Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M O P Q S V

Adagio
Quite slow.
Allegro
Fast, cheerful.
Andante
Moderately slow or walking pace.
Anthem
A religious choral composition in English the Protestant equivalent of the motet.
Aria
A song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing intense emotion. Generally found in opera, cantata, and oratorio.
Arpeggio
Broken chord in which the individual tones are sounded one after another instead of simultaneously.
Atonality
Total abandonment of tonality. Atonal music moves from one level of dissonance to another.
Ballade
French poetic form and chanson type with courtly love texts. Also a Romantic genre, especially a lyric piano piece.
Ballet
A dance form featuring a staged presentation of group or solo dancing with music, costumes and scenery.
Baritone
Male voice of moderately low range.
Bass
Male voice of low range.
BWV
A way of cataloguing Bach's works, it is an abbreviation of Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis
Cadenza
Virtuosic solo passage in the manner of an improvisation, performed near the end of an aria or a movement of a concerto.
Canon
Type of composition in which one musical line strictly imitates another at a fixed distance throughout.
Cantabile
A singing style.
Cantata
A work for solo singers, chorus and instrumentalists based on a lyric or dramatic poetic narrative. It generally consists of several movements including recitatives, arias and ensemble pieces.
Celesta
Percussion instrument resembling a miniature upright piano, with tuned metal plates struck by hammers that are operated by a keyboard.
Chord
Simultaneous combination of three or more tones. A single block of harmony.
Coda
The last section of a piece, usually added to a standard form bringing the music to a close.
Concerto
A piece in which an instrument (or ensemble) contrasts with an orchestral ensemble.
Counterpoint
The compositional art of combining two or more simultaneous melodic lines. A polyphonic texture.
Countertenor
The male voice at alto pitch
Crescendo
The dynamic effect of gradually getting louder.
Decrescendo
The dynamic effect of gradually getting softer.
Dissonance
A combination of tones that sounds discordant and in need of resolution.
Dolce
To be played sweetly.
Duo
Similar to a duet: simply, a piece written for two performers.
Encore
An audience request that the performer(s) repeat a piece or perform another.
Exposition
Opening section.
Falsetto
Vocal technique whereby men can sing above their normal range.
Forte
An Italian term meaning loud.
Fugue
Polyphonic form popular in the Baroque era in which one or more themes are developed by imitative counterpoint.
Gamelan
Musical ensemble of Java or Bali, usually made up of gongs, chimes, metallophones and drums.
Glissando
Rapid slide through pitches of a scale.
Ground Bass
A repeating melody, usually in the bass, throughout a vocal or instrumental composition.
Harmonics
Individual pure sounds that are part of any musical tone. In string instruments they are produced by lightly touching a vibrating string at a certain point.
Homophonic
A texture with a principal melody and accompanying harmony, as opposed to polyphonic.
Improvisation
Creation of a musical composition while it is being performed, most commonly seen in Baroque ornamentation, cadenzas of concertos and jazz music.
Incidental Music
Music either specifically composed for, or used in, a drama.
Interlude
Music usually played between sections of a musical or dramatic work.
Jig
A vigorous dance developed in the British Isles and popular as an Irish traditional dance style.
K.
A way of cataloguing Mozart's works - the number given to this piece in Ludwig Kochel's catalogue of all Mozart's music.
Largo
Broad and slow.
Leitmotif
A basic recurring theme, representing a person, object or idea, commonly used in Wagner's operas.
Libretto
Text, or script, of an opera.
Madrigal
Renaissance secular work originating in Italy for voices, with or without instruments.
Mazurka
A type of Polish folk dance.
Octet
A group of eight performers - or any piece written for that combination of instruments.
Oratorio
An extended work for choir and orchestra, based on a sacred subject or text
Orch.
Abbreviation for 'orchestrated'. Orchestration is the art of arranging music for the orchestra, often from an original piano or chamber score.
Overture
A short orchestral work written to either introduce an opera or ballet, or to begin a concert programme.
Piano Quartet
A group made up of one piano, one violin, one viola and one cello - or a piece written for that combination of instruments.
Piano Trio
A group made up of one piano, one violin and one cello - or a piece written for this combination of instruments.
Premiere
The first public performance
Quartet
A piece for four instruments, or a group that performs such a piece.
Quintet
A piece written for, or group of, five performers - often two violins, two violas and cello (string quintet) or two violins, viola, cello and piano (piano quintet)
Sonata
A term given to a three-part piece, normally comprising Exposition, Development and Recapitulation.
String Quartet
A group made up of two violins, one viola and one cello - or any piece written for this combination of instruments.
String Trio
A group made up of one violin, one viola and one cello - or a piece written for this combination of instruments.
Suite
A set of instrumental pieces written to be played in one performance.
Symphony
An extended work for orchestra, often divided into several movements.
Virtuoso
A truly exceptional musician.