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Whitstable Choral - Choral glossary Category: Music and Sound > Choral Date & country: 24/10/2013, UK Words: 663

notation
systems of symbols for writing music, mainly indicating pitch and duration of tones.

obbligato
indispensable

octave
the pitch interval between a tone and the seventh tone above it in a diatonic scale, or between the letter name of a tone and its recurrence above or below. The vibration ratio of an octave is two to one: if the tone A is 440 vibrations per second, the octave above it is 880 and the octave below is 220.

opera
a drama set to music for soloists, chores and orchestra. opus

oratorio
a nonliturgical, nontheatrical sacred work for soloists, chores and orchestra, something like an opera but performed without action, costumes or scenery.

orchestra
a large instrumental ensemble. orchestration

ostinato
continuous, unceasing rhythmic and/or melodic pattern.

ottava bassa
the octave lower

ottava alta
the octave higher

ottava
an octave, an eighth

overture
a instrumental prelude to an Opera, play or Oratoria.

parallel keys
major and minor keys having the same letter name but different key signatures (e.g., G major with one sharp and G minor with two flats ).

parallel motion, parallelism
two or more melodic lines which move simultaneously in the same direction and by the same intervals.

parlando/parlante
accented; in a recitative or speaking style

part
the single line in a polyphonic composition. One refers to the soprano part, the violin part, and so on.

passacaglia
a chaconne with a ground bass in slow triple time, and always in a minor key.

passepied
a gay, spirited French dance in 3/8 or 6/8 time, sometimes in the German Suites.

passing tone
an unaccented nonharmonic tone between two chordal tones a third apart.

passionato/passionatamente
impassioned, passionate

patetica
pathetic

pateticamente
pathetically

pausa
a pause

pavane
a slow solemn dance in duple (or sometimes triple) time, of Spanish origin; generally in three sections, each one repeated.

paventato
fearful

pastorale
a piece written to imitate the music of shepherds, usually in moderate 6/8 or 12/8 time, a tender flowing melody, somewhat suggestive of a Musette.

partita
a word meaning either Suite or a set of variations.

pedal point
a sustained tone in the bass over which changing harmonies take place.

pentatonic
a five-tone scale (e.g., the black keys of the piano).

per
for, by, from, etc.

percussion
essentially rhythmic instruments such as drums, cymbals, gongs, and triangle.

perdendosi
gradually decreasing in time and tone

pesante
heavy

phrase
a musical unit, often four measures in length, which concludes with a cadence.

piacere
pleasure, fancy

piacevole
pleasing, agreeable

piangevole
mournful

pianissimo
extremely soft

piano
a keyboard instrument. Also, the indication for soft, a low dynamic level. Abbreviation

pickup beat
one or several unaccented notes of a melody preceding the bar line at the beginning of a phrase. Also called anacrusis.

piena, pieno
full

pieta
pity

pietoso
tenderly, pitifully

pitch
the vibration frequency of a tone.

piu
more

piu mosso/piu moto
more motion

pizzicato
plucking the strings of a bowed string instrument with the fingers

placido
calm, tranquil

plagal cadence
the progression subdominant to tonic (IV I) at the conclusion of a cadence.

plagal mode
in plainsong, the modes which range approximately a fourth below and a fifth above the final.

plainsong
liturgical Catholic monophonic song. Also called Gregorian chant, plainchant.

pochettino/pochetto
very little slower

poco a poco
little by little

poi
then, afterwards

poi a poi
by degrees

polonaise (polacca)
a Polish dance in moderate 3/4 time. The phrases end on the third beat of the bar, and there are many repetitions of short motives. It is not a folk dance, but originated from court ceremonies.

polychoral
the use of two or more separate choirs.

polyphony, polyphonic
a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic lines; nearly synonymous with counterpoint, contrapuntal.

polytonality, polytonal
The simultaneous use of two or more keys.

pomposo
pompous

ponderoso
massively, heavily

ponticello
the bridge of a stringed instrument

possibile
possible

precipitando
hurrying

precipitato
hurriedly

precisione
exactness

preciso
precise, exact

prelude
a piece designed to be played as an introduction, but also an independent short romantic piece in an improvised manner.

preparation
a chordal (consonant) tone which subsequently becomes a nonchordal (dissonant) tone, as in a suspension.

prestissimo
as fast as possible

presto
quickly, rapidly.

prima volta
the first time

primo
first, principal

program music
instrumental music which the composer intends to be descriptive of some action, scene, or story, and which carries a descriptive title.

progression
a sequence of tones in melody, or chords in harmony.

psalm
musical setting of texts from the biblical Book of Psalms.

quarter note
one fourth the value of a whole note

quasi
in the manner of

quieto
quick, calm, serene

rallentando
gradually getting slower

range
the pitch distance between the highest and lowest note of a melody, voice, or instrument.

rapidamente
rapidly

rattenuto
holding back

realization, to realize
filling in the harmony of a figured bass.

recitative
a declamatory prose style of singing in operas, oratorios, and cantatas.

refrain
recurrent lines of text and music at the end of each stanza of a song.

register
the general pitch level of a part, voice, or instrument (e.g., soprano implies a high register, bass a low register).

registration
the combinations of stops used in an organ composition.

relative keys
major and minor keys which have the same key signature (e.g., C major and A minor are relative keys).

religioso
solemnly, in a devout manner

replicazione
repetition

requiem
a Mass for the Dead, set to music for solo voices and chores.

responsorial
in plainsong, a section for solo voice followed by a section for chorus in unison.

rhapsody
a free fantasy, usually of heroic or national character, and often brilliant in style.

rhumba (rumba)
a Cuban dance with complex rhythm, much syncopation, and repetition of an eight-bar theme.

rhythm
the time element in music which is determined by accent and/or duration of tones.

rigaudon (English: rigadoon)
a seventeenth century Provenqal dance in lively duple or quadruple time. Something like a Bourr

rigore
strictness

rinforzando
reinforced

ripetizione
repetition

risoluto
bold, resolved