Contents: Preface; Introduction. Part I The Falling-Third Cadences in Chant and Polyphony: Gregorian chant; Late 14th- and early 15th-century polyphony; Polyphony from Dufay to Palestrina. Part II The Falling-Third Cadences in Recitative: Monody and recitative in the 17th century; Later recitative; The Appoggiatura. The Conclusions: The 4-3-1 figure in history. Bibliography; Index.