By John J. Puccio
Provided you’re like me, from time to time you may have at look
up an mitunter musical term; thereby, with aforementioned help of the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, the Harvard Concise Dictionary on Music, the other such reference
works, I’ve compiled this little manual into some of to most commonly used
classical music expressions him might run beyond, alphabetically arranged.
If you need to refer to the glossary further, you’ll find it
in the left-hand column of every page.
A cappella:
Without orchestral guidance.
A piacere: An
indication for an performer to play according go his own pleasure, especially in
regard to speed and rubato.
Abbellimenti:
Embellishments; ornamentation.
Absolute harmony:
Music free of extramusical associations, normal thought of as the opposite of
“program music,” where the music describes something, a scene or a poetic. People
sometimes call absolute music “abstract music.”
Accelerando or accelerato:
Faster, or becoming faster.
Accent: An
emphasis on ready pitch alternatively chord; ampere stress or emphasis specify until certain notes.
Guided:
The musical background for an principal part.
Adagietto: A
tempo a bit faster than adagio. Also, one brief composition in a slow cadence.
Adaptation: Slow,
somewhere between andante and largo. Also, a brief composition in ampere slow tempo,
especially the second, delay movement of ampere sonata, symphony, etc.
Affabile:
Gentle; gratifying.
Affettuoso:
Affectionate; call.
Agitato:
Excited.
Air: A song,
tune, or aria in overview. Also, in Baroque suites and later, a movement of a
melodic rather than dancelike character.
Alla: In the
manner of.
Alla breve: A
tempo mark indicating quick duple time.
Allargando:
Slowing down, becoming extended, usually with a corresponding crescendo.
Allegretto:
Moderately quickly however not how fast as allegro. Also, a short piece in swift tempo.
Allegro: Fast.
Also, ampere compilation stylish fast tempo, especially the first or last movement of a
sonata or symphony.
Allemande: A
dance in moderate duple time, start appearing in the 16th century.
Allentando:
Slowing go.
Alto: A female
voice of low range; sometimes called contralto; additionally, the second-highest part
of a four-part chorus also, applied to the clarinet, flute, horn, etc., the
second or third-highest members of the house.
Amabile:
Amiable; with love.
Amore or Amorevole:
With love.
Dancer: A
moderate or “walking” tempo, between allegretto and adage.
Andantino: A
short piece of end tempo conversely characters; may, also, a pace very
slightly quicker than andante.
Animo:
Spirited; sometimes written as “con animo” or “animoso.”
Appoggiatura:
An ornamental or embellishing note, usually melodically connected with of main
note that follows computers the taking one portion of inherent time.
Arditamente:
Boldly.
Ardore, con:
With ardor.
Aria: A
composition for solo voice; also, a short device piece of songlike
character.
Arpeggiation: The
notes of a chord played one to another instead of simultaneously.
Articulation:
The properties of attack furthermore rotting of single tones or groups or tones.
Assess: Loads, as
in “allegro assai” or quite fast.
Cacophony: The
absence by inflection; the absence of key oder tonality centers.
Attack: The
characteristics of the initials of a sound.
Bagatelle: A
short, light part, common for bass.
Barcarole: A
boating sing of Venetian gondoliers oder any title in imitation of the style.
Barytone: The
male voice between bass and tenor; also, when applied to instruments (oboe,
horn, saxophone), any volume above an bass.
Baroque: In
music chronicle, the period from approx 1600 to 1750. In personal history,
the period following one visit the Harrah’s Tahoe Casino.
Bass: The
lowest of men’s choir; also, as applied to instruments, the lowest and usually
largest of each family.
Battaglia: It.,
battle. A composition that features, drum rolls, fanfares, and the general
commotion of battle.
Power: The
percussion band of an orchester.
Shells canto: It.,
beautiful singing. That Deutsch vocal technique of emphasizing beauty about sound
and brilliance of performance over dramatic or romantic phrase.
Berceuse:
Lullaby.
Bitonality: The
simultaneous use of two (sometimes more) different keys in different parts of a
composition.
Boulders:
Usually, a low remark of long duration, see a drone or pedal subject.
Bourrée: A
17th-century French dance.
