Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: HenHanna Newsgroups: sci.lang Subject: Re: Did Shakespeare know Greek? -- Appetite came from (Greek) Piptein Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2024 13:59:03 -0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 43 Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Sun, 01 Sep 2024 22:59:12 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="1ad002122ad92d7030af8a7c6fd6ceb6"; logging-data="1720162"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1932nCnzvFTVLSKi9yRDMRNo8tN5yF0V/8=" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:WXXK9PG7U3Fga5TidiTP7SaSqwo= Content-Language: en-US In-Reply-To: Bytes: 2902 On 8/30/2024 7:59 PM, Ross Clark wrote: > On 28/08/2024 1:26 a.m., LionelEdwards wrote: >> On Tue, 27 Aug 2024 10:32:01 +0000, HenHanna wrote: >> >>> >>> one fav. line (form Shakespeare)  is : >>> >>> DUKE ORSINO >>>              If music be the food of love, play on; >>>              Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, >>>              The appetite may sicken, and so die. >>>              That strain again! it had a dying fall: >>> >>> Appetite (has a FALL in it) ??? >> >> The strain (the music) falls off towards the end with >> sweet discord and all that. > > The "fall" (ending) is called in more technical musical terminology a > "cadence", ultimately from Latin cadere 'to fall'. A dying fall in music refers to a phrase or passage that gradually diminishes in volume, intensity, or emotional impact. It's often characterized by a slow, descending melody or a subtle fading of sound. This technique can create a sense of melancholy, longing, or resolution at the end of a piece. The term is derived from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," where the character Ophelia sings a song that includes the line "And I had rather hear a senseless sound than a sweet note that speaks so loud of a dying fall." This line implies a preference for a simple, mournful sound over a complex one that evokes strong emotions. In music, a dying fall can be achieved through various means, such as: Diminuendo: Gradually decreasing the volume of the music. Rubato: Playing with a flexible tempo, slowing down towards the end. Pedal tones: Sustaining a long note while playing other harmonies above it. Harmonics: Playing soft, ethereal sounds by lightly touching the strings of an instrument.