Composer Profile - Activefolio

Glossary 147
cadenza Unaccompanied, virtuosic solo section of a concerto, usually near the end
of the first movement. Cadenzas occasionally occur in other movements of a
concerto or in other musical genres.
canon Most imitative form of polyphony, in which one musical line is strictly
imitated in its entirety, for example a round.
cantabile In a singing style.
cantata Secular or sacred (church cantata) vocal form, popular in the Baroque,
which consisted of arias, recitatives and ensemble sections.
cantus firmus “Fixed melody” meaning the underlying Gregorian chant melody
which serves as the basis for a composition.
celeste Keyboard member of the percussion family resembling a small piano in
which the keys strike pitched metal bars and sound like bells.
cello Tenor member of the violin family, also called violoncello.
chaconne Baroque theme and variations, based on a repeated chord progression.
chamber choir Small vocal ensemble, usually 20–24 members.
chamber music Generic term referring to compositions for small groups of players.
chance music Style within the twentieth century period characterized by the
avoidance of traditional notation, forms, instruments and the constraints of what
had come before. See also aleatoric.
chanson French polyphonic love song popular in the Renaissance.
character piece Short, single movement piano work, popular in the Romantic
period. Often used titles such as nocturne, scherzo, prelude, ballade, and waltz.
chimes Percussion instrument that is made up of long, vertical metal tubes, struck
with mallets at the top. Also called tubular bells.
choir Vocal ensemble consisting of various parts, with several singers per part.
chorale Baroque Protestant hymn.
chorale prelude Baroque organ work based on a chorale melody.
chord Combination of three or more pitches sounded simultaneously. Most chords
are built in successive intervals of the third.
chordal Musical texture featuring chords which provide a foundation and
framework for a melody.
chorus A section featuring many vocalists singing together as a choir.
chromatic Refers to the 12 pitches comprising an octave. Chromaticism in music
involves the use of several or all of these pitches in a successive pattern.
chromaticism The use of pitches outside the key of a piece in an effort to blur the
lines of traditional harmonic tendencies.
clarinet A single-reed woodwind instrument, with a wooden or plastic body built in
many sizes and pitch ranges.
clavichord Keyboard instrument popular in the Renaissance and Baroque periods,
with greater expressive capabilities than the harpsichord.