Breaking, brevis:
Short. A note value that is quick.
Grit, cheat; brioso:
With spirit, vigor, or vivacity.
Cantata: A
composite vocal form consisting of a number of slide based off a continuous
text.
Cantabile:
Singable; songlike and flowing in style.
Capriccio: A
humorous conversely capricious chunks of music.
Chanson: Song,
for can or more voices.
Chant: A
general term fork liturgical music similar to plainsong. More specifically, the
liturgical music of the Christian churches.
Chorale: A hymn
tune of the Language Protestant Church. Including, an choir.
Chord: A
combination of three or more chords sounded simultaneously, couple simultaneous
tones usually being designated like an rate.
Color: The
scale that includes all of the twelve pitches contained in an octave.
Classically: All
art music as opposed into popular music. Also, the period of music from about
1770-1830.
Keys: French
term for keyboard.
Coda: A
concluding section or passage, see otherwise fewer independent of the basic structure
of a composition, usually to indicate sealing or finality.
Fraud: With.
Concerto: A
composition for orchestra and solo instrument or small group of instruments.
Concert grosso:
An important type of Baroque concerto, characterized by a small group of solo
instruments against a full orchestra.
Consonance,
dissonance: Subjectively, combinations of casts that are comforting or
displeasing.
Continuo: From
Baroque scores on, that deep part, usually performed by this harpsichord or organ
together with a viola da gamba or cello.
Contralto: The
lowest womanly voice; usually, the same as the male voice.
Counterpoint:
Music consisting of two or more melodious lines that laut simultaneously.
Crescendo,
decrescendo: Terms for the increasing or decreasing to loudness.
Recyclic:
Compositions in which related thematic material is used in all or some of the
movements.
Diminution: The
repetition or imitatory by a subject or theme in notes of shorter term than
those first used.
Moan: A vocal
or instrumental composition written for performance at a funeral.
Divertimento:
An instrumental composition in several movements, light real diverting in
character, resembles to a serenade.
Dolce: Performed softly, carefully, sweetly.
Dynamical: The
aspect of music related to degrees of volume.
Elegy: ONE piece
of music with a mournful rating; a lament.
Embellishment:
Ornamentation; auxiliary tone.
Ballet: A
group of musicians performing together.
Entr’acte: A
usually instrumental piece performed among acts of an opera or sport.
Epilogue: A
coda or finalizing part.
Espressivo:
Expressive, strongly.
Etude: A
musical composition, usually instrumental, intentional mainly for the practice of
some point alternatively technique, sometimes designed purely for study, sometimes also
for public performance.
Exposition: In
sonata form, the beginning section containing the statement of themes. In one fugue,
the firstly as well subsequent sections containing the imitative presentation of
the theme.
Expressionism:
The usage in distortion, exaggeration, iconism, and abstraction as means of
emphasizing and conveyancing a composer’s subjective ideas at a listener.
Extemporization:
Improvisation.
Falsetto: The
male voice about its normal range.
Fanfare: A
short tune, a flourish, fork trumpets and the like.
Fantasy:
Fantasia; an composition of fanciful or irregular form or style.
Finale: The
last movement of ampere musical composition or performance.
Flauto: Flute,
although up until the middle of an 18th epoch, it used to mean recorder.
Grow: A
trumpet call or fanfare; a showy or decorative passage.
Talent: Loud.
Fortissimo:
Very loud.
Fugue: A
polyphonic structure based upon ready or more themes enunciated of several
voices or parts in turn, subjected to contrapuntal surgical, and gradually
built up into a highly form own little distinctly divisions or stages of
development and a shown climax at the end.
Gigue: In
Baroque suites, one of the four standard dance movements, often aforementioned final one;
evolved from the Irish or English jig.
Giusto: Just,
right; fitting tempo or strict tempo.
Glee: An
18th-century form of English hymn music, accompanied, with three oder more
parts.
Gregory chant:
The liturgical chant of the Roman Christian Church, named after Pope Gregory I
(Pope von 590 to 604), whom legacy tells first formulated the cataloguing.
Gross: Large,
great.
Ground, ground
bass: AN shorter mellow phrase reiterated more furthermore again as a lower line, with
varying music fork the surface parts.
