1. Faire wether.
2. Lightning.
3. Thunder.
There is also 'A Harmony for 4 Voices' by Ravenscroft, 'expressing the five usual Recreations of Hunting, Hawking, Dancing, Drinking, and Enamouring': but here it is probable that the words only are descriptive. A madrigal by Leo Leoni (1606) beginning 'Dimmi Clori gentil' contains an imitation of a nightingale. Then the Viennese composer Froberger (d. 1667) is mentioned by several authorities to have had a marvellous power of pourtraying all kinds of incidents and ideas in music, but the sole specimen of his programme-music quoted by Becker—another battle-piece—is a most feeble production. Adam Krieger (1667) gives us a four-part vocal fugue entirely imitative of cats, the subject being as follows—
![<< \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \new Staff { \relative d'' { d2^\( cis4 c | b bes a8\) a[^\( bes b] c4. cis8 d2\) } } \addlyrics { mi __ _ _ _ _ au, mi __ _ _ _ _ au! } >>](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/k/o/koe1x0mdt7swrxa778wqeejn62bhzom/koe1x0md.png)
Titles now begin to be more impressive, and the attempt of Buxtehude (b. 1637) to describe 'the Nature and Properties of the Planets' in a series of seven Suites for Clavier would be very ambitious had it extended further than the title-page. Kuhnau's 'Biblische Historien' are more noticeable. These were six Organ Sonatas describing various scenes in the sacred narrative. 'David playing before Saul' is one—a good musical subject; 'Jacob's wedding' is more of a programme piece, and contains a 'bridal song' for Rachel. 'Gideon' is of the usual order of battle-pieces, and 'Israel's death' is not very descriptive. Burney gives 'David and Goliath' and 'The ten plagues of Egypt' as the titles of the other two.
Amongst descriptive vocal pieces of this period should be noticed the Frost scene in Purcell's 'King Arthur,' in which the odd effect of shivering and teeth-chattering is rendered by the chorus. Also the following aria from an opera by Alessandro Melani (1660–96):
Talor la granochiella nel pantano
Per allegrezza canta qua qua ré,
Tribbia il grillo tri tri tri,
L'Agnellino fa bé bé,
L'Usignuolo chiu chiu chiu,
Ed il gal curi chi chi.
These imitations are said to have created much delight among the audience. Coming now to the great masters we find singularly few items for our list. J. S. Bach has only one, the 'Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello diletissimo,' for pianoforte solo, in which occurs an imitation of a posthorn. We cannot include the descriptive choruses which abound in cantatas and oratorios, the catalogue would be endless. We need only mention casually the 'Schlacht bei Hochstädt' of Em. Bach, and dismiss Couperin with the remark that though he frequently gives his harpsichord pieces sentimental and flowery names, these have no more application than the titles bestowed so freely and universally on the 'drawing-room' music of the present day. [App. p.752 "the statement that the titles given by Couperin to his harpsichord pieces have no application in the sense of 'Programme-music,' is to be corrected; to mention but two instances out of many, 'Le Reveil-matin' is as true a specimen of the class as could be found in all music, while 'La Triomphante' exceeds 'The Battle of Prague' as far in graphic delineation as it does in musical beauty."] D. Scarlatti wrote a well-known 'Cat's Fugue.' Handel has not attempted to describe in music without the aid of words—for the 'Harmonious Blacksmith' is a mere after-invention, but he occasionally follows not only the spirit but the letter of his text with a faithfulness somewhat questionable, as in the setting of such phrases as 'the hail ran along upon the ground,' 'we have turned,' and others, where the music literally executes runs and turns. But this too literal following of the words has been even perpetrated by Bach ('Mein Jesu ziehe mich, so will ich laufen.'), and by Beethoven (Mass in D, 'et ascendit in cœlum'); and in the present day the writer has heard more than one organist at church gravely illustrating the words 'The mountains skipped like rams' in his accompaniment, and on the slightest allusion to thunder pressing down three or four of the lowest pedals as a matter of course. Berlioz has ridiculed the idea of interpreting the words 'high' and 'low' literally in music, but the idea is now too firmly rooted to be disturbed. Who would seek to convey ethereal or heavenly ideas other than by high notes or soprano voices, and a notion of 'the great deep' or of gloomy subjects other than by low notes and bass voices?
A number of Haydn's Symphonies are distinguished by names, but none are sufficiently descriptive to be included here. Characteristic music there is in plenty in the 'Seasons,' and 'Creation,' but the only pieces of actual programme-music—and those not striking specimens—are the Earthquake movement, 'Il Terremoto,' in the 'Seven Last Words,' and the 'Representation of Chaos' in the 'Creation,' by an exceedingly unchaotic fugue. Mozart adds nothing to our list, though it should be remembered how greatly he improved dramatic music. We now come to the latter part of the 18th century, when programme pieces are in plenty. It is but natural
