Gradus

Gradus

The Latin phrase Gradus ad Parnassum means "Steps to Parnassus". It is sometimes shortened to Gradus. Mount Parnassus was, by some accounts in Greek mythology, the home of the Muses – the nine goddesses of the arts. The phrase has therefore been used to refer to various books of instruction, or guides to making progress in literature, music, or the arts in general.

The first application of the phrase is to a kind of Latin or Greek dictionary, in which the quantities of the vowels are marked in the words, to help beginners. Modern dictionaries of Greek and Latin are usually of this type. For example, the Liddell-Scott-Jones "Greek-English Lexicon" (1843) and its current derivatives give quantity information where it is crucial and where it is available; so do Charles Lewis and Charlton Short's "A Latin Dictionary" (1879) and its derivatives. Synonyms, epithets, and poetical expressions and extracts are also included under the more important headings, the whole being intended as an aid for students in Greek and Latin verse composition. The first Latin gradus was compiled in 1687 by the Jesuit Paul Aler (1656-1727), a famous schoolmaster. There is a Latin gradus by C.D. Yonge (1850); English-Latin by AC Ainger and HG Wintle (1890); Latin-French by F.J.M. Noël (1810); Greek by Thomas Morell (1762, new ed. ed. by E. Maltby, Bishop of Durham (1815); John Brasse (1828).

Gradus ad Parnassum is the name of a seminal textbook on counterpoint written by Johann Joseph Fux in 1725, but used well into the 20th century for instruction in musical theory and composition. Leopold Mozart is said to have taught his son Wolfgang from its pages. JS Bach and Beethoven both held it in great esteem, and Haydn meticulously worked out each of its exercises.

Gradus ad Parnassum is a collection of instructional piano pieces by Muzio Clementi and also a collection of instruction piano pieces by Carl Czerny.

Gradus ad Parnassum is also a collection of instructional violin studies by Ernst Heim.

Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum is a satirical piano composition by Claude Debussy, from his suite "Children's Corner", poking fun at Muzio Clementi's collection (or, as Myriam Chimènes states in the notes to the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli version, at Czerny's collection).

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  • gradus — [ gradys ] n. m. • 1821; abrév. de Gradus ad Parnassum « Degré vers le Parnasse », œuvre de 1702 ♦ Dictionnaire de prosodie latine. Par ext. Dictionnaire poétique. Un gradus français. ⇒GRADUS, subst. masc. [P. ell. de Gradus ad Parnassum : «… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Gradus — ad Parnassum Un Gradus ad Parnassum (locution latine signifiant « Montée au Parnasse »), quelquefois abrégé en Gradus, est un ouvrage pédagogique concernant la littérature, la musique, ou les arts en général. Le mont Parnasse est en… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • gradus — ad parnassum ou, simplement, gradus (gra dus ad parna ssom ou gra dus ) s. m. Titre d un dictionnaire latin qui, indiquant la quantité de chaque mot, les synonymes, les épithètes, etc. sert à faire des vers latins.    Par extension, dictionnaire… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Gradus — Gra dus, n. [From L. gradus ad Parnassum a step to Parnassus.] A dictionary of prosody, designed as an aid in writing Greek or Latin poetry. [1913 Webster] He set to work . . . without gradus or other help. T. Hughes. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gradus — (lat.), Grad, Stufe; auch Rang, amtlicher Charakter, Ehrenstelle; besonders auch eine akademische Würde (s. Graduiert); per gradūs, stufenweise; pro gradu disputieren, zur Erlangung eines akademischen Grades disputieren; gradūs comparationis,… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • gradus — index degree (station) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 gradus …   Law dictionary

  • gradus — [grā′dəs] n. [< L Gradus (ad Parnassum), lit., step (to Parnassus), title of a book on prosody] 1. a dictionary of prosody for help in writing Greek or Latin poetry 2. a book of piano studies, études, etc. arranged in a progressive order of… …   English World dictionary

  • Gradus [1] — Gradus (lat.), 1) Schritt; 2) Stufe; 3) die terrassenförmig angelegten Sitze in den römischen Circus, Amphitheatern u. Theatern; auch G [529] Aurelli, erhabene Richtersitze auf dem Markte in Rom, s.d. (a. Geogr.); 4) Steigerungsstufe, z.B. G.… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Gradus [2] — Gradus (a. Geogr.), der alte Name von Grado …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Gradus — (lat.), Stufe, Grad, Rang, akademische Würde …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Gradus — Gradus, lat., Schritt, Stufe, Grad; dann Rang, Posten, Charakter, Ehrenstelle, namentlich eine akadem. Würde, endlich das Lesepult des Priesters beim Gottesdienst …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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