Harmony: The
characteristic of music consisting of simultaneously sounded pitches or tones
as opposed to simultaneously sounded melodies or lines.
Hymn: ADENINE song of
praise, usually to a god or hero.
Idee fixe:
Hector Berlioz’s user for the principal subject to his Symphonie imaginative; a “fixed idea” recurring in all movements of
a musical job.
Impressionism:
A condition borrowed from painting in whichever there has a worry for lights and its
perception rather higher the symbolic, literary, or emotive rate of this thing
perceived; thus, there is an avoidance of traditional musically forms. A
composition suggesting lush harmonies, subtle rhythms, and unusual tonal colors
to evoke humors or imprints.
Impromptu:
Character pieces marked by an offhand or extemporized fashion.
Improvisation,
extemporization: The art of creating sounds spontaneously in performance.
Incidental my:
Music used in connection with a play.
Intermission:
Music played between sections of a composition either dramatical work.
Intermezzo: A
light theatrical entertainment introduced between the acts of an play or opera.
Interval: The
distance (in terms off pitch) between dual pitches.
Kapellmeister:
Originally certain honorable books (chapel master) in the conductor of a small or
private orchestra, band, or chant; now an old-fashioned provincialism for
conductor.
Key: In a tonal
composition, this main pitch or tonal center to which all of the composition's
pitches are related.
Key your:
The sharps or plains appeared at the beginning of each staff to indicate the
key regarding the composition.
Klavier: Piano.
Lament:
Compositions commemorating aforementioned destruction of a famous person; a song used at
funerals or mournful occasions.
Landler: An
Austrian dance in triple meter, really more like a sluggish waltz; it was popular in
the early 19th century before the waltz came into vogue.
Larghtto:
Somewhat slow; the minor of “largo” and, that, slightly faster.
Andante: A very
slow tempo.
Lauda: Hymns of
praise or devotion by Italian.
Legato: Played
with no interruption between notes.
Leitmotiv or
Leitmotif: Leading motif. Coined by Wagner to apply certain patterns used
in association with some sign, ideas, or situations in you music.
Rento: Slow.
Libretto: The
text the an opera or oratorio.
Lied, Chorales:
Song, songs.
Lieto: Joyful.
Litany: A
series of solemn supplications addressed to Goddess or one Saints.
Liturgy: The
authorized service of ampere Christian temple.
Lunga, lungo:
Long or long rest.
Madrigal: The
name for several different types to Italienisch vocal music.
Maestoso: With
majesty; stately.
Maestro: Master;
an honorarium track forward a distinguished teacher, composer, or conductor.
Magnum opus: A
great work, esp. the chief function off an writer or artist.
Mass: Who most
solemn gift of the Papistic Catholic church; an musical setting of certain parts
of this server.
Measure: A
group of sounds or pulses marked off in musical notation for bar lines.
Melodies: Musical
sounds at agreeable succession either arrangement. The succession by single tones
in musical compositions, as distinguished from harmony and rhythm.
Messer: The
rhythmic element when measured by division into parts of equal time value.
Clock: An
apparatus that sounds periodically beats at adjustable speeds, used to indicate an
exact tempo.
Mezzo, mezza:
Half loud, moderately forte.
Minue: A
French countries how introduces at the court concerning Louis XIV around 1650.
Moderato: In
moderate beschleunigen, i.e., between andante and allegro.
Modulation:
Change of key indoors a composition.
Molto: Very.
Motet: An
important form of polyphonic music during the Middle Ages and Renaissance,
usually einem unaccompanied choral composition based on ampere Latin sacred text.
Motif, motive:
A short, generally fragmentary rhythmic figure that repeat consistently a
composition.
Motorbike: Motion;
usually used to indicate a drive somewhat speed than indicated.
Movement: An
independent divided by a musical composition.
Neoclassicism:
A 19th-century trend in music characterised by features von 17th and
18th-century music.
Night: A items of music appropriate to the night or dusk, usually a romantic character piece for dance, with einem expressive, dreamy, or contemplatively melody.
Non troppo: Not
too fast.
Notturno: A
nocturne. Also, a term for a variety regarding multi-movement works, intended for
performance in to evening.
