Set: Music A Theory and History

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All 208 terms

TermDefinition
a temporeturn to the original tempo
adagioslowly
agitatoagitated
allargandobroadening
allegroquickly
andantewalking tempo
briospirit, vigor
cantabilein a singing style
conwith
crescendogradually getting louder
D.C.return to the begining
D.S.return to the sign
decrescendogradually getting softer
dolcesweetly
espressivoexpressively
fineend
forteloud
fortissimovery loud
giocosoplayful
grandiosogrand
gravesolemn
graziosograceful
l'istessosame l'
largovery slowly
legatosmooth, connected
leggierolight
maestomajestically
marcatomarked, accented
menoless
mezzomedium
moderatomoderately
moltomuch
morendodying away
mossomotion
motomotion
pianissimovery soft
pianosoft
piumore
pocolittle
poco a pocolittle by little
prestovery quick
rallentandogradually getting slower
ritardandogradually getting slower
rubatowith freedom
semprealways
sforzandoheavily accented, with force
similesame si
sordinomute
staccatodetached
stringendogradually getting faster
subitosuddenly
tenutoconnected, full value
tranquillotranquil
tuttiall
vivacelively
A cappellaUnaccompanied choral singing
AccelerandoThe music gradually becomes faster
Alto (voice)The lowest female voice
ArpeggioNotes of a chord played one after the other
AscendingNotes which rise in pitch
Bass (voice)The lowest male voice
BowingUsing a bow for a stringed instrument
BrassA family of instruments made from metal with a mouthpiece, e.g. trumpet and trombone
Broken chordThe notes of a chord are played separately
CadenzaPerformers improvise and play to show-off
CanonAfter one part starts to play or sing a melody, another part enters shortly afterwards with exactly the same melody
ChordTwo or more notes sounding together
Compound timeThe beat is divided into groups of three pulses
ConcertoWork for solo instrument and orchestra
CrescendoThe music gradually becomes louder
DescantAnother melody above the main tune
DescendingNotes which fall in pitch
DiminuendoThe music gradually becomes quieter
DroneOne note, held on or repeated in the bass.
FanfareA short piece played on trumpets for an occasion
Flutter tonguingA method of tonguing in which the player rolls the letter r
GlissandoSliding from one note to another
HarmonyThe sound of two or more notes made at the same time
ImitationWhere the melody is immediately copied higher or lower in another part
JazzAt first this was music created by black Americans in the early 20th century.
LegatoThe notes are played or sung smoothly
MelismaticSeveral notes sung to one syllable
OctaveThe distance between a note and the nearest note with the same name
OrnamentDecorates a melody by adding extra notes
PedalA note which is held on or is repeated continuously in the bass beneath changing harmonies
basso continuocontinuous bass part, often with figures to indicate chords to be improvised on a harmony instrument
continuoa bass line only, unsually played on bassoon, cello, double bass
contrapuntaltwo or more parts weaved together as a musical texture (polyphonic)
diatonicnotes belonging to the scale of the key you are in
fuguecomposition based on a melody, repeated in combination with rhythmically independent counter subject
ground bassbass is repeated over and over whilst composition plays above
homophonicmusical texture which focuses on a single melody with accompaning harmonies (mainly chordal)
melismaflourish of notes sung to a single syllable
monophonicsingle melodic line without supporting harmonies
pedalnote that repeats against changing harmony
polyphonictwo or more parts weaved together as a musical texture (contrapuntal)
polyrhythmictwo or more different rhythms going along at the same time, strongly conflicting with each other
polytonalityuse of two or more keys played simultaneously, may have a melody in one key and supporting harmonies in another
AerophoneAny instrument that generates sound by vibrating a column of air
AltoThe lower, heavier female voice
Art MusicMusic intended for careful attention to its sounds and expressive qualities
BassThe lower, heavier male voice
BeatThe pulse or throb that recurs regularly in music
CadenceA melodic or harmonic formula that gives a sense of phrase ending. In poetic usage, it sometimes refers to beat or tempo
CadenzaA section in which a soloist plays a free paraphrase on the themes of the work
Call-and-ResponseThe form found in African music in which phrases of music are exchanged between soloist and group
CanonMusic in which one of more lines imitate one another for almost the entire work
ChordThe simultaneous sounding of three or more pitches
ChordophoneAny instrument that produces sound by vibrating strings
Classical MusicThe popular term for Concert Music
Concert MusicMusic created for the intellectual and psychological satisfaction it provides
ConcertoA multi-movement work consisting of music that contrasts a soloist with an orchestra or band
ConsonanceA group of simultaneous sounds that seems agreeable or restful
Counterpoint MelodyTwo of more independent lines with melodic character occurring at the same time
CrescendoThe music should gradually become louder
DecrescendoThe music should gradually become softer
DissonanceA group of simultaneous sounds that seems disagreeable or harsh
DownbeatThe first beat of a measure
DynamicsThe amount of loudness in music
FormThe pattern or plan of a musical work
HarmonyThe simultaneous sounds of several pitches, usually in accompanying a melody
HomophonyThe texture consisting of a line of melody with accompaniment
IdeophoneA percussion instrument other than a drum
ImitationThe repetition of a theme in another part of line or a few beats later
IntervalThe distance between two pitches
KeyAny of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
Major ScaleA series of seven different pitches within an octave, with half steps between the third and fourth steps and the seventh and eighth steps
MeasureA group of beats marked as a separate unit in music
