Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SOLMISATION SOLMISATION 501
downwards, from the Hexachord of G, into that
of C. Here, the change may be mo^t conveniently
effected by substituting the La of the last-named
Hexachord for the Se of the first, at the note A.
The first of these Mutations is called Sol-re, in
allusion to its peculiar interchange of syllables ;
the second is called Se-la. As a general rule,
Be is found to be the most convenient syllable for
ascending Mutations, and La for those which
extend downwards, in accordance with the recommendation
contained in the followingDistich.
Vocibus iitaris solum mutando duabus
Per re quidem sursuiii mutatur, per ire deorsum.
This rule, however, does not exclude the occasional
use of the forms contained in the subjoined
Table, though the direct change from the Hard
to the Soft Hexachord, and vice versa, is not
recommended.
Descending Mutations.
1. Fa-sol. From the Hard to the Soft Hexachord,
changing on C.
2. Mi-la. Nat. to Hard Hex. changing on E. Soft to
Nat. Hex. changing on A.
3. ^-la. Hard to Nat. Hex. changing on A. Nat. to
Soft Hex. changing on D.
4. Re-mi. Haiti to Soft Hex. changing on A.
5. Re-sol. Nat. to Hard Hex. changing on D. Soft to
Nat. Hex. changing on G.
6. Sol-la. Hard to soft Hex. changing on D.
7. Ut-fa. Nat. to Hard Hex. changing on C. Soft to
Nat. Hex. changing on F.
8. t^t-re. Hard to Soft Hex. changing on G.
Ascending Midations.
9. Fa-ut. Hard to Nat Hexachord, changing on C.
Nat. to Soft Hex. changing on F.
10. La.mi. Hard to Nat. Hex. changing on E.
11. La-re. Nat. to Hard Hex. changing on A. Soft to
Nat. Hex. changing on D.
12. La-sol. Soft to Hard Hex. changing on D.
13. Mi-re. Do. Do. A.
14. Re-ut. Do. Do. G.
15. Sol-Ja. Do. Do. C.
Ifi. Sol-re. Hard to Nat. Hex. changing on D. Nat. to
Soft Hex. changing on G.
17. Sol-ut. Nat. to Hard Hex. changing on G. Soft to
Nat. Hex. changing on C.
The principle upon which this ancient system
was based is that of ' the Movable Ut '—or, as
we should now call it, '
the Movable Do ' ; an
arrangement which assists the learner very
materially, by the recognition of a governing
syllable, which, changing with the key, regulates
the po.sition of every other syllable in the series,
calls attention to the relative proportions existing
between the root of the scale and its attendant
sounds, and, in pointing out the peculiar characteristics
of each subordinate member of the
system, lays emphatic rtress upon its connection
with its fellow degrees, and thus teaches the ear,
as well as the understanding. We shall presently
have occasion to consider the actual value of
these manifold advantages ; but must first trace
their historical connection with the Solmisation
of a later age.
So long as the ecclesiastical modes continued
in use Guido's system answered its purpose so
thoroughly, that any attempt to improve upon
it would certainly have ended in failure. But
when the functions of the leading -note were
brought more prominently into notice, the
demand for a change became daily more and
more urgent. The completion of the octave
rendered it not only desirable, but imperatively
necessary that the sounds should no longer be
arranged in Hexachords, but in Heptachords or
Septenaries, for which purpose an extended syllabic
arrangement was needed. We have been
unable to trace back the definite use of a seventh
syllable to an earlier date than the year 1599,
when the subject was broached by Erich van der
Putten (Erycius Puteanus) of Dordrecht, who,
at pages 54, 55 of his Pallas modulata,^ proposed
the use of BI, deriving the idea from the
second syllable of laSii. No long time, however,
elapsed before an overwhelming majority
of theorists decided upon the adoption of SI,
the two letters of which were suggested by the
initials of ' Sancte loannes '—the Adonic verse
which follows the three Sapphics in the Hymn
already quoted.^ The use of this syllable was
strongly advocated by Sethus Calvisius, in his
Exercitatio mu^cae tertia, printed in 1611.
Since then, various attempts have been made
to supplant it, in favour of Sa, Za, Ci, Be, Te,
and other open syllables ; ^ but the suggested
changes have rarely survived their originators,
though another one, of little less importance
the substitution of Do for Ul on account of its
gi-eater resonance—has, for more than two hundred
years, been almost universally accepted.
[See Do.] Lorenzo Penna,* writing in 1672,
speaks of Do as then in general use in Italy ; and
Gerolamo Cantone* alludes to it, in nearly similar
terms, in 1678, since which period the use of Ut
has been discontinued, not only in Italy, but in
every country in Europe except France.
In Germany and the Netherlands far more
sweeping changes than these have been proposed
from time to time, and even temporarily
accepted. Huberto Waelrant (1517-
1595) introduced, at Antwerp, a system called
' Booedisation ' or ' Bobisation,' founded on seven
syllables Bo, Ce, Di, Ga, Lo, Ma, Ni—which
have since been called the Voces ' Belgicae.' At
Stuttgart Daniel Hitzler (1576-1635) based a
system of Bebisation upon La, Be, ' ' Ce, De, Me,
Fe, Oe. A century later Graun (1701-59) invented
method of Damenisation, ' ' founded
a
upon the particles. Da, Me, Ni, Po, Tu, La, Be.
But none of these methods have survived.
In England, the use of the syllables Ut and
Be died out completely before the middle of the
17th century ; and recurring changes of Mi, Fa,
Sol, La, were used, alone, for the Solmisation of
all kinds of Melodies. Butler mentions this
1 Palltu moduiata, liiie Septem dUcrimina vocum (Milnn, 1599),
afterwards reprinted, under the title oi Huaaihena (Hanover, 1602).
s It has heen said, that, in certain Tersions of the Melody, the
first syUahle of the Adonic verse is actually sung to the note B ;
but we have never met with such a TeAion, and do not believe in
the possibility of its existence. 8 See Sl, ante, p. 448.
4 Albori muxiaali (Bologna, 1672).
n Armonia Oregoriana (Turin, 1878).