alto tenore (al'-to ta-no'-re) It

The high tenor, counter-tenor. This amabilmente adv. (a-ma-bil-men'-te) It. part between the tenor and the mod- Amiably; gently; sweetly; tenderly. ern contralto was the original alto. alto trombone. amaragnolo Somewhat (a-ma-ra-yo'-l6) bitter, rather sad.It. adj. A bra wind instrument whose scale of half tones is obtained either amari imamente (a - ma - rls - si - mamen'-te) It. adv. by means of a sliding tube or valves. Very bitterly; very sadly. The valve trombone is easier to play, but the slide trombone has better amari imo (a-ma-ris'-si-mo) It. adj. Very bitter; very sad; sorrowful. tone. The alto trombone has a range of from B flat below the ba clef to amaro (a-ma'-ro) It. adj and n. Bitter, sad; bitterne , sadne , E flat above and sometimes higher, whence its name, E flat trombone. grief, sorrow. This is not a transposing instrument am a rong nolo (a-ma-ron-y6'-lo) It. adj. Somewhat bitter, rather sad. but sounds the notes in the key in amateur (am-a-tiir) Fr. n. which they are written; its music is A lover of an art: one who studies usually written in the alto clef. The and practises an art, music, painting, alto trombone is now little used in or any other, for pleasure, not as a orchestras. The same as alt posaune. profe ion. Usually the education of alto viola (al'-to ve-6'-la) It. an amateur is not very thorough. The small tenor viol on which the Those who have an intimate knowlalto part was usually played. The edge^ of the subject but do not pracpredece or of the viola. tise it profe ionally are more proper- 48 29 amateur American organ ly termed cognoscenti. Equivalent to ambulant (an-bii-lan) Fr. pres. part. amatore or dilettante (It.)j dilettant Walking; wandering: as itinerant (Gen). musicians or strolling players, ambit us (am'-bi-tiis) Lat. n. ame (am) Fr. n. Literally, a going around: hence 1. Soul; spirit; feeling, emotion. 2. In violins, violas, and other compa or range; the distance be stringed instruments of that cla , the tween the highest and lowest notes. Formerly the compa of an ancient sounding-post or prop is called the ame. church chant. Ambrosian chant amen (a'-men in the ritual of the The method of intoning the ma church, otherwise (a'-men) Heb. and Scripture selections introduced by So be it: used at the end of psalms, St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, during hymns, anthems and other sacred the latter part of the Fourth Century. music, Ambrose feared the lo or corruption amen chorus of the old melodies, the origin of A chorus which is written chiefly on which is unknown and which before the word Amen. Many composers this had been handed down by oral from the early Italians to the present teaching. His efforts to restore them day have written long settings to this to their primitive purity and to train word to show their skill in counter the clergy in singing them correctly point and fugue. The most famous, resulted in the establishment of the so perhaps, of all these compositions is called Ambrosian chants. These forms Handel's Amen chorus in the " Meshave been used in modern times only in the diocese of Milan, having been ameno (a-ma'-no) It. adj. supplanted elsewhere by the Grego- Pleasing; agreeable; charming; rian chants. The Ambrosian chant is sweet. siah." America a kind of plain-song and differs from modern music in that it is not written in the major and minor scales, but in See My concert American Country pitch 'Tis of Thee. modes. These correspond somewhat The pitch adopted for the note A on to the Greek manner of writing music the second space of the G or treble and differ from the modern in the clef, by which it has 435 double vibraplacing of the semitones. There are tions per second. This pitch was fourteen modes, but Ambrose used adopted in 1891 by a committee aponly four of them. pointed by the National Music Teach- Ambrosian hymn ers' A ociation. This term is applied to the Te Deum American fingering Laudamus, We praise thee, O God, a The system of fingering in which hymn of praise which takes its title the thumb is marked X and the fin from the name of its reputed author, gers 1,2, 3, 4, as opposed to the pres- St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, who ent German system, which counts the lived during the latter part of the thumb as the first finger. Its origin, Fourth Century. It is very likely of however, is German or English. When Greek origin and only translated by fingering was first used the Germans St. Ambrose. He