[Illustration: Example 37. Fragment of Mendelssohn.]
There is no reasonable doubt of the semicadence in the second measure, because enough pulses have been heard, up to that point, to represent the sum of an ordinary phrase. If this were written in 6-8 measure (as it might be), it would contain four measures. See, also, Song No. 22 of Mendelssohn,—9-8 measure, adagio tempo; the phrases are "Small"; note particularly the last two measures. The same is true in No. 17. About Schumann, op. 68, No. 43 (Sylvesterlied), there may be some doubt; but the measures, though of common denomination, contain so many tones, in moderate tempo, that the effect of a cadence is fairly complete in the second measure.
If, on the other hand, one of the regular cadences is omitted,—owing to the rapidity of the tempo, or a small denomination of measure,—the phrase will attain just double the ordinary length; that is, eight measures. An eight-measure phrase is called a Large phrase. For illustration:—
