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

  • strepitoso [Italian] Boisterous, noisy.
  • symphonie concertante [French] A musical genre of the late 18th and early 19th centuries that resembles a concerto for two to four solo instruments. It is a composition in two or three movements of a lighthearted character, usually in a major key. The genre features a few solo instruments and orchestra.
  • lacrimoso [Italian] Tearful.
  • bluegrass A form of American country music, inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as jazz and blues. In bluegrass, as in jazz, each instrument takes its turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others perform accompaniment.
  • teneramente [Italian] Tenderly.
  • mazurka A lively Polish dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time with the accent usually on the second or third beat of the measure.
  • buffo [Italian] Comic, humorous.
  • litany A prayer or processional of supplication to God, to Mary, or to the saints in which the priest or deacon chants the supplication and the congregation responds with “Ora pro nobis”, “Kyrie eleison”, etc.
  • legatissimo [Italian] Very legato, extremely smooth and connected.
  • vocalise [French] A vocal exercise that is sung without words, typically using different vowel sounds.
  • imitation Compositional technique in which a melodic idea is presented in one voice (or part), then restated in another while the first voice continues with new material.
  • spiritual A style of music invented by Afro-American slaves. Spirituals are generally religious songs with elements of African rhythms, Biblical texts, and American accents. Usually the text is concerned with earthly tribulations and heavenly justice and reward.
  • common chord A chord consisting of the root, third, and fifth.
  • tosto [Italian] Swiftly, rapidly.
  • cantio [Latin] A religious, monophonic, Latin song of the later Middle Ages.