for the year, 44 Passions, many oratorios, innumerable cantatas and psalms, 32 services for the installation of Hamburg clergy, 33 pieces called 'Capitäns-musik,' 20 ordination and anniversary services, 12 funeral, and 14 wedding services—all consisting of many numbers each. Of his grand oratorios several were widely known and performed, even after his death, especially a 'Passion' to the well-known words of Brockes of Hamburg (1716); another, in 3 parts and 9 scenes, to words selected by himself from the Gospels (his best-known work); 'Der Tag des Gerichts'; 'Die Tageszeiten' (from Zechariah); and the 'Tod Jesu' and the 'Auferstehung Christi,' both by Ramler (1730 and 1757). To these must be added 40 operas for Hamburg, Eisenach, and Bayreuth, and an enormous mass of vocal and instrumental music of all kinds, including no less than 600 overtures in the French style. Many of his compositions were published, and he even found time to engrave several himself; Gerber ('Lexicon,' ii. 631) gives a catalogue. He also wrote an autobiography, printed in Matheson's 'Ehrenpforte' and 'Generalbass-schule' (1731, p. 168). A fine chorus for 2 choirs is given in Rochlitz's Sammlung, and Hullah's Vocal Scores. Others will be found in Winterfeld, and in a collection—'Beitrag zur Kirchenmusik'—published by Breitkopf. Organ fugues have been printed in Körner's 'Orgel Virtuos.' Very valuable examinations of his Church-Cantatas, and comparisons between them and those of Bach, will be found in Spitta's 'Bach' (Transl. i. 490 etc.)
[ A. M. ]
TELLEFSEN, Thomas Dyke Acland, a Norwegian musician, born at Dronthjem Nov. 26, 1823, and probably named after the well-known M.P. for North Devon, who was much in the habit of travelling in Norway—was a pupil of Chopin, and first came to England with his master in 1848. He was in the habit of returning to this country, had many pupils, and used to give concerts, at one of which he was assisted by Madame Lind-Goldschmidt. He edited a collection of Chopin's PF. works (Paris, Richault), and was interesting chiefly from his intimate connexion with that remarkable composer and player, though it can hardly be said that his playing was a good representation of Chopin's. He died at Paris in Oct. 1874.
[ G. ]
TELL-TALE. A simple mechanical contrivance for giving information to an organ-blower (and sometimes also to an organist) as to the amount of wind contained in the bellows. A piece of string is fixed by one end to the top board of the bellows and carried over a pulley; a small metal weight is attached to the other end of the string. As the bellows rise the weight descends, as they sink the weight ascends; and the words 'Full' and 'Empty' mark the limits of the journey down and up.
[ J. S. ]
TEMPERAMENT (Fr. Tempérament; Ger. Temperatur; comp. Ital. temperare, to tune) is the name given to various methods of Tuning, in which certain of the consonant intervals, chiefly the Fifth and Major Third, are intentionally made more or less false or imperfect; that is to say, either sharper or flatter than exact consonance would require. If, on the contrary, all the consonant intervals are made perfectly smooth and pure, so as to give no Beats (see Appendix) [App. p.798 "omit the words see Appendix"], the tuning is then called Just Intonation.
When a piece of music containing much change of key is executed in just intonation, we find that the number of notes employed in each Octave is considerable, and that the difference of pitch between them is, in many cases, comparatively minute. Yet, however great the number of notes may be, and however small the intervals which separate them, all these notes can be correctly produced by the voice; as they may be derived from a few elementary intervals, namely the Octave, Fifth, Major Third, and Harmonic Seventh.[1] Instruments like the violin and the trombone are also suitable for the employment of just intonation; because, in these cases, the player can modify the pitch of each note at pleasure, being guided by his sense of key-relation. But it is otherwise with instruments whose tones are fixed, such as the pianoforte, organ, and harmonium. Here the precise pitch of each note does not depend on the player, but is settled for him beforehand by the tuner. Hence, in these instruments, the number of notes per Octave is limited, and cannot furnish all the varieties of pitch required in just intonation. A few scales may, indeed, be tuned perfectly; but if so, certain notes which belong to other scales will be missing. Compromise then becomes a mechanical necessity; and it is found that by putting most of the consonant intervals, except the Octave, slightly out of tune, the number of notes required in modulation may be considerably reduced, without too much offence to the ear. This mode of tuning is called Temperament, and is now usually applied to all instruments with fixed tones. And although voices, violins, and trombones naturally have no need of temperament, they must all conform to the intonation of any tempered instrument which is played in concert with them.
We shall omit from the present article all reference to the arithmetical treatment of temperament, and simply deal with its physical and audible effects. We shall describe the means by which any student may obtain for himself a practical knowledge of the subject, and point out some of the conclusions to which such knowledge will probably lead him.[2] The first and most important thing is to learn by experience the effect of temperament on the quality of musical chords. To carry out this study properly it is ne-
- ↑ Some theorists exclude the Harmonic Seventh from the list of elementary intervals, but it is often heard in unaccompanied vocal harmony. See below, p. 77a.
- ↑ Those who wish to study the subject more in detail may consult:—(1) Bosanquet, 'Elementary Treatise on Musical Intervals and Temperament' (Macmillan); (2) Helmholtz, 'Sensations of Tone,' chapters xiv. to xvii.; and Ellis's Appendix xix. sections A to G, tables i. to vi.: (3) Perronet Thompson, 'On the Principles and Practice of Just Intonation': (4) Woolhouse, 'Essay on Musical Intervals.'
