Philharmonia Glossary


#		9/8 Time signature - nine quavers in a bar

A		Accelerando Gradually getting faster Adagio Slow Alla Marcia In the style of a march Allegretto Moderately fast Allegro Quick, lively, cheerful, fast, bright Alto (voice) Lowest female voice Andante Walking pace Andantino A little slower than andante Animato Animated, lively Antiphony Phrases or motifs played alternately by two groups Appassionato Passionately Archiv All Strings Arco A term used for string players to play with the bow after being told to pizzicato Aria A musical piece intended for one voice and an orchestral accompaniment Arpa Harp (Italian). See Harp Arpeggio The notes from a chord are played in succession Articulation The performance technique used to indicate the attack, length and quality of musical notes, for example, short staccato, accents. Assai Very Attaca At the end of a movement, continue to (attack) the next movement without a break
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B		Ballade A song with verse form, usually with a particular rhyme scheme Baritone (voice) Medium male voice (see also: bass, tenor) (music) Second lowest brass / wind instrument Baroque The music of the period c. 1600 - 1750 - following the Renaissance and preceding the Classical era. Bass (voice) Lowest male voice (see also: baritone, tenor) (music) Range of instruments with the lowest pitch range Bass Drum A Bass drum is a larger form of the percussive drum instrument, producing a low sound. Translations include: Gran cassa, Tamburo grosso, Tamburo grande (Italian), Grosse Caisse (French), Grosse Trommel (German) Bassoon The Bassoon is a bass wind instrument. Translations include: Basson (French), Fagott, Fagotti (German) and Fagotto (Italian) Becken Cymbals (German). See Cymbals
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C		Cadenza An elaborate unaccompanied solo, showing off the soloist’s technical ability. Traditionally musicians were expected to improvise cadenzas, but composers eventually began to write their own. Clairon Trumpet (French). See Trumpet Clarino Trumpet (Italian). See Trumpet Cantabile To play in a style that mimics a singing voice Cantata A musical piece based on a narrative, usually in choral or solo form. Canzone Literal meaning: song. Lyric, poetic expression. Can mean ‘song-like Canzonetta Originally a popular, secular, Italian composition Chromaticism Use of the chromatic scale - all twelve notes / semitones Cinelli Cymbals (Italian). See Cymbals Classical The music that was written in the late 18th and early 19th centuries - preceded by the Baroque era Coda A passage which brings a piece of music to a conclusion. Col Legno Term used for string players to produce notes using the wood of the bow Con anima With soul Con brio With spirit and vigour Con fuoco Fast and lively with fire Concerto A musical work where a solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra Concerto Grosso A small orchestra accompanies a group of soloists (concertino) Conductor Leader of the orchestra who directs the players with a baton Cor Horn (French). See Horn Cor Anglais (English horn) A larger oboe, which is a fifth lower Corno Horn (Italian). See Horn Crescendo Gradually growing louder Cymbales Cymbals (French). See Cymbals Cymbals Cymbals are a percussive instrument made of circular metal disks. Translations include: Cymbales (French), Becken (German), Piatti, Cinelli (Italian)
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D		Dal segno A mark on a composition that directs the musician to repeat a specific section Decrescendo A smooth decrease in volume during a passage of music Demisemiquavers A 32nd note, half the length of a semiquaver Diatonic The (Western) standard seven-tone scale Double stopping Playing two notes at once - common for stringed and tuned percussion instruments Drum The drum is a form of percussive instrument that is struck to produce sound. Translations include: Tromme (Danish) Trommel (German) Dynamics Volume directions
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E		Embellishment A brief decoration, usually improvised, added to the main melody of a piece. En Fa In 'F' or 'Fah' En Ut In 'C' or 'Doh' English horn see Cor Anglais Enharmonia Equivalent An enharmonia equivalent is the term used to describe alternative spellings for one note e.g. 'C-sharp is the enharmonic equivalent of D-flat' Ensemble A group of musicians that perform a piece together
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F		Fagott Bassoon (German). See Bassoon Fagotti Bassoon (German). See Bassoon Fagotto Bassoon (Italian). See Bassoon Finale Final movement Forte Loud Fortissimo Very loud Fortisissimo Very, very loud Fugue Parts of music following each other in succession
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G		Glissando A slide from one pitch to another, sounding all pitches in between Goethe A famous German writer (1749 – 1842). His works have been an inspiration to lots of composers. Gong A Gong is an asian instrument that takes the form of a large metal disk which is hit with a mallet. It is also referred to as the Tam-tam Grace notes A musical ornament or flourish Gran Cassa Bass drum (Italian). See Bass Drum Grazioso Gracefully Grosse Caisse Bass drum (French). See Bass Drum Grosse Trommel Bass drum (German). See Bass Drum
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H		Harfe Harp (German). See Harp Harmonics High notes produced by stringed instruments when the performer lightly places their finger in certain positions along a vibrating string Harmoniestimmen All woodwind instruments Harmony Two or more tones sounding together Harp The Harp is a triangular shaped string instrument. There is usually only one harpist in an orchestra. Translations include: Harpe (French), Harfe (German) and Arpa (Italian) Harpe Harp (French). See Harp Hautbois Oboe (French). See Oboe Hoboe Oboe (German). See Oboe Horn Horn (German) is a WIND instrument often referred to as the 'French Horn'. Translations include: Cor, Trompe (French), Corno (Italian)
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I		Inconsolato Mournfully Interlude A short piece of music played between the longer movements. Intermezzo A short piece of music, often fitting between other movements of a larger work or a single character piece In modo di In the style of...
