, etc.
In 1816 ballets were tried, but none were produced of any musical importance. From 1824 to 28 the Odéon became almost a branch of the Opéra, and took an important part in popularising the revolution of Rossini and of Weber. In 1824 the 'Barbiere di Siviglia," translated by Castil Blaze, was performed there for the first time in Paris on May 6; and on Dec. 7 'Freischütz' was produced and hissed. Castil Blaze then remodelled it to suit French taste, and as 'Robin des Bois' it reappeared on Dec. 16, and ran for 327 nights! The able conductor, Pierre Crémont (1784—1846), also a good player on the violin and clarinet, contributed much to the success of the operas given there, among which may be specified Mozart's 'Figaro' and 'Don Juan'; Rossini's 'Gazza Ladra,' 'Otello,' 'Tancredi,' and 'Donna del Lago'; Winter's 'Sacrifice interrompu'; Meyerbeer's 'Marguerite d'Anjou'; and Weber's 'Preciosa,' all in French; besides several adaptations, such as 'La Forêt de Senart,' 'Pourceaugnac,' 'Ivanhoe,' and 'Le dernier jour de Missolonghi,' set by Hérold, in which the overture alone was a success.
On Oct. 2, 1838, M. Louis Viardot's Italian company took refuge at the Odéon after the burning of the Salle Favart in the previous January, and continued there till the autumn of 1841. Since that date it has remained open, but as a second 'Théâtre Français,' music being only occasionally introduced, e.g. Mendelssohn's 'Antigone' in 1844, and Elwart's 'Alceste' in 1847. Of late years a success was achieved by Leconte de Lisle's tragedy 'Les Erinnyes,' with incidental music by Massenet, whose fine oratorio 'Marie Magdeleine' was also performed for the first time at the Odéon.
[ G. C. ]
ŒDIPUS. Mendelssohn was commanded by the king of Prussia to set music to the three
