Dictionary of Music - Birding America

372 seconda voltaseconda volta (se kôn′dä vôl′tä) Italian: “secondtime.” A term meaning “second ending” (see underPRIMA).secondo (se kôn′dô) Italian. 1 In piano duets (fortwo players at one piano), the lower of the two parts,the upper being called primo. 2 A second instrument,such as flauto secondo, second flute; see SEC-OND, def. 1.section 1 A clearly defined portion of a composition,usually shorter than a MOVEMENT butlonger than a PERIOD. 2 In an orchestra or band,the instruments of one kind, such as flute section,horn section, cello section, etc. 3 Also, choir.In an orchestra or band, the instruments of thesame family, such as woodwind section, brasssection, etc.Seeger, Ruth CrawfordRUTH.See CRAWFORD SEEGER,segno (sen′yô) Italian: “sign.” The sign , used incompositions to indicate a section that is to berepeated from a particular point marked by that sign.The term dal segno, abbreviated D.S., means “repeatfrom the sign,” usually up to the point marked fine(“end”), whereas al segno means “up to the sign.”(See also under CAPO.)segue (se′gwe) Italian. 1 A direction that the performercontinue with the next section, without pauseor interruption. 2 A direction to continue a particularpattern of performance, such as broken chords (withthe notes played in succession rather than together)or doubling in octaves.seguidilla (se′′gē th⁄ ē′yä) Spanish. A lively Spanishdance in 3/8 or 3/4 meter. Accompanied by guitarsand castanets, it is similar to the bolero, butfaster. In Act I of Bizet’s opera Carmen, Carmensings about a seguidilla, and the music of her songresembles that of the actual dance.sehr (zer) German: “very.” A word used in suchmusical directions as sehr schnell (“very fast”), orsehr langsam (“very slow”).semibreve (sem′ē brēv′′). The British term forWHOLE NOTE, derived from the Latin semibrevis (seeunder BREVIS).semiclassic A very general term for music thatis midway between “popular” and “classical” or“serious” music. Some use it for the lighter worksof serious composers (such as Saint-Saëns’s Le Carnavaldes animaux, “The Carnival of the Animals”).Others use it for the serious works of popular composers(for example, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue).Still others use it for works by lesser composers thathave become especially popular (such as Khatchaturian’s“Saber Dance”). In fact, the meaning of“semiclassic” is so broad and subjective that theterm is, for practical purposes, useless.semiquaver (sem′ē kwā′′vər).for SIXTEENTH NOTE.semitoneAnother term for HALF TONE.The British termsemplice (sem′ plē che) Italian. A direction toperform in a simple, straightforward manner.sempre (sem′pre) Italian: “always.” A word usedin such musical terms as sempre forte (“alwaysloud”), or sempre più mosso (“always faster”; that is,gradually becoming faster).sentito (sen tē′ tô) Italian.expressively, with feeling.A direction to performsenza (sen′dzä) Italian: “without.” A word used insuch musical terms as senza rallentando (abbreviatedsenza rall.; “without slowing down”); senza battutaor senza misura (“without ‘measure’”; that is, not instrict time); senza sordini (“without mutes”; in musicfor horns or violins; see also SORDINO).septet (sep tet′). 1 An ensemble of seven voicesor instruments. 2 A composition for seven instrumentsor seven voices. Since each instrument orsinger has a separate part, the septet is a form ofchamber music. —instrumental septet A septetfor instruments. Most such pieces include parts forboth stringed and wind instruments. Among the