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J		Jentele Graceful / elegant Jubiloso Jubilant
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K		Kettledrum See Timpani Klangfarbenmelodie Tone Colour Klarino Trumpet (Geman). See Trumpet Knarre A Rattle
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L		Lament A song of mourning Larghetto Somewhat slowly, but not as slow as largo Largo Very slowly Laud Lute (Spanish). See Lute Laute Lute (German). See Lute Legato Music played in a smooth, connected style (opp. Staccato) Liuto Lute (Italian). See Lute Luit Lute (Dutch). See Lute Lute The lute is a plucked string instrument. Translations include: luth (French), Liuto (Italian), Laud (Spanish), Laute (German); Luit (Dutch) Luth Lute (). See Lute
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M		Maestoso Majestically, stately Marcato Emphasised / stressed Medieval The music from a period of about 500 A.D. until about 1430 A.D. - followed by the Renaissance era Melody The dominant tune of a composition Metronome A device which 'clicks' along to a certain beat, used by musicians to help them stay in time. Mezzo-forte Moderately loud Moderato Moderately Molto Very Motif A short melody that characterises a composition Movement A self-contained section of a symphony Mute A device fitted to a musical instrument to alter the sound produced – normally reducing the volume
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N		Nationalistic Views supporting a nation Nocturne Night - usually solemn / contemplative pieces. Non troppo Not too much (occasionally, not too fast) Notation Visual symbols used to write down music
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O		Oboe The Oboe (Italian) is a wind instrument famous for playing the duck in Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf'. Translations include: Hautbois (French) and Hoboe (German) Opus Work – a way to record composers’ works by giving them opus numbers Ornamentation Additional notes used to decorate the music - usually improvised Ostinato Obstinate, persistent; i.e., a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition Overture Opening, a musical introduction
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P		Pauken Timpani (German). See Timpani Passage A phrase or short section of music Passionato Passionately Patriotic Supportive, positive attitudes towards a country Patron A person or organization who gives support and often financial aid. Perfect cadence The chords V – I (5th degree of the scale to the 1st) which end a phrase Piatti Cymbals (Italian). See Cymbals Piccolo A small flute – very high pitched! Piu mosso More movement Pizzicato Direction to musicians of stringed instruments to play by plucking the strings, rather than using the bow Posaunen Trombone (German). See Trombone Première The first performance of a piece of music Presto Very quickly Prestissimo As quickly as possible
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Q		Quartet A composition performed by four musicians Quaver A eighth note
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R		Range The amount of notes an instrument or voice can produce. The higher the range, the more notes can be produced. Register The range of the pitch of an instrument. Renaissance The era of music covering the 15th / 16th centuries (c. 1430-1600 A.D.) - preceded by the Medieval era and succeed by the Baroque era Repertoire The collective term for all the pieces a musician is able to play Ritardando Gradually getting slower Romantic That era of music covering most of the 19th century ending around 1900 - follows on from the Classical era Rubato Literal meaning: ‘robbed time’. A subtle fluctuation of tempo for expressive purposes - typical of the Romantic period.
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S		Scherzo A joke, usually fast and light-hearted with 3 beats in a bar Secular Non-religious, opposite to sacred Sonata A musical piece for one or two players consisting of four movements Soprano (voice) The highest female voice range Sostenuto Sustained, lenghtened Spiccato A technique for stringed instruments where the bow bounces lightly on the strings, creating a staccato effect Suite An organized set of movements Staccato A detached style of playing that shows the distinction between notes (opp. Legato) Symphony Literal meaning: ‘sounding together’. The symphony as we know it today was established in the 18th century, originally consisting of 3 movements (usually fast - slow - fast) until 4 movements became the norm in the latter 18th century Syncopation When a beat is stressed which normally isn’t, for example in 4/4, beats 2 and 4.
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T		Tableaux A group of scenes from a story Tamburo Grande Bass drum (Italian). See Bass Drum Tamburo Grosso Bass drum (Italian). See Bass Drum Tam-tam A Gong (Italian, French, German). See Gong Tempo Speed or pace of a piece Tenor (voice) Highest pitch range of the male voice (see also: bass, baritone) (music) Instruments with a pitch range from about C-below-middle-C upwards about two octaves Timbal See Timpani Timbales See Timpani Timbre A term to describe the different qualities that the sound (not pitch) can have, for example spiky, shiny, smooth, different colours Timpani Timpani is the (Italian) term commonly used in classical music for the Kettledrum. Other translations include: Timbales (French), Pauken (German) and Timbal (Spanish) Tonguing Articualtion using the tongue Tone poem An orchestral form based on a poem or programme Tremolo Rapid repetition of a note Triad Three notes, each spaced a third apart Trill Fast alternation between two notes that are next to each other Tromba Trumpet (Italian). See Trumpet Trombetta Trumpet (Italian). See Trumpet Trombone Trombone (French) is an instrument distinctive by players using a slide to produce notes. Other translations include: Posaunen (German) and Trombono (Italian) Trombono Trombone (Italian). See Trombone Trommel Drum (German). See Drum Trompete Trumpet (German). See Trumpet Trompette Trumpet (French). See Trumpet Trumpet The Trumpet is famously recognised through Jazz. Other translations include: trompette, clairon (French), Trompete, Klarino, Trummet (German), tromba, trombetta, clarino (Italian) Tutti All together / the whole orchestra
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U		Un poco A little Unison Two notes played at the same time at the same octave
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V		Viola Alto (French) Viola (Italian) Bratsche (German) Instrument in the string family. More on the viola Virtuoso / virtuosic Performing with exceptional technical ability Vivace / vivacissimo Very lively
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W		Waltz A dance in triple time, which was a very popular ballroom dance in the 19th century
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Y
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Z		Zymbel Cymbals (German). See Cymbals