John Weeks Moore

“ Accent, in its primitive sense, is an affection of the voice, which gives each syllable of a word its due pitch, in respect to height or lowness. By accent we learn the manner in which sounds are uttered, without reference to their loudness or softness. ”

“ Accent is the arithmetical order by which the contents of a bar are divided and arranged. Although the principles of the accent belong chiefly to the composer, yet the performer ought not to be unacquainted with them. To accent is to utter a note or syllable with a particular stress or modulation of voice ”

“ The natural accent of all instruments is different, but may be varied by certain methods of playing. This is particularly the case with the violin, upon which, by means of the bow, every variety of accent may be produced. As no characters have been adopted that will sufficiently express these vane-tie ,, is evident that accent must depend principally upon the taste and fancy of the performer. Accent is a modulation of the voice to express a passion. Every bar or measure is divided into accented and unaccented parts. ”

“ Steele made considerable progress in analyzing and recording the melody of speech, and could repeat a sentence as correctly as if it had been set to music. There is a musical accentuation observable in all pleasing declamation. When we utter the interjection Oh ! under the strong impression of wonder or surprise, we use a circumflex musical slide, first ascending and then descending through no less an interval than a whole octave, thus:—
When the musical accent denotes sorrow, the tone of the voice continues all the while at the same pitch ”