The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

96 III.xviii.1–xx.12 Isidore of Seville
xvii. The three parts of music (De tribus partibus
musicae) 1.Music has three parts, that is, the harmonic
(harmonicus), the rhythmic (rhythmicus), and the metric
(metricus). The harmonic part is that which differentiates
high and low sounds. The rhythmic part inquires
about the impact of words, whether the sound agrees
well or badly. 2. The metrical part is that which recognizes,
by means of a demonstrable system, the measure
of different meters, as for example the heroic, the iambic,
the elegiac, and so on.
xviii. The threefold division of music (De triformi
musicae divisione) 1.Itisaccepted that all sound, which
is the material of song, has three forms by its nature.
The first divisionistheharmonicus, whichconsists of
vocal song. The second division is the organicus,whichis
composed of blowing. The third is the rhythmic (rhythmicus),
which takes its measures from the plucking of
fingers. 2. For sound is emitted either by the voice, as
through the throat, or by blowing, as through a trumpet
or a flute, or by plucking, 19 as with the cithara, or
any other sort of instrument that is melodious when
plucked.
xix. The first division of music, which is called harmonic
(De prima divisione musicae quae harmonica
dicitur) 1. Thefirst division of music, which is called
harmonic (harmonicus), that is, the modulation of the
voice, pertains to comedies, tragedies, or choruses, or to
all who sing with their own voice. This makes a movement
that comes from the mind and body together, and
the movement produces a sound, and from this is formed
the music that in humans is called ‘voice’ (vox). 2.Voice
(vox) isairbeaten (verberare) bybreath, and from this
also words (verbum) arenamed. Properly, voice is a
human characteristic, or a characteristic of unreasoning
animals. But in some cases, with incorrect usage and
improperly, a sound is called a ‘voice,’ as for example
“the voice of the trumpet bellowed,” and (Vergil, Aen.
3.556):
...andvoices broken on the shore.
For the word proper to rocks on the shore is ‘sound’
(sonare). Also, (Vergil, Aen. 9.503):
But the trumpet far off (made) a terrible sound with its
sonorous brass.
Harmonics (harmonica) is the modulation of the
voice and the bringing of many sounds into agreement,
or fitting them together. 3.Symphony(symphonia)isthe
blend of modulation made from low and high sounds
in agreement with one another, either in voice, or blowing,
or plucking. Through symphony, higher and lower
voices are brought into harmony, so that whoever makes
a dissonant sound offends the senses of the one hearing
it. The opposite of symphony is diaphony (diaphonia),
that is, when voices are discrepant, or dissonant.
4. Euphony (euphonia) issweetness of voice. This word
and ‘melody’ (melos) take their names from sweetness
and honey (mel). 5.Diastema(diastema)istheappropriate
vocal interval between two or more sounds. 6.Diesis
(diesis) refers to certain intervals that lead the modulation
downward, and moving downward from one sound
into another. 7. Tone(tonus) isthe high enunciation of
the voice. A tone (i.e. a modal scale) is also the variation
and quantity of a mode (harmonia)which consists
of vocal accent and tenor. Musicians have divided the
tones into fifteen kinds, of which the hyperlydian (i.e.
hypolydian) is the last and highest, and the hypodorian
is the lowest of all.
8. Asong (cantus) isthe voice changing pitch, for
sound is even-pitched; and sound precedes song. 9.Arsis
(arsis) iselevation of the voice, that is, the beginning.
Thesis (thesis) islowering the voice, that is, the end. 10.
Sweet (suavis) voicesarerefinedandcompact, distinct
and high. Clear (perspicuus) voicesarethose that are
drawn out further, so that they continually fill whole
spaces, like the blaring of trumpets. 11. Delicate(subtilis)voices
are those that have no breath, like the voices
of infants, women, and sick people, and like plucking
on strings. Indeed, the most delicate are the strings of
musical instruments, which emit light, refined sounds.
12. Voicesarerich(pinguis) whenagreatdeal of breath
is sent forth all at once, like the voices of men. A high
(acutus)voiceislight, and elevated, just as we see in the
strings of musical instruments. A hard (durus) voiceis
one that emits sounds violently, like thunder, or like the
sound of the anvil, when the hammer strikes on the hard
iron.
19 Latin speaks of plucking stringed instruments as ‘striking’ (percutere,ppl.
percussus) the strings; hence such instruments are classed
with the percussions. Organicus can mean “instrumental” in general,
but here it obviously refers specifically to wind instruments.