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From: HenHanna <HenHanna@devnull.tb>
Newsgroups: sci.lang
Subject: Re: Did Shakespeare know Greek? -- Appetite came from (Greek) Piptein
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2024 13:59:03 -0700
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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.