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

ritardando
gradually getting slower

ritenuto
suddenly slower, held back

romance
a piece that is song-like, sentimental and tender in character.

rondino
a small or easy rondo.

rondo
French

root
the tone on which a chord is built.

rubato
robbed, taking a portion of time from one note and giving it to another

rustico
rural, rustic

sarabande
a dignified dance, probably originally from Spain. In 3/4 or 3/2 time, usually starting on the first beat. It moves along at a steady pace, with an accent or a prolonged note on the second beat. It is in AB form, with the phrases ending on the second beat. Commonly found in the old suites.

scale
a system of adjacent notes on which melody and harmony are based.

scherzando
playful, lively

scherzino
a little scherzo.

scherzo
(Italian meaning

schietto
simple, neat

schottische
a round dance in 2/4 time, something like a slow Polka, known in England as the German Polka.

sciolto
freedom, ease

score
two or more staves with notes vertically aligned in vocal or instrumental part music.

se
if, in case, as

segno
a sign

segue
now follows, go on with what follows

semplice
simple

sempre
always

sentimento
feeling, delicate expression

senza
without sequence

serenade
French for

serioso
serious

seventh chord
a chord of four tones, three superimposed thirds.

sforzando
strongly accented, suddenly loud sharp

simile
like

siciliano
a soft, slow peasant dance in 6/8 or 12/8 time, often in a minor key. Rather similar to a Pastorale, usually in ABA form. It usually has a melody in dotted rhythms, with a broken chord accompaniment.

sixteenth note
one sixteenth the value of a whole note

slargando
broadening

slentando
getting slower

smorzando
toning down to extinction

soave
gentle, soft solenne

solfeggietto
an Italian word meaning

solo
a composition for a single voice or instrument

sonabile
resonant

sonata
a work consisting of three or four independent pieces called movements, each of which follows certain forms and characteristics, written for one or two instruments. Similar works for three instruments are called TRIOS, for four instruments are called QUARTETS, and for orchestra are called SYMPHONIES.

sonatina
a small, easier sonata with fewer and short movements.

song
a vocal solo.

sonore
harmonious

sonority
qualities of texture: thick or thin, heavy or light, etc.

sordamente
softly, gently

sordino
a mute or a stringed instrument. Dampers on a piano

sostenuto
sustained

sotto voce
softly, in a low voice

spianato
smooth, even

spiccato
separated, detached. Played with the point of the bow.

spirito
spirit, life

ssia
otherwise, or else

stabile
firm

staccato
detached, separated

staff, staves
the five horizontal parallel lines on or between which notes are written.

stanchezza
weariness

stentando
heavy and retarding

stentato
forced, loud

stesso
the same

strascinato
dragged along s

string quartet
a chamber ensemble consisting of two violins, viola, and cello. Also, compositions written for that medium.

stringendo
pressing onwards, hurrying

strings
instruments which produce tone by bowing or plucking taut strings ( e.g., violins, guitars ).

strophic
song form in which all stanzas of the text are set to the same music.

style
the characteristic quality of music determined by the integration of all elements (e.g., rhythm, melody, harmony, texture).

su
above, upon

suavita
sweetness, delicacy

subdominant
the fourth note of a diatonic scale and the chord bulk on that note.

subito
suddenly

subject
the theme of a fugue.

submediant
the sixth note of a diatonic scale and the chord built on that note.

suite
a group of pieces consisting (in the classical form) entirely of dance forms, and all in the same key. The basic movements included were the Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, and then usually one or more others such as the Gavotte, Minuet, Bourr6e, Passepied, etc. The suite was often preceded by a Prelude. Also referred to as an instrumental composition of numerous movements, often of a dance-like character.

sul, sull, sulla
on, upon the

supertonic
the second note of a diatonic scale and the chord built on that note.

suspension
a nonharmonic device in which a chordal (consonant) tone is held through a bhange of harmony to become a nonchordal (dissonant) tone which then resolves downward to another chordal (consonant) tone.

sussurando
whispering, murmuring

svelto
free, light

syllabic
a style of text setting in which there is a predominance of one syllable of the text to one note of the melody.

symphony
an orchestra, or a multimovement form for orchestra.

syncopation
a rhythmic device in which the normal accents of the measure are displaced by accenting weak beats, rests on strong beats, or tying notes over from a weak to a strong beat.

tacet
be silent

tanto
so much, as much

tarantella
a wild Italian dance in 3/8 or 6/8 time, which was supposed to cure the poisonous bite of the spider called the tarantula. It frequently alternated modes, and increased in frenzy towards the end.

tardamente
slowly

Tedesca
German

tema
theme or subject

tempo
generally, the speed of music; the rate of beats as indicated by such terms as allegro, presto, adagio, lento, and andante.

tempo giusto
in strict time

tempo ordinario
in moderate time

tempo primo
the original time

tempo rubato
robbed or irregular time

teneramente
tenderly

tenuto
sustained

ternary
a form in three sections (ABA).

tessitura
the average range of a vocal part

tetrachord
a four-tone section of a scale.

texture
the disposition of the melodic element in music. (See monophonic, polyphonic, homophonic); also means sonority.

theme
the melodic idea on which a composition is based. A theme may also include rhythmic, harmonic, and other factors.

thorough bass
see basso continuo, figured bass.

tie
a curved line connecting two consecutive notes on the same line or space of the staff; indicates the note to be held over rather than repeated.

timbre
tone color or tone quality.