introduced many indicated the thumb by 0, but when beautiful hymns into the service of the system came into use in England the Milan Cathedral. They were really this sign, easily mistaken for a the first metrical or rhythmical hymns whole note, was changed to ct used and soon became of equal imand finally X, hence this fin portance with psalms and canticles. gering is more properly termed Eng- Ambrosian us cantus (am-bro-zi-a'-nus lish. kan-tiis.) Lat. American organ Ambrosian chant. Ambrosian us hymn us A keyboard instrument rather simi- The Ambrosian chant. lar to the harmonium but having important differences. The chief differambubajse (am-bu-ba'-je) Lat. n. plu. ence is that the bellows suck the air A name given to a society of itinerin through the reeds instead of forcing ant Greek flute-players; doubtle a it out through them. The reeds are corrupted form of a noun derived more curved and twisted and considfrom the Latin verb, ambulare, meaner ably smaller than those of the haring to walk. monium and have larger space in 49 30 American organ amplitude of vibrations which to vibrate. This makes the employ of the Emperoi of Ru ia. It tone broader and softer, le thin and was an attempt at improving the nasal. In this instrument the wind French horn by the use of valves. The channels or cavities under which the valve mechanism did not entirely do vibrators of the reeds are fixed is alaway with stopping the bell of the ways the exact length of the reed in horn with the hand to produce some contrast to the harmonium, in which it tones. The French horn with cylinis shorter or longer as a reedy or der and valve has entirely supplanted fluty tone is required. The tone qualthe Amorschall. ity of the American organ is more amousikos (a-moo'-si-kos) Grk. adj. like the organ than that of the har- Unmusical: a term applied by the monium but is not capable of nearly ancient Greeks in regard to individuso much expre ion. The instrument als to signify the lack of musical apis sometimes made with two manuals preciation, either due to deficiency in and a mechanical device by which all the organs of hearing or to absence the power of the instrument can be of cultivation. obtained on the lower row of keys. It was sometimes provided with pedals amphibrach (am-fi-brak) Eng. n. from like the organ pedals. Two recent im- Grk. From a Greek noun meaning short provements on this organ are the addion both sides. A metrical foot contion of an automatic swell, a pneumatic sisting of three syllables or notes, the lever set in motion by the pre ure of first and third of which are short or the bellows, which gradually opens shutters placed above the reeds, thus unaccented, the second long or acincreasing the tone; and the vox brachys. cented, _^ — _. Also written a mph i human a, a fan placed just behind the sounding-board, which gives a slightly amphicord (am'-fi-kord) Eng. n. from tremulous tone quality. Grk. The same as lira Barber in a. This instrument was invented by a workman in the harmonium factory of amphoter Alexandre in Paris about 1835. This Amphoteric: applied to a series of workman came to America and began tones common to two parts of the to make his organ here. It was later range of which any voice is capable. improved and manufactured by Mason amplitude of vibrations and Hamlin. The first instruments That quality of vibrations upon were called melodeons or mel odiums. which the loudne of a sound deammaestratore (am-ma-as-tra-to'-re ) pends. Taking the string as an ex- It. n. ample, the amplitude of its vibrations Teacher; trainer; instructor. is the distance it departs from its position of rest after it has been struck, am maes trat rice (am - ma - as-tra-tret'- plucked, or bowed. This distance is che) It. n. Teacher; trainer; instructre . increased in proportion to the force with which the string is caused to viammodulato (am-mo-doo-la'-to) It. brate. When the string is first struck past part. its vibrations are wide enough to be Tuned. A term seldom used, visible to the eye and the correspond a more (a-mo'-re) It. n. ing tone is loudest. As the force of Love: affection; tenderne , ardor. the stroke becomes spent, the vibraamoreyole (a-mo-ra-vo'-le) It. tender. adj. tions become smaller and smaller and Loving; affectionate; ardent; at the same time the loudne or inamorevolmente (a-mo-ra-vol-men' -te) tensity of the sound diminishes. When Lovingly; affectionately; ardently; the distance of the hearer from the tenderly. sonorous body is increased, the in-