MelodyA series of consecutive pitches that form a cohesive musical entity
MembranophoneAny instrument that produces sounds from a skin or other membrane
MeterThe regular pattern of stressed and unstressed beats
Minor ScaleA series of seven pitches within an octave, with a half step between the second and third steps
ModulationChanging the tonal center as the music progresses, usually without a break
MonophonyOne melodic line without any accompaniment
MotiveA short musical idea that is a unifying element in a musical work
MovementA large instrumental section of an instrumental composition
MuteA device for muffling of dampening the sound of an instrument
OctaveA pitch that has twice or half the frequency of vibrations of another; usually the two pitches have the same letter designation
PhraseA rather short, logical segment of music; it is comparable to a clause or phrase in language
PitchThe perceived highness of lowness of a musical sound
PizzicatoNotes on a string instrument that are played by the player's fingers plucking the string instead of using the bow
PolyphonyMusic in which two or more melodic lines of approximately equal importance are sounded at the same time
PolyrhythmTwo or more rhythm patterns occurring simultaneously
RhythmThe flow of music in terms of time
ScaleA series of pitches that proceeds upward of downward according to a prescribed pattern
SopranoThe higher, lighter female voice
SyncopationThe displacement of an accent so that it occurs where it is not normally expected or does not occur where it is expected
TempoThe speed of the beats in a piece of music
Tenor(1) The higher, lighter male voice. (2) The line in a medieval motet that contains the phrases from Gregorian Chant
TextureThe basic setting of the music: monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic
ThemeA central melody in a musical work
TimbreTone quality or color in music
Time SignatureThe two numbers, one above the other, at the beginning of a piece or section of a longer work that indicate its metrical pattern and how it is notated
Tonal CenterThe specific pitch around which a piece of music is centered
Tonic ChordA chord built on the first degree of a major or minor scale
VibratoSlight, rapid fluctuations of pitch
Wind EnsembleAn ensemble comprising wind and percussion instruments
accelerandogradually faster
accentplay note louder w/ emphasis
adagioslow
allegroquickly / cheerfully
andantemoving along
crescendogradually louder
decrescgradually softer
enharmonic notesnotes thatsound the same but have different names
fermatahold the note longer than its normal value (approximately twice the normal duration)
forteloud
fortissimovery loud
largovery slow
mezzo fortemoderately loud
mezzo pianomoderately soft
pianissimovery soft
pianosoft
ritardandogradually slower
sforzandoa sudden strong accent
staccatoplay note short and detached
tenutohold the note for its full value
vivacelively / fast
Anton Webern1883-1945, texture, expressive textures, sparse textures, use of silence, brevity-strict serialism
Antonin Dvorák1841-1904, Czech, strongly ifluenced by Smetana-moved to U.S., famous works include Slavonic Danses, Symphony no. 9
Arnold Schoenberg1874-1951, Vienna then U.S., expressionism-Pierrot Lunaire-sprechstimme (spoken song)
Bedrich Smetana1824-1884, Czech-Bohemia, built national theater in Prague, criticized for sounding too much like Liszt, The Moldau river, emphatic-Furiant from The Bartered Bride
Claude DebussyBallets Russes, Sergi Diaghilev, commissioned many composers, including French
Franz Schubert1797-1828, viennese closee circle of artistic friends, over 600 songs, chamber music, piano pieces, symphonies-Gretchen am Spinnrade
Fryderyk Chopin1810-1849, Rubato, solo piano pieces-mazurka, polonaise, impromtus, improvisatory in manner
Giuseppe Verdi1813-1901, went from bottom to top from small opera houses to La Scala, Italian operatic tradition, worked with famous librettists-Otello
Gustav Mahler1860-1911, Brahms' Viennese successor, conductor, radical ideas, symphony, big orchestra, unusual sounds for a concert hall
Hector Berlioz1803-1869 studied composition at Paris conservatory, music critic, conductor, master of orchestration
Igor Stravinsky1882-1971, Russian, settled in France then U.S., early collaboration with Diaghilev and Ballets Russes, large, romantic era orchestra, Russian themes, neo-classism, serialism-Firebird, Petrushka, Rite of Spring
Johannes Brahms1833-1897, vienna, conservative center of music tradition, friend of Robert and Clara Schumann-Variations on Haydn
Lili Boulanger1893-1918, child prodigy, Paris conservatory, Rome Prize-Psalm 24
Piotr Tchaichovsky1840-1893, tragic life, studied with Balakiev but embraced European symphonic music, especially Mozart, famous pieces: Nutcracker Suite, Overture, six symphonies, violin concerto in D Major, Romeo and Juliet
Richard Wagner1813-1883, opposed to traditional Italian opera, "music drama" (not drama), German Romantic Opera traditions, greater role for orchestra, supernatural plots, controversial writings about music and race, lietmotiv-Ring Cycle
Robert Schumann1810-1856, master of lieder, solo piano, chamber music, orchestral music-Carnaval
Steve Reichphasing-Come Out, Clapping Music
Vincenzo Bellini1801-1835, master of bel canto opera, preferred serious/tragic plots, lyric intensity, vocal display (ornamentation), coloratura-Norma, Casta Diva
Antonio VivaldiBaroque 1678-1741
Clara SchumannRomantic 1819-1896
Franz Peter SchubertClassical 1797-1828
George Frederic HandelBaroque 1685-1759
Jean-Baptiste LullyBaroque 1632-1687
Johann Sebastian BachBaroque 1685-1750
Johannes BrahmsRomantic 1833-1897
Joseph HaydnClassical 1732-1809
Ludwig Van BeethovenClassical/Romantic 1770-1827
Piotr Ilyich TchaikovskyRomantic 1840-1893
Richard WagnerRomantic 1813-1883
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartClassical 1756-1791

Set Information

Terms 208
Creator GRE
Created August 26, 2008
Groups None
Subject music history & theory
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