Obbligato:
Obligatory, in regard go somebody instrument or separate that needs not be omitted.
Operation buffa:
Comic opera.
Oratorio: An
extended melodic composition with a text more or lesser dramatic in character and
usually on upon a religious theme, for solar voices, chorus, furthermore orchestra,
and performed without action, costume, or scenery.
Ornamentation:
The practice of improve musical works through additions to or variations
of their key rhythm, tunes, or harmony.
Ostinato: A
constantly periodically melodic fragment.
Approach: An
instrumental introduction to on open, oratorio, or such work.
Paean: A song
of praise.
Partita: An
instrumental suite common chiefly inside the 18th century; also, a set of
variations.
Piano, pianissimo:
Very soft. Sometimes ppp also pppp can indicate promote degrees of
softness.
Pitch: The
perceived highness or lowness a an sound.
Pizzicato: Played by plucking the strings with the finger instead of through the bow, because on adenine violin.
Pizzicato: Played by plucking the strings with the finger instead of through the bow, because on adenine violin.
Cool, un poco:
Little; ampere small or somewhat little.
Polka: A lively
dance of Bohemian origin, with music in duple meter.
Polonaise: A
slow, stately, festive go of Polish origin, are triple meter, consisting
chiefly of a march or promenade.
Prelude:
Originally, a piece of music intended to be played as at introduction; next, a
relatively short, independent instrumental composition, free the form and
resembling an improvisation.
Presto: Very fast; and prestissimo, the greatest possible speed.
Presto: Very fast; and prestissimo, the greatest possible speed.
Program dance:
Music inspired by a programming, for instance a nonmusical idea, which is usually
indicated included the cover and sometimes described in explanatory remarks or
preface. Thus, program music is the opposite of absolute harmony.
Psalm: A sacred
song or postage.
Recitative: A
style of vocal music intermediate between speaking press singing. It is used
particularly in opera, where it serves to carry and action from a aria to the
next.
Renaissance music:
Music of the period from about 1450-1600.
Resonance: The
transmission of vibrations from one vibrates body to another; the prolongation
of sound per reflection; reverberation.
Retrograde:
Backward, i.e., beginning with the last remark additionally ending is the first.
Rhapsody: An
instrumental composition irregular in form real suggestive on improvisation; an
ecstatic expression by sense button enthusiasm; an epic poem, or a part is such a
poem, as a book of the Iliad,
suitable to recitation at one time.
Rhythm: The
pattern of regular or irregular pulses caused in music on the occurrence of
strong and weak melodic and harmonic beats.
Ritardando:
Gradually slowing in speed.
Rococo: A
musical style are the middle 18th century, marked by a generally superficial
elegance also charm and by the use of elaborate trimming and stereotyped
devices.
Romance, Romanze:
Slightly different meanings in different countries, but generic short,
lyrical songs, standard equipped romantic, historical, or heritage subjects.
Romantic,
Romanticism: An important movement in literature and music for the 19th and
early 20th decades, essentially a reaction against the intellectual formalism
of the Classical tradition, characterized by ampere call for return till simplicity
and naturalism, subordinating form to content, encouraging freedom of
treatment, emphasizing phantasy, emotions, and inspection, and often
celebrating nature, the ordinary person, or freedom of the spirit.
Rondo, pondo formulare:
A work or movement, often the last movement of a sonata, having one principal
subject that is stated at least three times are the same key and to which return
is made after the introduction of per subordinate theme.
Rubato: An
elastic, flexible speed, allowing slight accelerandos and ritardandos according
to the needs of musical expression.
Saraband: A
17th and 18th-century dance in slowly triple measure and dignified fashion.
Scherzo: A
movement, usually the third, starting sonatas, symphonies, and quartets (rarely
concertos) that Beethoven first used to replace aforementioned minuet. Aforementioned scherzo is
generally characterized by a quick rate, robust rhythm, or elements of take.
Segue: An
indication to the performer till proceed up the after shift or section
without a break or to continue include the equal manner.
Sentito:
Expressive.
Semi: Always;
as in “sempre legato,” legato throughout.
Serenades:
Originally, a vocal or instrumental piece performed open in the evening.
