Mazurke (ma-tsoor'-ke) Ger. n

A national Polish dance, deriving accent whose regular recurrence defines the system of measurement. its name from the province of Masco- 2. Occasionally and loosely used via. The mazurka was known as early as the Sixteenth Century, and instead of tempo. 3. A general name for a dance of originated in dances improvised to slow and stately character. their national songs. This dance measure accent spread to Germany, France and Eng- The regular alteration of the strong land. It was originally danced by four or eight couples, and written in and weak beats in a measure, triple time like the waltz, but slower. measure, common It has a great variety of figures and A measure having an even number permits of the introduction of improof units, as two-four, six-eight. vised steps. There is usually a strong measure, imperfect accent on the last note of each me as- An old term for two-fold measure, ure, while in the waltz the first beat that is, only two beats to a measure. of the measure takes the accent. In The same as binary measure. old mazurkas the figures were remeasure motive peated any number of times to suit A motive or theme whose accent the performer. Chopin has written coincides with the measure accent. many mazurkas. measure note me The note which is the unit of me as- The name of the third sound in the ure according to the time signature. Tonic Sol-fa system. Thus in three-four time, the quarter mean clef note is the measure note, and three of The tenor clef: the C clef when these, or their equivalent in value, written on the fourth line of the staff fill the measure, to indicate middle C for the tenor measure-rest voice. A rest extended The through whole ■ M zzzzz^z mean, harmonical out the measure. The middle note in a chord of three rest is used to signify a rest notes, of one measure; the breve mean parts rest indicates a rest of two ■ ■■ ■ ■ The middle parts. measures, and by comb in mean-tone system ■ ■ ■■«■ ing these any number of The system in which the intervals '.'.' '■* measures can be indicated, of major third were tuned and divided e. g., a three measure rest, a ^10 into equal tones, forming a mean besix measure used rest. in Figures tween the greater and le er whole generally rests are of *"|g '■" ' tone, hence the term, meant one; this more than six measures, and now are mode of tuning was popular before employed in all rests of more than the introduction of our modern one measure. method of equal temperament, which measurable divides the octave into twelve equal As used in the term measurable parts called semitones. music, the same as measurable music. measurable note Music having a definite time value A note whose time value is ind i given to its notes. cated by its form. In plain-song all me can is me (ma-ka-nezm') Fr. notes were of equal duration, but in 1. Mechanism: that part of an in the Twelfth Century the notes were strument which forms the connection given different forms to indicate a dif between the player and the sound ference in their time, and were thus producing part. made measurable. The earliest me as- 2. The physical power of performurable notes were the large, the long, ance as distinguished from the intel the breve and the semi-breve; and in lectual power. modern music we begin with the mechanical instruments whole note and divide and redivide, Instruments producing tunes by as, half, fourth, eighth and sixteenth. means of a mechanical contrivance; measure such as a crank, clockwork, weights 1. The unit of metrical division or springs. 342 323 Meisterfuge Mechanik Mechanik (me-ka'-nek) Ger. n. meditatio (med-i-ta'-shi-6) Lat. n. 1. A mechanism or mechanical part A term formerly applied to the of an instrument; such as, the piano middle of a chant, or the sound which action, or the machine head of a ends the first part of each verse in guitar or zither. the psalms. 2. The technique of piano playing, medius (me'-di-us) Lat. n. the mere mechanical action of hand The name of the third ecclesiast i and wrist independent of the mental cal accent. There are seven ecclesia ide of playing. tical accents; they are the intonations mechanism which the officiating priest or his An English term used to translate a istant employs in chanting, the German, Mechanik, when it means medius harmonic us mon'-i-kiis) Lat. (me'-di-us hartechnique in piano playing; that is, the The middle note in a chord of three mere action of fingers and hand, the up and down stroke of finger and notes which is based upon the first wrist, the pa ing under of the thumb medley of the key in which it is written, note and other physical actions in them- A mixture: a musical composition, selves, song, or entertainment consisting of medesmo (me-das'-mO) It. adj. incongruous or detached parts or pas- The same; as medesmo melode, the same melody; medesmo tempo, the sages, selected from different well same time. known sources arranged so that the end of one connects with the begin-