Page 288 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

glossary
absolute music instrumental music free of a text or any pre-existing program
acappella atermappliedtounaccompanied vocal music, originated in the expression “a cappella Sistina” (“in the Sistine Chapel” of the pope), where instruments were forbidden to accompany the singers
accent emphasis or stress placed on musical tone or chord
acoustic instrument instruments that produce sounds naturally when strings are bowed or plucked, a tube has air passed through it, or percussion instruments are struck
Alberti bass instead of having the pitches of a chord sound all together, the notes are played in succession to provide a continual stream of sound
alto the lower of the two female voice parts
antecedent phrase the opening, incomplete-sounding phrase of a melody that cadences on a note other than tonic; often followed by a consequent phrase that brings the melody to closure
arpeggio the notes of a triad or seventh chord played in direct succession and in a direct line up or down
aria an elaborate lyrical song for solo voice art song an accompanied song or ayre
with artistic aspirations
atonal music music without tonality, music without a key center; most often associated with the twentieth-century avant-garde style of Arnold Schoenberg
ballad narrativesonginstrophicformthat told a (usually sad) tale in an unemotional way
ballet an art form that uses dance and music, along with costumes and scenery, to tell a story and display emotions through expressive gestures and movement
ballet music music composed to accompany a ballet, with short bursts of tuneful melody and captivating rhythm, all intended to capture the emotional essence of the scene
Ballets russes a Russian ballet company of the early twentieth century led by Sergei Diaghilev
baritone a male voice part of a middle range, between the higher tenor and the lower bass
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bar lines vertical lines in a musical score that groupbeats into sets of two, three, four, or more, and thereby indicate the meter of the music
Baroque term used to describe the arts generally during the period 1600–1750 and signifying excess and extravagance
basilar membrane a small organ in the inner ear that recognizes and sorts the sound patterns, and then sends the information, via the auditory nerve, to the brain.
bass the lowest male vocal range
bass clef a sign placed on a staff to indicate
the notes below middle C
bass drum a large, low-sounding drum struck with a soft-headed stick
basso continuo a small ensemble of at least two instrumentalists who provide a foundation for the melody or melodies above, heard almost exclusively in Baroque music
bassoon a low, double-reed instrument of the woodwind family
basso ostinato a motive or phrase in the bass that is repeated again and again
Bayreuth Festival an opera house in the town of Bayreuth, Germany, constructed exclusively for the music dramas of Richard Wagner
beat an even pulse in music that divides the passing of time into equal segments
bebop a complex, hard-driving style of jazz that emerged shortly after World War II; it is played without musical notation by a small ensemble
bel canto a style of singing and a type of Italian opera developed in the nineteenth century that features the beautiful tone and brilliant technique of the human voice
big band a mid-to large-size dance band that emerged in the 1930s to play the style of jazz called swing
binary form a musical form consisting of two units (A and B) constructed to balance and complement each other
blues an expressive, soulful style of singing that emerged from the African-American spiritual and work song at the end of the nineteenth century; its texts are strophic, its harmonies simple and repetitive
brass family a group of musical instruments traditionally made of brass and played with a mouthpiece; includes the trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba
bridge (see transition)
cadence the portion of a musical phrase
that leads to its last chord
cadenza a showy passage for the soloist appearing near the end of the movement in a concerto; it incorporates rapid runs, arpeggios, and snippets of previously heard themes into a fantasy-like improvisation
canon (1) standard repertoire; (2) a contrapuntal form in which the individual voices enter and each in turn duplicates exactly the melody that the first voice played or sang
cantata a term originally meaning “something sung”; in its mature state it consists of several movements, including one or more arias, ariosos, and recitatives; cantatas can be on secular subjects, but those of J. S. Bach are primarily sacred in content
castrato a boy or adult singer who had been castrated to keep his voice from changing so that it would remain in the soprano register
cello (violoncello) an instrument of the violin family but more than twice the violin’s size; it is played between the legs and produces a rich, lyrical tone
chamber cantata a genre that emphasized accompanied solo singing, it is usually divided into contrasting sections that alternate between recitative and aria; performed before a select group of listeners in a private residence
chamber music music for soloists performed in the home or small auditorium
chance music music that involves an element of chance (rolling dice, choosing cards, etc.) or whimsy on the part of the performers, especially popular with avant- garde composers
chanson a song sung by one, two, three, or four voices in French, most typically concerning the topic of love
character piece a brief instrumental work seeking to capture a single mood; a genre much favored by composers of the Romantic era
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