Multilingual Music Glossary

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We are currently providing explanations for 2484 terms from 12 languages, including English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Latin…

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Some random terms

  • polyphony Music written in a combination of several simultaneous voices (parts) of a more or less pronounced individuality.
  • syllabic The style of chant which sets one note to each syllable of text.
  • fresco [Italian] “Fresh”, vigorous, lively.
  • lentamente [Italian] Slowly.
  • Abendmusik [German] Evening music, usually religious in nature, originating in the 17th century.
  • tristamente [Italian] Sadly.
  • con anima [Italian] “With soul”, with feeling.
  • chromaticism Use of tones extraneous to a diatonic scale (major or minor).
  • mezzo [Italian] Half, medium.
  • Schottische [German] A German round dance in duple time.
  • stretto [Italian] A directive to quicken the tempo.
  • passing note In part writing, A non-harmonic note that appears between two notes in stepwise motion. Usually it is a link between a melodic interval of a third in one of the voices.
  • rustico [Italian] Rustic, rural.
  • gig A term commonly applied to a musical engagement of one night's duration only.
  • quartal harmony Harmony based on the interval of the fourth as opposed to a third; used in twentieth century music.