Grapes Guide.pdf - Minnesota Opera

Glossary of Musical Terms
adagio
ad libitum
Slowly and smoothly.
As you please; freely.
bar
A vertical line across the
stave that divides the music
into units.
affectuoso
agitato
alberti bass
allargando
allegretto
Expressively; tenderly;
lovingly.
Agitated.
Stereotyped figures of
accompaniment, consisting
of broken chords.
Slowing and broadening.
Fairly lively; not as fast
as allegro.
buffo, buffa
cadenza
cantabile
cantata
con brio
Comic.
A flourish or brilliant part of
an aria commonly inserted
just before a finale.
Songlike; singingly.
A choral piece generally
containing scriptural
narrative texts.
With spirit.
allegro
a mezzo voce
andante
andantino
animato
Lively; fast.
With half the voice.
Going; moving; at a
moderate rate.
Sightly faster than
andante.
With spirit; animated.
continuo
A bass part (as for a
keyboard or stringed
instrument) that was used
especially in baroque
ensemble music; it consists
of a succession of bass notes
with figures that indicate
the required chords. Also
called figured bass,
thoroughbass.
appoggiatura
An extra or embellishing
note preceding a main
melodic note or tone.
Usually written as a note of
smaller size, it shares the
time value of the main note.
counterpoint
crescendo
Music consisting of
two or more lines that
sound simultaneously.
Gradually getting
louder.
arpeggio
assai
a tempo
atonal
augmentation
Producing the tones of a
chord in succession but not
simultaneously.
Very; very much.
At the preceding rate
of speed.
Music that is not anchored in
traditional musical tonality; it
uses the chromatic scale
impartially, does not use the
diatonic scale and has no
keynote or tonal center.
The presentation of a
melody in doubled values so
that, e.g. the quarter notes
become half notes.
diatonic
diminuendo
diminution
dissonance
dolorosamente
Relating to a major or minor
musical scale that comprises
intervals of five whole steps
and two half steps.
Gradually getting
softer.
The presentation of a melody
in halved values so that,
e.g. the quarter notes become
eighth notes.
A mingling of discordant
sounds that do not
harmonize within the
diatonic scale.
Sadly; grievingly.
glossary of musical terms
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