Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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40 KECTE ET RETEO, PER
RECTE, ET RETRO, PEE
been unable to contrive a method of acting on
the five keys required for the chromatic octave,
being baffled by the want of fingers for the
purpose ; .
but whatever was the cause, closed
keys did not find their way to the Common flute,
and so the instrument after a time fell completely
into disuse. (See Proceedings of the Musical
Associaiien, 1897-98, pp. 145-224 ; 1900-1, pp.
110-120; and 1901-2, pp. 105-137.) The
above is epitomised from the writer's Ledv/res on
the Secorder, to be published shortly, c. w.
RECTE ET EETRO, PER (Imitatio cancrizans,
Imitalio per Motum retrogradum, ImitaMo
recwrrems ; Ital. Imitazione al Sovescio, o
alia Siversa ; Eng. Retrograde Imitation).
A peculiar kind of Imitation, so constructed
that the melody may be sung backwards as
well as forwards ; as shown in the following
two-part canon, which must be sung, by the
first voice, from left to right, and by the second,
from right to left, both beginning together, but
at opposite ends of the music.
^= S^Egf^E^E^E
The earliest known instances of Retrograde
Imitation are to be found among the works of
the Flemish composers of the 15th century,
who delighted in exercising their ingenuity, not
only upon the device itself, but also upon the
Inscriptions prefixed to the canons in which it
was employed. The Netherlanders were not,
however, the only musicians who indulged
successfully in this learned species of recreation.
Probably the most astonishing example of it
on record is the motet, ' 'Diliges Dominum,'
written by William Byrd for four voices
Treble, Alto, Tenor, and Bass—and transmuted
into an eight-part composition, by adding a
second Treble, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, formed
by singing the four first parts backwards. It
is scarcely possible to study this complication
attentively, without feeling one's brain turn
giddy ;
yet, strange to say, the effect produced
is less curious than beautiful.
•nRia-Tm-o