Dictionary of Music - Birding America

118 dumkamore courses (pairs or larger groups of strings) arestretched. The strings are struck by a pair of smallhammers, however, whereas in the psaltery thestrings are plucked. Originating in western Asia, thedulcimer came to Europe about the twelfth century.Versions of it are still used in East European (Hungarian,Rumanian, Greek, Czech, Slovak) folkfig. 86 p/u from p. 121music, where it is known by such names as cimbalom,santouri, and Hackbrett. Bartók, Kodályand Stravinsky wrote for it, and more recently itappears in Peter Maxwell Davies’s chamber workImage, Reflection, and Shadow (1982), whichemphasizes the instrument’s dusky, twangy tone.—Appalachian dulcimer A plucked stringed folkinstrument of the zither family that is used in thesouthern Appalachian mountain areas of the UnitedStates. Originally made in the late eighteenth centuryby mountain people of Scottish origin, it consistsof a long, narrow, oval frame about three feetlong and nine inches wide, over which are stretchedthree (usually) metal strings. One of the strings is amelody string, which produces various pitches whenstopped (held down) at various points along itslength, and the others are drones that sound a singlenote more or less continuously. The player holds theinstrument flat, in the lap or on a table, and plucksthe strings with the right hand, using the left hand tostop the melody string with a small stick or quill.Quite soft in tone, it is generally used to accompanya singer.dumka (doo m′kä) pl. dumky (doo m′kē) Czech.A lament, originally a vocal piece. In the nineteenthcentury it was used as a name for melancholy instrumentalpieces or movements by numerous Czechcomposers. Dvořák used it in his Slavonic Dance no.2 and in several chamber works (his Dumky Trio, op.90, is a set of six dumky).Dunstable (dun′stə bəl), John, c. 1390–1453.Also spelled Dunstaple. An English composer, theleading figure in English music of his time, who isremembered particularly for his motets and hisMasses. Many of Dunstable’s motets are distinguishedby the fact that the rhythm of the wordsgoverns the musical rhythm, that the differentvoice-parts are equal in importance, and that theparts move together in chords. Dunstable was oneof the first to use double structure in portions ofMasses, that is, building a single, long compositionon two melodies, one in the tenor and theother in the highest part. (See also BURGUNDIANSCHOOL.)duo 1 A composition for two soloists, most oftenan instrumental duet (see under DUET), and only seldoma piano or vocal duet. The term implies that thetwo soloists are equal in importance. 2 The French,German, and Italian names for duet.duolo, con (kôn dwô′lô) Italian. A direction toperform in a sorrowful, grieving manner.duple (doo — ′pəl) meter Any METER in whichthere are two basic beats in a measure, such as 2/2or 2/4.duplet (doo — ′plit). Two notes of equal time value(such as two quarter notes, or two eighth notes) thatare played in the time normally taken to play threenotes of that value. Duplets are used in a composition(or section of a composition) in triple meter—that is, any meter in which there are three basic beatsper measure, such as 3/4 or 3/8. They are ordinarilyindicated by a small figure 2 above or below thenotes, or, occasionally, by dotted notes. As shown inthe accompanying example, one of the two notes ofa duplet may be replaced by a rest.fig. 87 p/u from p. 122dur (doo r). The German word for MAJOR; thus C-dur means C major.