Multilingual Music Glossary

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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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

  • gospel music Twentieth century sacred music style associated with Protestant African-Americans.
  • barcarolle [French] A folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers (oarsmen of the traditional Venetian rowing boat called gondola), or a piece of music composed in that style. It is characterized by a rhythm reminiscent of the gondolier's stroke, almost invariably a moderate tempo 6/8 meter.
  • hopak A folk Ukrainian dance, introduced to the orchestra by such composers as Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky.
  • nobile [Italian] “Noble“, grand, impressive.
  • flute A woodwind instrument that is held horizontally and sounded by blowing across the mouthpiece of the instrument.
  • al niente [Italian] Literally, “to nothing”. Fade to silence.
  • villanella [Italian] A Renaissance polyphonic vocal form, usually with a simple tune in the top voice, and somewhat homophonic, regular rhythms in the lower voices.
  • additive meter A pattern of beats that subdivide into smaller, irregular groups. It is common in Eastern European musics, and contemporary compositions attempting to emulate such a sound. For example, a time signature like 9/8, which is normally subdivided as 3+3+3, may be subdivided by the composer as 2+3+2+2 for musical effect.
  • microtone Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth century art music.
  • transposing instrument Those instruments which are notated in one key on paper, yet sound another key when they are performed.
  • fundamental A base pitch from which a series of harmonics is produced.
  • nach [German] “After”.
  • lebhaft [German] Lively.
  • gracieusement [French] Gracefully.
  • larynx The upper part of the trachea in the human throat. It is the mechanism that varies the tone of the voice.