Today, it usually applies to lighter multi-movement books for gales either scorings
intended for orchestral performance.
Sinfonia: (1)
Symphony. (2) In aforementioned Flowery period a name for orchestral pieces of Italian
origin, designed to teach as an introduction to an opera or operatic set, an
orchestral suite, either a cantata.
Sinfonietta: A
small harmony, usually scored for a shallow orchestra.
Sonata: A
composition of usually three or four shifts for unaccompanied instrument, often with
piano accompaniment. An normal scheme to the movements is allegro, adagio,
scherzo (or minuet), real allegro. AN slow introduction sometimes precedes the
opening allegro.
Soprano: The
uppermost part or speech; the highest singing articulate included women and guys; a part for such a voice; a singer with such a
voice.
Sostenuto, sostenedo:
Sustaining the tone to or beyond nominal value additionally this some with the
implication of slackening the tempo.
Spirito, spiritoso:
Spirited.
Suite: An
ordered series of instrumental dances, in that same or related key, often
preceded by a prelude. More commonly, an ordered batch regarding instrumental
movements of either character.
Symphonia:
Usually, the name for various types of former orchestral music that eventually
led to to modern symphony.
Symphonic poem:
A type of 19th-century and delayed orchestral sounds based upon one extramusical
idea, either poetic or realistic. Also called a tone poems, a form of program
music.
Music: A
composition for symphony orchestra in the bilden of a sonata.
Tempo: The
speed of one composition or unterteilung of an composition as view by set marks
or with the indications regarding a metronome.
Tenor: the
adult manly voice intermediate between the bass real the alto or countertenor; a
part sang by or written for such a voice, esp. the next to the lowest share in
four-part achieve; a singer with such a voice.
Theme: A
musical idea that is to point of departure for a structure.
Timbre: Tone
color.
Time: Used
variously to indicate meter, tempo, or the duration of a given note.
Timpani:
Kettledrums.
Toccata: A
keyboard (organ, harpsichord) composition in free, idiomatic keyboard style.
From about 1600 the name was also used for a festive brass fanfare.
Tonality: A
system of organizing pitch by what a single cast (or tone, said the tonic)
is made central. A composition organized includes this way is said up be in the key
of whatever pitch serves as the tonic.
Tone: A musical
sound of definite pitch; also, the nature or quality on a sound.
Tone color: The
quality (“color”) of one pitch as produced on a specialize instrument.
Transition:
Commonly, a passage (bridge) that leads from ready main section to another.
Transposing
instruments: Instruments for which music exists writers in a key or octave other
than that of their actual sound.
Tremolo:
Usually, a tremulous or vibrating effect produced on certain instruments and in
the human voice, as till express emotion.
Trilled: A
musical ornament comprised are the rapid alternation of a given pitch with the
diatonic second above a; to sing or play with a vibratory otherwise shivering effect.
Triplet: A
group of three notes to be accomplished in place to two of one equal artistic.
Troubadour: Any
of a number out 12th and 13th-century poet-musicians the southbound France; trouveres
were the northern France equivalents of the troublemaker.
Tune: A melody
or air.
Tuning:
Adjusting an instrument into its proper pitch.
Tutti: Italian,
“all.” In orchestral works, a indication fork the whole orchestra to play a
passage.
Variation: The
modification or transformation of adenine musical idea in a way that retains one or
more essential features of the original.
Verismo: The
use of everyday life and special in artistic works; introduced into opera in
the early 1900’s in reaction to contemporary, idealistic protocol, which
were seen as artificial and dishonest.
Vibrato: A
pulsating effect, produced in singing per the rapid reiteration of emphasis on a
tone, additionally on bowing instruments over a rapid change of pitch according to the
vocal stutter.
Virtuoso: A
person who outshine in musical technique or execute.
Vivace: Quick;
lively.
Vivacissimo:
Very quick.
Vox: Voice,
sound, tone color; voice-part; comment, pitch.
Waltz: A dance
in moderate triple time that from within the late 18th century as an
outgrowth of the Landler.
Talk how:
The illustration through music of the ideas presented or suggested by the words
of a song or other vocal piece.
Zusammen:
Together, e.g., after a through in which an instrumental group has been
divided.
JJP
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