GLOSÁRIO DE TERMOS MUSICAIS

 A   

Accelerando (it.) - Gradually increasing the speed.  [back]

  Adagio (it.) - Slowly. Also as a name for a piece written in that tempo.  [back]

  Agitato - In an agitated, exited or restless style  [back]

  Air - a tune, song or melody. Someteimes found in suites.  [back]

  Alegria (it.) - Joyful flamenco dance from the province of cadiz.  [back]

  Allargando (it.) - Growing broader, getting slower and louder.  [back]

  Allegretto (it.) - Just a "little allegro", slower than allegro.  [back]

  Allegro (it.) - Quick, fast, but not as fast as presto.  [back]

  Allemande (it.) - German dance in 3/4 time, 16th/17th, rather slow. Like a landler. Often

the first dance in the classic suite.  [back]

  Amoroso (it.) - Amorous, loving, affectionately.  [back]

  Andante (it.) - Rahter slow, at a moderate pace.  [back]

  Andantino (it.) - A little faster than andante. (Originally it meant just the opposite,

slower than andante, but is no more interpreted like that.)  [back]

  Animato (it.) - Animated, with spirit, lively. (Originally it meant just the opposite, slower

than andante, but is no more interpreted like that.)  [back]

  Aria (it.) - A melodic composition like an air, a song or a tune. Originally for a single

voice with or without accompaniment. Often also an instrumental piece with a singable melody.  [back]

  Arietta (it.) - A small aria or air.  [back]

  Arpeggio (it.) - In the Style of a harp. The notes of a chord are struck consecutively one

after the other.  [back]

  A tempo (it.) - In time, back to original tempo.  [back]

  Aubade (fr.) - a morning music, the opposite of a serenade.  [back]

 

 B   

Barcarolle (fr.)/ Barcarola (it.) - Song in the style of the Venetian gondoliers.  [back]

  Berceuse (fr.) - A cradle song, a lullaby.  [back]

  Bolero - Spanish dance in 3/4 time, 19th century. Also known as Cachuca.  [back]

  Bourree (fr.) - old french dance, quick, in double time, often part of suites of pieces

[back]

  Brillante (fr./it.) - In a bright, sparkling, brilliant manner.  [back]

 

 C   

Cantilene (ger.) / Cantilena (it.) - A ballad or light popular song.  [back]

  Canzone (it.) - A song or folk song.  [back]

  Canconetta (it.) - A little song or folk song.  [back]

  Caprice (fr.) Capriccio (it.) Capricioso (it.) - a humorous fanciful composition with a

somewhat irregular form.  [back]

  Cavatina - A melody of a simple form. A song without a second part or a "Da Capo" a

humorous fanciful composition with a somewhat irregular form.  [back]

  Choro - A typical Brasilian music genre deriving from a mix of different european styles

like polka, Scottish, tango and havanaise. Melodies emphasizing 16th notes. Choro means "crying".  [back]

  Courante (fr.) Corrente (it.) - From "running". Old french dance in AB-form and 3/2 time.

The second dance in the classic suite. a humorous fanciful composition with a somewhat irregular form.  [back]

  Crescendo (it.) - Gradually getting louder. Abreviated: cresc.  [back]

  Cueca - Chilian dance written in 6/8 time with the accompaniment in 3/4 time.  [back]

 

 D   

Da Capo (it.) - The sign at the end of a piece saying to begin over from from the beginning. Abreviation: D.C.  [back]

  Da Capo Al Fine (it.) - The sign at the end of a piece saying to begin over from from the

beginning up to where it says "Fine".  [back]

 

Deciso (it.) - Decided, energetic, with firmness.  [back]

  Delicato (it.) - Delicatly.  [back]

  Diminuendo (it.) - Gradually getting softer. Abreviated: dim.  [back]

  Divertimento (it.) - (1) A light composition, (1) A suite for instrument  [back]

  Decrescendo (it.) - Gradually getting softer.  [back]

  Dolce (it.) - Soft, sweetly.  [back]

  Doloroso (it.) - Sorrowful, sadly.  [back]

  Doppio movimento (it.) - Double the speed, twice as fast.  [back]

 

 E   

Entree (fr.) - an introduction, a march-like piece played during the entrance of a dancing group, or played before a ballet. Usually in 4/4 time.  [back]

  Espressivo (it.) - With expression.  [back]

  Etude (fr.) / Study - a usualy short composition meant to excercice some special

difficulty or technique.  [back]

 

 F   

Fandango (span.) - lively spanish dance in tripple time, beginning slow and getting faster.  [back]

  Fantasia (it.)/Fantasie (ger.)/Fantaisie (Fr.) - A compositions that is not in any of the

regular forms.  [back]

  Fine (it.) - The End. This is where to end a piece after a repeat or partial repeat.  [back]

  Forte (it.) - Loud. Abreviated: f  [back]

  Fortissimo (it.) - Very Loud. Abreviated: ff  [back]

  Fortississimo (it.) - As loud as possible. Abreviated: fff  [back]

  Fugue - A polyphonic composition with one or more short themes introduced first by a

one voice and repeated by other voices in turn. All this happening with hamonization ocoording to the rule of the counterpoint.  [back]

 

Furioso (it.) - Furiously, wildly.  [back]

 

 G   

Galop (fr.) - a lively round-dance in 2/4 time  [back]

  Gavotte (fr.) - Frenche Dance in 4/4, 17th/18th century, still alive in the Bretagne, rather

quick  [back]

  Gigue (fr.) - (Jig) lively Scotisch or Irish dance in 6/8, 17th/18th century, often the last

part in a suite (from english jig, Giga, Geige)  [back]

  Grandioso(it.) - Grand, noble, pompous.  [back]

