Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SLIDE SLIDE 481
from the slightneas of its construction. Mendelssohn's
three little Capriccios, written in
Wales for the cousins of Professor Taylor, and
now known as op. 16, have also been published
under the title of Sketches, and may
fairly lay claim to it, though it was not given
to them by the composer himself. Schumann's
four ' Skizzen ' for the pedal-pianoforte (op. 58),
are of an altogether different class, and derive
their name from the composer's modest appreciation
of their calibre ; and Sterndale Bennett's
three sketches (op. 10), 'The Lake,' 'The Millstream,'
and The Fountain,' are among his best
'
and most popular works. w. s. K.
SLIDE. I. (Ger. Schleifer ; Fr. Coul£). An
ornament frequently met with in both vocal and
instrumental music, although its English name
has fallen into disuse. It consists of a rapid
diatonic progression of three notes, either ascending
or descending, of which the principal note,
or note to be ornamented, is the third, and the
other two are grace-notes, and are either written
of small size (Ex. 1), or, in old music, indicated
by an oblique line drawn towai ds the principal
note from the note preceding (Ex. 2).
1. Beethoven, Bagatelle, Op. 119, No. 5.
Written. e3 _
*'•
^^E^^_z3=
Flayed.
Chopim, Andante Spianato, Op. 22.
a.
note, as in Ex. 3.
note.
The accent is on the principal
3. Bach, Suite Fran5aise, No. 3.
^Written.
When a note followed by another, one degree
above or below it, is ornamented by a Nack-
SCHLAG of two notes [vol. iii. p. 346, Ex. 8], the
small notes present exactly tlie appearance of a
slide to the second large note, and thus a misapprehension
as to the proper rendering might
arise. For according to the invariable rule of
all grace-notes, the small notes of the Nachschlag
would be executed during the latter portion of
the value of the first large note (Ex. 4), but
those of the slide not until the commencement
of the second (Ex. 5). Properly, a slur should
be introduced to connect the grace-notes with
their own principal note, as in the examples ;
this prevents the possibility of mistake, but in
the absence of the slur—and it is frequently
omitted—the performer must be guided by his
own judgment.
4. Nachschlag.
Written.
Played.
^pfei
5. SUds.
^§^^^=83^1^
Sometimes the first note of a slide is sustained
for the duration of the whole. In old music this
was indicated by writing the extreme notes of
the slide on a single stem, and drawing an
oblique line between them, either upwards or
downwards, according to the direction of the
slide (Ex. 6). In modem music the same thing
is expressed (though not very accurately) by
means of a tie (Ex. 7).
Occasionally, as in the FitzwilUam Virginal
Book, the slide is indicated by a line crossing the
stem of the note diagonally :
Written. Played.
g^^ ^
Another method of indicating it is by means
of a direct (w) placed upon the degree of the
stave on which the slide is to commence, and
having its right extremity prolonged so as to
extend to the position of the principal note
(Ex. 3). The short notes of the slide are always
executed within the value of the principal note,
and not before it, and any note which may
accompany it must fall together with the first
VOL. IV
1. Schubert, 'Momens Musicals,' No. 3.
Vritten.
Slides of greater extent than three notes are
not infrequent
;
groups of three notes leading to
a principal note are often met with (Ex. 8), and
slides of four and even more notes occasionally
(Ex. 9). This extended slide is sometimes
2l