and 2 string-quartets. His oratorio, 'Hagar,' was produced at the Hereford Festival of 1873, and performed in the following year at the Crystal Palace.
As Oxford Professor he has effected considerable improvements and reforms. The office of Choragus, which had fallen into disuse, has been re-established, and is now held by Dr. Corfe [App. p.757 "who was succeeded in 1884 by Dr. C. H. H. Parry"]; the standard of qualifications for degrees has been considerably raised, and recently the excellent system of a preliminary examination in elementary mathematics, classics, etc., originated by Sir Robert Stewart at Dublin, and adopted at Cambridge, has been made necessary at Oxford; so that a degree in music is no longer conferred by our Universities on persons who have not received some general education. Sir Frederick has also induced his University to grant honorary degrees in music, which had never been given by Oxford previous to 1879.
In addition to the works already named, Sir Frederick has edited a collection of Cathedral Services (1853), and with Dr. Monk, Anglican Psalter Chants (1872). [App. p.820 "date of death April 6, 1889."]
[ H. S. O. ]
OVER-BLOWING is the production of a higher note than the natural note of a pipe, by forcing the wind. In the flute the upper octaves are legitimately so produced. In the organ it is apt to arise when the feeders of a bellows pump wind into the reservoir in greater quantities or at greater speed than its consumption, and when the reservoir is therefore liable to become more than sufficiently full. If more wind were then to be supplied it might become more compressed,—stronger,—causing the pipes to produce a momentary scream rather than a musical sound. To prevent this natural consequence of 'overblowing,' a safety-valve or waste-pallet is provided, which allows the superadded wind to pass from the reservoir.
[ E. J. H. ]
OVEREND, MARMADUKE, organist of Isleworth, and scholar of Dr. Boyce. whose MSS. on the theory of music he acquired enjoyed much repute as a theorist. He composed 'Twelve Sonatas for two Violins and a Violoncello,' published in 1779. In 1783 he published 'A Brief Account of, and Introduction to Eight Lectures on the Science of Music.' A canon for 8 voices by him, 'Glory be to the Father,' is printed in Warren's collection. In his will, dated 1781, he described himself as 'Student in Music.' He died in 1790. His library was sold in 1791, when his MSS. (including those of Dr. Boyce,) passed into the hands of Callcott.
[ W. H. H. ]
OVERSPUN, equivalent to the German übersponnen, applied to the large strings in a pianoforte, or the G string in a violin, etc., which are wound or spun round with fine wire to increase their weight and also the depth and richness of their tone.
[ A. J. H. ]
OVERSTRINGING. A method adopted by some pianoforte-makers of raising the lower bass strings and leading them diagonally over the others, to obtain length and a different arrangement of the scale. [See Pianoforte.]
[ A. J. H. ]
OVERTONES. A word formed in imitation of the German Obertöne which Helmholtz uses as a contraction for Oberpartialtöne, meaning Upper Partial Tones. Like 'Clang' and 'Clangtint' the word Overtones is rejected by the English translator of Helmholtz's work as not agreeing with English idiom.
[ J. L. ]
OVERTURE (Fr. Ouverture; Ital. Overtura), i.e. Opening. This term was originally applied to the instrumental prelude to an opera, its first important development being due to Lulli, as exemplified in his series of French operas and ballets, dating from 1672 to 1686. The earlier Italian operas were generally preceded by a brief and meagre introduction for instruments, usually called Sinfonia, sometimes Toccata, the former term having afterwards become identified with the grandest of all forms of orchestral music, the latter having been always more properly (as it soon became solely) applied to pieces for keyed instruments. Monteverde's opera, 'Orfeo' (1608) commences with a short prelude of nine bars, termed 'Toccato,' to be played three times through—being, in fact, little more than a mere preliminary flourish of instruments.[1] Such small beginnings became afterwards somewhat amplified, both by Italian and French composers; but only very slight indications of the Overture, as a composition properly so called, are apparent before the time of Lulli, who justly ranks as an inventor in this respect. He fixed the form of the dramatic prelude; the overtures to his operas having not only served as models to composers for nearly a century, but having also been themselves extensively used in Italy and Germany as preludes to operas by other masters. Not only did our own Purcell follow this influence; Handel also adopted the form and closely adhered to the model furnished by Lulli, and by his transcendent genius gave the utmost development and musical interest attainable in an imitation of what was so entirely conventional. The form of the Overture of Lulli's time consisted of a slow Introduction, generally repeated, and followed by an Allegro in the fugued style; and occasionally included a movement in one of the many dance-forms of the period, sometimes two pieces of this description. The development of the ballet and of the opera having been concurrent, and dance-pieces having formed important constituents of the opera itself, it was natural that the dramatic prelude should include similar features, and no incongruity was thereby involved, either in the overture, or the serious opera which it heralded, since the dance music of the period was generally of a stately, even solemn, kind. In style, the dramatic overture of the class now referred to—like the stage music which it preceded, and indeed all the secular compositions of the time, had little, if any, distinguishing characteristic to mark the difference between the secular and sacred styles. Music had been fostered and raised into the importance of an art by the Church, to whose service it had long been almost exclusively applied; and it retained
- ↑ It is printed in the 'Musical Times' for April 1880.
