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

  • quadrille [French] An early 19th century ballroom dance for four or more couples.
  • vocalization The singing of vocalises.
  • strathspey A lively Scottish dance in 4/4 time related to the reel. A characteristic of this dance is the peculiar rhythmic pattern of a dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth, known as the Scotch snap.
  • aria [Italian] Lyric song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing intense emotion; found in opera, cantata, and oratorio.
  • arrangement A rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material, or a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch. If a musical adaptation does not include new material, it is more accurately termed a transcription or orchestration.
  • martellato [Italian] Literally, “hammered”. Strongly marked.
  • fundamental A base pitch from which a series of harmonics is produced.
  • dramatic soprano A soprano voice type with a heavier tone color and more power throughout her range.
  • fugue [French] Polyphonic form popular in the Baroque era in which one or more themes are developed by imitative counterpoint.
  • replica [Italian] Repetition.
  • affettuoso [Italian] Tender, loving, affectionate.
  • appassionato [Italian] Passionate, with intense emotion or feeling.
  • tronco [Italian] A directive to perform a certain passage short or “cut off”.
  • reprise [French] A shortened version of a major composition in a stage production used to reward the audience with a repeat of a popular melody. This is often used as a finale to a scene or an act.
  • répertoire [French] A list of compositions that an individual or ensemble is prepared to perform or that are available for performance.