  Grave (fr.) - Slow (the slowest tempo in music) or deep in pitch  [back]

  Grazioso (it.) - In a graceful style.  [back]

 

 H   

Hornpipe - An old english dance in a lively tempo written in triple and later also in quadruple time.  [back]

 

 L   

Landler (ger.) - A dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time and lively and graceful character. Popular among Styrian peasants.  [back]

  Larghetto (it.) - Rather slow, but not as slow als largo  [back]

  Largo (it.) - very slow, broadly.  [back]

  Legato (it.) - In a smooth, connected manner. Opposite of staccato  [back]

  Lento (it.) - Slow  [back]

 

 M   

Maestoso(it.) - Majestic, stately, with dignity.  [back]

  Marcato(it.) - With emphasis.  [back]

  Maxixe - A Brazilian dance first introduced in Paris in 1912. It is in 2/4 time of rapid

tempo with a slight syncopation.  [back]

  Mazurka - A lively Polish dance in 3/8 or 3/4  [back]

  Meno mosso (it.) - Less movement, slower.  [back]

  Menuet / Minuet (fr.) - Old french dance, in triple time, 17th/18th century, (from menu

pas - small step)  [back]

  Mezzo forte (it.) - Half loud, medium loud. Abreviated: mf  [back]

  Mezzo piano (it.) - Half soft, medium softly. Abreviated: mp  [back]

  Milonga (it.) - 1.the peppy, cheerful dance milonga as part of the tango; 2.the 'milonga

campera' or 'milonga surena', an Argentinian folk music form, often performed just by a singer with a guitar, and of very clear hispanic influence. The Milonga rhythm is characterized through the devision of the 4/4 time in 3+3+2.  [back]

  Moderato - Moderately, in a moderate time.  [back]

  Modinha - Brasilan dance in a sentimantal mood, Brasilian love song.  [back]

  Molto (it.) - Much, very much.  [back]

  Moerendo (it.) - Dying away, fading.  [back]

  Musette(fr.) - (1) A small bagpipe or (2) a melody or dance written over a ground note to

imitate a the sound of a bagpipe  [back]

 

 N   

Passepied (fr.) - French dance in 3/8 or 6/8 time, sometimes in the German Suites. [back]

  Passionato (it.) - With passion, with fevor.  [back]

  Partita (it) - A Suite.  [back]

  Pavane - Slow solemn dance in duple (or sometimes triple) time, of Spanish origin;

generally in three sections, each one repeated.  [back]

 

Pianissimo (it.) - Very softly. Abreviated: pp  [back]

  Pianississimo (it.) - As softly as possible. Abreviated: ppp  [back]

  Piano (it.) - Softly. Abreviated: p  [back]

  Piu mosso, piu moto (it) - More motion, quicker.  [back]

  Polacca / Polonaise (fr.) - A Polish dance in moderate 3/4 time reapearting different

short motives.  [back]

  Polka - A dance in 2/4 time coming from Bohemia.  [back]

  Prelude (it) - A piece to be played as an introduction or opening piece but often also a

single romantic piece, following no sepcific form.  [back]

  Presto (it) - Rapidly, very fast, faster than vivace  [back]

  Prestissimo (it) - As fast as possible.  [back]

 

 Q   

Quadrille (fr.) - French dance  [back]

 

 R   

Rallentando (it.) - Getting gradually slower.  [back]

  Ritardando (it.) - Getting gradually slower.  [back]

  Ritenuto (it.) - Detained, held back, slowed down.  [back]

  Romance (fr.)/ Romanza (it.) / Romanze (ger.)- Romantic, sentimental melody.  [back]

  Rondo - from the french "rondeau". A piece where a main theme reappears in alteration

with contrasting other themes. Most often in the form of ABABA or more modern ABACAB and coda.  [back]

 

 S   

Sarabande (it.) - A dance of spanish origin in 3/4 or 3/2 time. Often part of old suites. It has a stady pace and mostly two parts.  [back]

  Serenade (fr.) - An evening music. A compostion for use in the open air at night.  [back]

  Siciliano (it.) Sicilienne (fr.) - - 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.  [back]

  Sonata (it.) - A composition for one or two instruments with several movements, each

following specific forms and charachteristics.  [back]

  Sonatina (it.) / Sonatine (fr.)- A short sonata, smaller, with less and shorter movements

and the subjects not develloped at lenght.  [back]

  Staccato (it.) - In a crisp, detached separated manner. Opposite of legato  [back]

  Stringendo (it.) - hasting the movement, becoming faster, pressing.  [back]

  Study / Etude - a usualy short composition meant to excercice some special difficulty or

technique.  [back]

  Suite (fr.) - A set or series of movements, each consisting of a dance form (Allemande,

Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Gavotte, Menuet, Bourree, Passepied, etc.) and all in the same key. Often preceded by a Prelude.  [back]

 

 T   

Tango - A dance originated in the streets and salons of Buenos Aires, Argentine. Its is characterised as very aspassionate.  [back]

  Tarantella - A rapid italian dance (supposed to cure the bite of a tarantula).  [back]

  Tempo (it.) - Time in the meaning of "rate of movement".  [back]

  Toccata (it.) - Brilliant, prelude-like composition.  [back]

  Tranquillo (it.) - Tranquilly, quietly, calmly.  [back]

 

 V   

Valse(fr.) - See Waltz  [back]

  Variations - A theme repeated several times, each time with modifications in time,

melody or harmony, but still staying recognisable as the original theme.  [back]

 

Vivace (it.) - Lively, very fast.  [back]

 

 W   

Waltz / Valse (fr.) / Valce (it.) / Walzer (ger.)- A dance form said to originate in Bohemia or the German landler. It´s in 3/4 time. "Classical" waltzes are compositions in waltz-form but not for dancing.  [back]