Dictionary of Music - Birding America

14 ariosoarioso (ä′′rē ô′sô) Italian. 1 A style of RECITATIVEthat is more songlike and more expressive than theordinary recitative. 2 A piece or section written inthis style. (The full name for such a piece is recitativoarioso.) Ariosos appear in early Italian operasas well as in eighteenth-century cantatas and oratorios.3 An instrumental piece similar in style to avocal arioso.Arlen, Harold, 1905–1986. An American composerbest known for his popular songs, Broadwaymusicals, and film music. He began his career as apianist and singer. Among his most famous songsare “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “StormyWeather,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” “That OldBlack Magic,” “Blues in the Night,” and “Over theRainbow.” The last was from his most famous filmscore, The Wizard of Oz.armonicaARParpa (är′pä).See under GLASS HARMONICA.A kind of SYNTHESIZER.The Italian word for HARP.arpeggiando (är′′pe djän′dô) Italian. A directionto perform the notes of a chord one after another, asone usually does on a harp.arpeggio (är pe′djô) Italian. A broken chord, thatis, a chord whose notes are performed one afteranother instead of together, usually beginning withthe lowest note and ending with the highest. Arpeggiosare either written out (with all the notes as theyare to be played), or are indicated by a wavy verticalsign next to the chord. They always begin on thebeat. In keyboard music an arpeggio is sometimesplayed at the same time by the left and right hands,in which case it is marked by a wavy line in the treblestaff and a separate wavy line in the bass. If achord is marked with a wavy line that continuesthrough both staves, the notes are to be played successively(one after another) by the left and righthands, beginning with the lowest note in the bassand ending with the highest note in the treble. In theseventeenth and eighteenth centuries, arpeggioswere sometimes played in descending order (beginningwith the highest note instead of the lowest), andthe player could decide the number of notes, theirtime value, and the tempo.fig. 11 p/u from p. 14arpeggione (är ped jō′ne) Italian. A stringedinstrument, basically a six-stringed bass viol withguitar tuning and metal frets, that is bowed like acello. Invented by J. G. Staufer in 1824, it was quitepopular for a time but today is remembered mainlyfor the sonata Schubert wrote for it (D. 821), whichis known as the Arpeggione Sonata but is now mostoften performed on the cello.arrangement 1 Also, transcription. The rewritingof a composition for a medium (instrument,voice, group) different from the one for which itwas originally written. This kind of arrangementrequires considerable skill to avoid distorting thebasic qualities of a piece. During the late MiddleAges, vocal pieces were quite often arranged forone or more instruments, often a lute or a group ofviols. This practice continued through the Renaissance(1450–1600) and thereafter. The baroquecomposers (1600–1750) often arranged compositions,both their own and those of other composers.Famous examples from this period include Bach’sarrangements of Antonio Vivaldi’s violin concertosfor solo organ or harpsichord, and of his own violinconcertos for harpsichord. In the nineteenth century,Beethoven arranged his Violin Concerto in Das a piano concerto, a version that is still occasionallyplayed. See also ORCHESTRATION. 2 In popularmusic, the preparation of a song or musical themefor a particular performer or ensemble (group).Usually made by a specialist called an arranger,such an arrangement must take into account thesong itself (melody, rhythm, harmony), the abilitiesof the singer or group (style, voice quality, range,etc.), and also the way in which the music is to be