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

  • lydian The church mode based on F, containing the notes of the C major scale, yet using F as the tonic.
  • slur A curved line drawn over or under a series of notes, indicating that those notes should be played legato.
  • springer An ornament consisting of the main tone followed by the tone above it followed by the tone above that, then returning to the original main tone.
  • molto [Italian] “Very”, “much”.
  • eight note A note having the time duration of one eighth of a whole note.
  • opera seria [Italian] Italian opera of the 18th and 19th centuries that was either heroic or tragic.
  • round Perpetual canon at the unison in which each voice enters in succession with the same melody.
  • part writing The component of counterpoint that recognizes each voice as an individual, horizontal melody rather than as a part of the resultant, vertical chords.
  • theme group Several themes in the same key that function as a unit within a section of a form, particularly in sonata-allegro form.
  • samba [Portuguese] Afro-Brazilian dance, characterized by duple meter, responsorial singing and polyrhythmic accompaniments.
  • bravura [Italian] Literally, “skill”. Great dexterity and skill in execution.
  • ricapitolazione [Italian] Recapitulation.
  • world music A 20th century term used by the music recording industry to categorize non-American music that does not fit into any of the established genres. This music tends to be folk music from outside of the United States of America.
  • divertimento [Italian] Instrumental composition intended for entertainment, usually in a number of movements. The term is used particularly in the second half of the 18th century.
  • staccato [Italian] A style of playing notes in a detached, separated, distinct manner, as opposed to legato.