Dictionary of Music - Birding America

march 229guitars and banjos, it is used in country music, oftenin a flat-backed version.mandoraSee under MANDOLIN.Mannheim (män′hīm′′) school A group of composerswho, toward the middle of the eighteenthcentury, played an important role in the developmentof the modern orchestra and orchestration, as well ascontributing to the form of the classical symphony.Located in the German town of Mannheim and associatedat one time or another with the orchestra of apowerful German nobleman, Karl Theodor, Electorof Palatinate, the chief members of the group wereJohann Stamitz (1717–1757), Ignaz Holzbauer(1711–1783), Franz Xaver Richter (1709–1789),Christian Cannabich (1731–1798), Anton Filtz(1733–1760), and Stamitz’s sons Karl (1745–1801)and Anton (1754–1809). Beginning about the timethat Bach and Handel were writing their last worksin the baroque tradition, Stamitz began to establish anew style of orchestral music and performance.Instead of the dense counterpoint of the baroquemasters, the music became transparent and largelyhomophonic (with chords sounded together), withthe violins generally carrying the melody. The othersections (woodwind, brass) also were given distinctroles, and all the sections were balanced withrespect to volume (more of the soft-sounding stringswere added to balance the louder woodwinds andstill more powerful brasses and percussion). The figuredbass accompaniment of the baroque period (seeCONTINUO) was replaced by written-out parts for allthe instruments. For proper tonal balance and convenience,the seating arrangement of the players wassettled, with the strings on the left and right, thewinds in the center, and the conductor out in front.New elements of contrast (fast and slow, loud andsoft) were introduced, which were carried over intothe classical symphony and sonata. (See also CLAS-SIC; PRECLASSIC.)mano (mä′nô) pl. mani (mä′nē) Italian: “hand.”A word used in directions for keyboard music, suchas mano destra (“right hand”), mano sinistra (“lefthand”), a due mani (“for two hands”), and a quattromani (“for four hands”). Abbreviated m.manualmanual couplerA KEYBOARD played by the hands.See under COUPLER.maqam (mä′käm) pl. maqamat (mä′kä mät′′)Arabic. A system of modes and melody types—that is, sets of notes and melodic shapes—associatedwith specific moods, seasons, colors, etc. It governsIslamic music much as RAGA does Indian music andthe CHURCH MODES governed medieval Westernmusic.maraca (mä rä′kä) Spanish. A rattle made from adry gourd filled with seeds, which is nearly alwaysplayed in pairs. When the maracas are shaken, theseeds rattle against the inside of the gourd and alsorub against it, making a kind of hissing sound. Maracaswere originally invented by South AmericanIndians, and various versions of them are usedthroughout Latin America. The kind used in modernorchestras and dance bands is based on the Cubanvariety. Some of the gourds have a natural stemwhich serves as a handle, but many are made with apiece of wood inserted into the gourd.marc.marcandoAbbreviation for MARCATO.See MARCATO.fig. 151 p/ufrom p. 235marcato (mär kä′tô) Italian. Also, marcando(mär kän′dô), German markiert (mär kērt′), Frenchmarqué (mAr kā′). A direction to perform withemphasis or with definite accents. Often it is indicatedby short dashes or carets over (or under) thenotes. Also abbreviated marc.march A composition written in simple, stronglymarked rhythm and regular phrases, suitable foraccompanying a marching group. Marches are