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Aaron Saray's Diary

Dictionary of Classical Music Terms - in layman speak

Added: February 9, 2008, 8:18 am (58 views)

Definitions of many of the basic terms of classical music, as might be encountered during a performance or lecture on the subject, focusing on foreign language terms.

A capella: Choral music without instrumental accompaniment.

Accelerando: Accelerating or becoming quicker.

Adagio: Slowly.

Agitato: Excited.

Allargando: Slowing down.

Allegro: Fast.

Allegretto: Moderately fast. Slower than allegro, but faster than andante.

Andante: A walking speed, moderately slow.

Animato: Animated or lively.

Appassionato: Passionately.

Arco: With the bow, rather than pizzicato (with the fingers). A designation for string players often seen after a pizzicato section.

Aria: A solo song in an opera, cantata, or oratorio.

Assai: Very, as in allegro assai (very fast).

A tempo: Back to the original tempo.

Attaca: Attack, or immediately begin the next movement without a pause.

Accent: Emphasis placed on a sound or note.

Accidental: A sharp or flat sign next to a musical note, or the black keys on a keyboard.

Atonal: Without tonality, in contrast to tonal or serial music.

Bravo, brava: Good, or well done. Usually exclaimed upon completion of a difficult or very well performed composition.

Cadenza: A sometimes improvisatory, often virtuosic passage played by a soloist during a concerto or aria.

Cantabile: Singing.

Chord: Two or more pitches (notes) played together.

Col legno: With the wood. An instruction for string players to use the wood of their bows, rather than the hair, in producing the sound.

Con brio: With vigor.

Concerto: A musical piece that features a soloist or soloists along with an accompanying instrumental group, usually an orchestra.

Con sordino: With a mute.

Crescendo: Becoming louder.

Da capo, D.C.: An instruction to return to the beginning of the musical piece.

Detache: Detached.

Divisi: Divided, as in a string section dividing into two sections to play two different parts.

Diminuendo: Diminishing or becoming quieter.

Dolce: Sweetly.

Dynamic: Level of loud or soft.

Espressivo: Expressively.

Fine: End.

Encore: The optional addition of an extra piece at the end of a concert, usually in response to applause by the audience.

Falsetto: A male voice singing in an unusually and artificially high register.

Finale: The final movement of a composition or the final act of an opera.

Forte: Loud, strong.

Fortepiano: Loud, then immediately soft. Also an older name for a piano.

Fortissimo: Very loud.

Glissando: Sliding from one pitch to another, or sliding up or down a scale or part of a scale.

Grave: Grave or slow.

Interval: The distance between two pitches or notes.

Larghetto: Not quite as broad or slow as largo.

Largo: Wide, stately speed.

Legato: Smooth.

Lento: Slow.

Libretto: The literary (as opposed to musical) portion or text of an opera, cantata, or oratorio.

Marcato: Marked or accented.

Moderato: Moderately.

Molto: Much or very, as in molto allegro (very fast).

Pesante: Heavy, weighty.

Pianissimo: Very quiet.

Piano: Quiet.

Pitch: The location of a particular sound on the musical scale, determined by frequency (number of vibrations per second).

Piu: More.

Pizzicato: Plucked, in contrast to bowed, on a stringed instrument.

Placido: Peaceful, calm.

Poco: A little, somewhat.

Presto: Quick. Faster than allegro.

Prima, primo: First.

Quasi: Almost, or in the style of.

Rallentando: Becoming gradually slower.

Ritardando: Becoming gradually slower.

Rubato: Lingering on certain notes, not in strict time.

Sans: Without

Scherzando: Playfully or jokingly.

Scherzo: Literally, a joke. Usually the third movement of a symphony, sonata, or quartet, distinguished by a quick tempo in 3/4 meter, vigorous rhythm, and humorous character.

Schnell: Fast.

Secondo: Second.

Segue: Continue in the same style, or proceed to the next movement without pause.

Sempre: Always.

Spiccato: Bounce the bow off the strings, rather than playing smoothly without lifting and dropping the bow.

Staccato: Short and detached.

Stringendo: Hurrying, getting faster.

Subito: Suddenly.

Sul ponticello: An instruction to play with the bow on, or very close to, the bridge of the instrument.

Sul tasto: An instruction to play with the bow over the fingerboard.

Tempo: Speed or pace of a piece.

Tremolo: On stringed instruments, a very quick reiteration of the same note or series of notes.