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

  • close harmony Harmony written so that the parts are as close together as possible, usually with the upper voices very tight together, and the bass somewhat more distantly spaced.
  • bepop Complex jazz style developed in the 1940s.
  • sarabande [French] Stately Spanish baroque dance type in triple meter, a standard movement of the Baroque suite.
  • marziale [Italian] Martial, with a military feeling.
  • moins [French] “Less”.
  • bore The diameter of the tube of a woodwind or brass instrument. The shape of the bore in part dictates the timbre or tone color of the instrument.
  • partita [Italian] In the 18th and 19th century, a multi-movement composition consisting of dances and non-dance movements or entirely of non-dance movements.
  • Feldmusik [German] Music performed outdoors on wind instruments.
  • son [French] Sound.
  • melodrama A spoken dialogue that is accompanied by music.
  • string quintet Standard chamber ensemble made up of either two violins, two violas and cello, or two violins, viola and two cellos.
  • con disperazione [Italian] Desperately.
  • empfindungsvoll [German] Feelingly.
  • impromptu [French] A single-movement piano composition of the Romantic era, usually short, with a spontaneous character.
  • septet A piece for seven singers or instrumentalists. Also, a group of such musicians.