Dictionary of Music - Birding America

Satie, Erik 361sansa (sän′sä). Also, ambira, kalimba, mbila,mbira, thumb piano. A tuned African percussioninstrument consisting of a series of long, thin metaltongues held to a soundboard by a lateral bar so thatthey can freely vibrate. The length of the vibratingportion can be quickly adjusted so as to change thetuning. The sansa is played by plucking the free endsof the tongues with the thumbs and forefingers. Insome places the tongues are made of bamboo orcane instead of metal.santouri (sän too r′ē) Greek. A kind of DULCIMER.saraband (sar′ə band′′). Also, French, sarabande(sA′′rA bäNd′). A slow, stately dance in triplemeter (any meter in which there are three basic beatsper measure, such as 3/4 or 3/8), which became oneof the standard movements of the baroque instrumentalsuite. The origin of the saraband is notknown, but it is thought to have come from Spain (orperhaps Mexico), beginning as a very lively dance.By 1600 it had reached Europe, and by 1650 it hadbecome fairly slow and sedate. The seventeenth-centurysaraband often had a slight accent or longerheldnote on the second beat of each measure (seethe accompanying example), and its phrases hadfeminine endings (that is, they ended on a weak beatinstead of a strong one).fig. 203 p/ufrom p. 376sarangi (sä rung gē′) Hindi. A bowed stringedinstrument of India. Like the Arab RABAB, it iscarved from a single block of wood. The neck isvery wide. There are three melody strings of gut,whose sound is reinforced by a dozen or so metalstrings that vibrate sympathetically (SYMPATHETICSTRINGS) when the gut strings are bowed. The playerholds the instrument upright, stopping (holdingdown) the strings with the fingernails. There are nofrets to indicate stopping positions. The sarangi isused mainly to accompany the classical dances ofnorthern India.Sarasate (sä′′rä sä′te), Pablo de (pä′blō de),1844–1908. A Spanish violinist and composerwho is remembered mainly for his virtuoso playing.Numerous composers wrote violin compositionsespecially for him, among them Édouard Lalo (Symphonieespagnole) and Max Bruch (Schottische Fantasie,or “Scottish Fantasy”; also his Violin Concertono. 2). Most of Sarasate’s own compositions are ofslight quality, but one of them, Zigeunerweisen(“Gypsy Melody”), has remained popular.sarod (sə rōd′) Hindi. A short-necked lute ofIndia. Like European lutes, it has a pear-shapedbody, and there are four gut melody strings, whichpass over a metal fingerboard, and which may beeither plucked or bowed. In addition, there may be adozen or so sympathetic strings, of metal, whichvibrate when the melody strings are played. Thesarod has a soft, twangy tone, not unlike the banjo’s.It is used to accompany the classical dances ofnorthern India.saron (sə′ron) Javanese. A family of importantmelody instruments in the GAMELAN. Each saronconsists of seven thick, slightly curved metal barsmounted over a single trough resonator. Struck withhard mallets, of wood or horn, it possesses considerabledynamic range, from almost inaudibly soft tovery loud.sarrusophone (sə rus′ô fōn). A group of brassinstruments with a conical bore (cone-shaped inside)and a double reed, which were invented in the 1850sby a French bandmaster named Sarrus. Designed toreplace the oboe and bassoon in large militarybands, they were made in eight or nine sizes, rangingfrom sopranino to double bass. Although thedouble-bass sarrusophone is occasionally called forin orchestral scores to replace the double bassoon,sarrusophones are largely confined to Europeanbands.sassofono (sä sô′fô nô).SAXOPHONE.The Italian word forS A T B In choral music, an abbreviation forsoprano, alto, tenor, and bass.Satie (sA tē′), Erik (e rēk′), 1866–1925. AFrench composer who is remembered less for his