Dictionary of Music - Birding America

African-American music 5with cowbells accompanied by the rustle of a spinetpiano tuned a quarter tone down and strings playingharmonics. His works include Catch (1991), a pianotrio that sits on stage and lures a passing clarinetistto join in; Living Toys (1993), for fourteen instruments,which evokes toy angels, dancers, and soldiers;Arcadiana (1994), a string quartet; and Asyla(1997) for large orchestra, whose title is the plural of“asylum,” in the double sense of a place of safetyand also a madhouse; Traced Overhead (1996) forpiano, with rippling figurations in the upper treble, achordal section, and descending chromatic scales;Brahms (2001) for baritone and orchestra, setting atext by pianist-poet Alfred Brendel; and Piano Quintet(2001).ad libSee AD LIBITUM.ad libitum (ad lib′ i təm) Latin. Also, ad lib (adlib′). A direction that the performer is free to do anyof the following: (1) vary the tempo; (2) perform oromit certain notes provided by the composer; (3) addnew notes. In music for an ensemble (group of performers),“ad libitum” may further mean that thepart of some instrument or voice can be included,or left out, or performed by another instrument orvoice. See also OBBLIGATO, def. 2; PIACERE.Aeolian (ā ō′lē ən, ē ō′lē ən) harp A stringedinstrument whose strings are made to vibrate, andtherefore to sound, by the wind; it is named for Aeolus,the Greek god of the winds. The instrument consistsof a long, narrow box on which are fixed anumber of strings passing over two bridges. Whenthe instrument is placed in the path of a current ofair, such as an open window, the strings are made tovibrate. The strings all are of the same length and aretuned to the same pitch; however, they are of differentthicknesses, causing them to produce differentovertones (see HARMONIC SERIES). The Aeolian harpdates from biblical times. It became popular inEurope during the late eighteenth and early nineteenthcenturies, when its mysterious, ghostly soundwas found appealing.Aeolian mode The authentic mode beginning onA. See under CHURCH MODES.aerophone (âr′ ə fōn′′). Any musical INSTRU-MENT in which sound is produced by the vibrationof a column of air, as in woodwind instruments,brass instruments, and the organ, or by vibrations ina moving stream of air, as in the harmonica andaccordion.affabile (äf fä′bē le′′) Italian. A direction to performin a smooth, graceful manner.affections, doctrine of A theory proposed in theeighteenth century, especially in Germany, whichheld that various affections (feelings) could beexpressed in music in specific ways. Thus, sorrowmight be expressed through a slow, listless melody,happiness through a faster, lilting melody, etc. Ideally,a composition or section should express onlyone such affection. Among the composers whooccasionally carried out this idea in their music areKarl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann JoachimQuantz.affettuoso (äf fet′′too — ô′sô) Italian. A directionto perform tenderly, with feeling. Also, con affetto.affrettando (äf′′ fret tän′ dô) Italian.to perform in a hurried manner.A directionA-flat One of the musical tones (see PITCHNAMES), one half tone below A and one half toneabove G. On the piano, A-flat is identical with G-sharp (see ENHARMONIC for an explanation). Thescales beginning on A-flat are known as A-flat majorand A-flat minor. A composition based on one ofthese scales is said to be in the key of A-flat major orA-flat minor, the key signatures (see KEY SIGNA-TURE) for these keys being four flats and seven flats,respectively. For the location of A-flat on the piano,see KEYBOARD.African-American music Also, Afro-Americanmusic, black music. A general name for the music ofblack Americans, including BLUES, GOSPEL MUSIC,JAZZ, RAP, RHYTHM AND BLUES, SOUL, and SPIRI-TUAL. Many of these styles tend to incorporateAfrican elements, such as CALL AND RESPONSE,along with Western musical tradition.