Glossary

abbé - Members of the clergy not belonging to a religious order or bound by their vows.
adagio - Slow tempo, at ease.
allegro - Fast tempo
amateur - One who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than for money or professional reasons.
aria - An elaborate melody sung by a single voice as in an opera or oratorio.
arpeggio -The notes of a chord played one at a time instead of together.
ballet - A theatrical performance using ballet dancing to convey a story, theme, or atmosphere.
baroque - The historical period (c.1600 - 1750) where music and art were ornate, exuberant, and dynamic.
bourrée - A French 17^th century dance, or the music for that dance in quick duple meter.
band - An instrumental group composed principally of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.
broken chord - when each tone of a chord is played in succession instead of together.
cantata - A choral composition with choruses and solos, usually accompanied by organ, piano, or orchestra.
caricature- A cartoon likeness of a person.
chamber music - Music suited for a room or small concert hall.
chord - A musical sound made when three or more notes are played at the same time.
coda - A concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure, an added ending.
conservatory - A school specializing in one of the fine arts, such as mucic.
classical - Refers to music that is more complex and is more enduring than popular music.
clerical - Referring to the clergy; those who serve as ministers and priests.
compose - To create music; to write music.
concert band - Sometimes called a "symphonic band." It is larger than a pep band or a smaller town band and has more classical music in its repertory.
concerto - A composition for a full orchestra featuring a solo instrument. Usually three movements Fast,Slow, Fast.
conduct - To lead and direct a group of musicians performing together.
da capo al fine (FEE-nay) - Italian meaning " from the beginning to the end. Abbreviated as D.C al Fine
demoiselle - A French word for "young lady."
dissonant - A sound that clashes, which may sound "wrong" to our ears.
étude - A study , a piece aimed at teaching a musical skill.
finale - The final part of a musical work.
fine - (FEEnay) - The end.
forte - Loud, strong.
fugue - A "round" written for instruments.
genre - a distinctive type or category of artistic work.
grace note - An extra note played very quickly before the main note.
gavotte - A French dance in moderate 4/4 time.
habanera - A Cuban dance in 2/4 syncopated rhythm.
homophonic - music which has a single melody with its accompaniment.
hornpipe - An English folk clarinet having one ox horn concealing the reed and another forming the bell. It also gave its name to a dance related to the Irish jig. It features hopping and kicking of the feet. It became popular with sailors because it could be done in a small space without a partner.
humoresque - A humorous musical composition.
impromptu - A composition of the Romantic Period. The name implies a somewhat casual origin of the piece in the composer's mind.
improvise - To make up new music on the spur of the moment.
la paix - (la pay) Peace in French.
largo - A very slow tempo, usually combined with great experssivness.
libretto - The written words of a musical work such as an opera or an oratorio.
Mass - A musical composition which follows the form of the Roman Catholic religious service.
mazurka - A lively Polish dance in triple meter (three beats).
measure - A basic unit of musical time, usually containing two, three, or four beats.
melodious - Very pleasant to the ear. Like a melody.
metronome -A mechanical or electrical device that clicks the beat at a pre-set speed to help the musician keep a steady tempo.
minuet - A slow, stately dance in triple meter (3 beats). It evolved into the waltz of
the romantic Period.
moment musical - A musical moment, a Schubert idea!
motive - Similar to a theme only much shorter.
movement - A distinct part of a musical composition, like a chapter in a book. Musicians will usually stop completely between movements
nocturne - A dreamy composition appropriate for nighttime.
omnipotent - Almighty or infinite in power.
opera - A musical play with orchestra, chorus, solos, and people in costume who sing rather than speak their lines.
operetta - A short opera, light, and sentimental in character, with some spoken dialogue, music, and dancing.
operaphile - one who has a great liking or attraction to opera.
Opus - A work. It is used by composers and publishers to identify their works.
The word is usually reserved for a collection of works of the same kind.Op. 13, No. 4 would mean that the music is No. 4 in Book 13.
oratorio - A musical story, usually from the Bible, with soloists, chorus and orchestra. All the words are sung but nobody dresses in costumes or acts the parts. Handel's Messiah is an oratorio.
Op. - Abbreviation for Opus.
orchestra - A group of instrumentalists, especially string players, organized to play music together.
orchestrate - To arrange the music for an orchestra to play.
overture - An instrumental composition meant as an introduction to an opera, oratorio, or similar work. Some overtures stand by themselves, such as The 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky.
parody - To imitate a work for comic effect or ridicule.
piano quintet - Usually onsists of a piano and a string quartet which has two violins, a viola and a cello.
pavane - A stately dance, or the music for this dance,from the 16th century.
plié - A ballet movement in which the knees are bent while the back is held straight.
polonaise - A stately Polish processional dance in triple meter.
polyphonic - Music which has two or more melodies played at the same time.
prelude - A small concert piece based on a short motive.
premiere - The first public performance.
prodigious - Extraordinary in amount, size, extent, or degree
prodigy - A highly talented child, a really smart kid!
prolific - Producing in large quantities or with great frequency.
promenade - A leisurely walk in a public place for pleasure or display.
quartet - A musical composition for four instruments or voices. A group of four performers.
quintet - A composition written for five instruments or voices. A quintet can be made up of any five instruments or voices.
ragtime - Music with strong syncopation in the melody and a regularly accented accompaniment.
recitative - Music which sounds almost like speaking – used in operas and oratorios.
requiem - A musical setting of the Mass for the Dead.
romantic - Showing feeling, emotion.
rondo (rondeau) - A musical work or movement which has a principal theme that alternates with new themes.
scherzo - Italian word for "joke." The music is rollicking as the name suggests. Has triple meter.
score - The copy of a musical composition in written or printed notation.
serenade - Evening music for voice or instrument.
semper fidelis - Always, ever faithful. (Both are Latin words.)
sight-read - To read and play music that one has never seen or practiced before.
sonata - composition for only one or two instruments. Usually three movements: Fast - Slow - Fast.
string quartet - A composition for two violins, viola and cello.
Usually four movements Fast - Slow - Minuet - Fast.
string quintet - A composition for two violins, two violas and one cello.
suite - In general terms, a suite is a set of something, like a suite of rooms or a living room suite. In music it refers to a series of instrumental dances as in The Nutcracker Suite.
symphony - A composition for a full orchestra. Usually four movements: Fast - Slow - Minuet - Fast. (Symphony can also refer to the type of orchestra that plays symphonies.)
syncopated - Music in which the weak beat is accented - jazz music uses it a lot. If you think it sounds jazzy, it's probably syncopated!
synopsis - A brief summary giving a general vie of the subject.
theme - A musical idea that is developed in a composition.
toccata - A keyboard composition played (touched) very fast. Toccata comes from the Italian word toccare which means "to touch."
tone poem - A poem in music rather than words.
toro - Spanish for "bull.
toreador - Spanish for "bullfighter.
trill - The quick repeating of two adjacent notes.
trio - A composition for three instruments or voices.
triple - Having three units or members.
variation - The repetition of a musical theme with modifications in rhythm, tune, harmony, or key (also called theme and variation).
vaudeville - comic theater - singing, dancing, pantomime, acrobats, comedians (c.1880-1932)
vocal music - Music written for voices, either solo or chorus.
virtuoso - A performer who excels on his or her musical instrument.
waltz - A lively couple dance with three beats in a measure.