Dictionary of Music - Birding America

cornett 93performer to release the soft pedal. —tutte lecorde (too — t′ te le kôr′de). A direction meaning “allthe strings” that also instructs the performer torelease the soft pedal. —corda vuota (kôr′dä voo —ô′tä). In music for stringed instruments (violin,cello, etc.), a direction to use an open (unstopped)string. —due corde (doo — ′e kôr′de). A directionmeaning “two strings.” a. In music for stringedinstruments (violin, cello, etc.) it instructs the playerto sound a note on two strings at the same time, toobtain more volume. b. In Beethoven’s piano musicit instructs the player to depress the soft pedalhalfway, midway between una corda and tre corde.corde (kôrd) pl. cordes (kôrd) French. TheFrench word for the string of a piano, violin, or otherstringed instrument. —corde à vide (kôrd A vēd′).In music for stringed instruments (violin, viola,cello, etc.) a direction to use an open (unstopped)string. —cordes The French term for STRINGEDINSTRUMENTS.Corelli (kô rel′lē), Arcangelo (är kän′je lô′′),1653–1713. An Italian composer and violinistwho lived mostly in Rome, and who is rememberedboth for being the founder of modern violin techniqueand for helping develop one of the mostimportant musical forms of his time, the CONCERTOGROSSO. A famous violin virtuoso and teacher,Corelli taught such composers as Francesco Geminiani(1687–1762) and Pietro Locatelli (1695–1764).His own compositions, though relatively few innumber, had great influence and are still frequentlyplayed. They include several sets of twelve triosonatas (see TRIO SONATA) and solo violin sonatas(see SONATA, def. 1), as well as a number of concertigrossi, the best known of which is the so-calledChristmas Concerto.cornemuse (kor n ə mYz′) French. See underBAGPIPE.cornet (kôr net′). A brass instrument that lookslike a small trumpet and is used mainly in militaryand brass bands. It should not be confused with thenow obsolete CORNETT. The cornet has a cup-shapedmouthpiece and a conical bore (cone-shaped inside).It originated in the early nineteenth century, when,shortly after the invention of valves, two valves wereadded to the formerly plain, circular POST HORN.Soon afterward, this instrument was built in the formgenerally used today. The cornet usually is pitchedin B-flat and has a range of slightly more than twooctaves, from the E below middle C to the B-flatfig. 71 p/u from p. 97below high C. However, it is a transposing instrument,its music being written one tone higher than itactually sounds (see TRANSPOSING INSTRUMENTS).Cornets pitched in C, E-flat, or A are also occasionallyused. The cornet can be played with moreagility than the trumpet but has a less brilliant tonethan the larger instrument. It has been especiallyimportant in jazz in the hands of such artists as BixBeiderbecke, Joseph “King” Oliver, Wild Bill Davison,and Louis Armstrong.fig. 72 p/u from p. 98cornet à bouquin (kôr nā′ A boo — kaN′). TheFrench term for CORNETT.cornet à pistons (kôr nā′ A pēs tON′).French term for CORNET.Thecornett (kôr net′). Also, cornetto, Zink. A windinstrument used from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries.Its name is spelled with two t’s to distinguishit from the modern CORNET. The cornett was madeof wood covered with leather and was straight orslightly curved in shape. It had a conical bore (coneshapedinside), cup-shaped shaped mouthpiece, sixfinger holes, and, usually, a thumb hole. Cornettswere made in a number of sizes. The soprano cornett,about two feet long, had a range of two andone-half octaves, from the G below middle C to theD above high C. Alto and tenor sizes were also made