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

  • pantomime Theatrical genre in which an actor silently plays all the parts in a show while accompanied by singing.
  • sentence Term applied to a complete, independent musical idea, usually consisting of two or four phrases, ending with a cadence.
  • lyric opera Hybrid form combining elements of grand opera and opéra comique and featuring appealing melodies and romantic drama.
  • one hundred and twenty-eighth note A note having the time duration of one hundred twenty-eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
  • decibel A logarithmic unit for measuring the intensity of sound, corresponding to the listener's perception of loudness.
  • savart [French] A unit of measurement for musical intervals, corresponding to about 3.986 cents.
  • tempo giusto [Italian] A directive to perform in exact, strict time.
  • autograph A manuscript in the composer's own hand.
  • scat singing A vocal jazz style that consists of improvised nonsense syllables sung to an an improvised melody, usually over an instrumental accompaniment.
  • dramatic soprano A soprano voice type with a heavier tone color and more power throughout her range.
  • allegretto [Italian] A rather fast tempo marking between allegro and moderato, usually around 100–120 BPM.
  • consonant A chord (or an interval) that is pleasing and harmonious to the ear.
  • un poco [Italian] A little.
  • garbato [Italian] Kind, amiable, graceful
  • squillante [Italian] Ringing.