| 释义 |
- Musical forms
- Musical instruments
- Voices
- Tempo
- Dynamics – volume
- Moods
- Musical expression (general)
- Patterns within the musical score
- Directions
- Techniques
- Roles
- Criticism
- Musical direction and staging
- See also
- External links
{{For|a general, non-specific list of terms|Musical terminology}}{{Unreferenced|date=October 2017}}Many musical terms are in Italian, and many of the most important early composers from the Italian Renaissance to the Baroque period were Italian, and that period is when numerous musical indications were used extensively for the first time{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}. (See also sheet music.) Some of the expressions include: Musical forms | Italian term | Literal translation | Definition | | A cappella | in chapel style | Sung with no (instrumental) accompaniment, has lots of harmonizing | | Aria | air | Piece of music, usually for a singer | | Aria di sorbetto | sorbet air | A lesser aria within an opera | | Arietta | little air | A short or light aria | | Arioso | airy | A type of solo vocal piece during an opera or operetta | | Ballabile | danceable | (song) to be danced to | | Battaglia | battle | An instrumental or vocal piece suggesting a battle | | Bergamasca | from Bergamo | A peasant dance from Bergamo | | Burletta | a little joke | A light comic or farcical opera | | Cabaletta | from copola (couplet) | A two-part musical form | | Cadenza | falling | A florid solo at the end of a performance | | Cantata | sung | A piece for orchestra and singers | | Capriccio | caprice | A lively piece, free in form, often used to show musical skill | | Cavatina | small instrumental tone | A simple melody or song | | Coda | tail | The end of a piece | | Concerto | concert | A work for one or more solo instruments accompanied by an orchestra | | Concertino | little concert | A short concerto; the solo instrument in a concerto | | Concerto grosso | big concert | A Baroque form of concerto, with a group of solo instruments | | Da capo aria | from the head aria | A three-section musical form | | Dramma giocoso | jocular drama | A form of opera | | Dramma per musica | drama for music | Libretto | | Fantasia | fantasy | A musical composition or “idea” typified by improvisation | | Farsa | farce | A one-act comical opera | | festa teatrale | theatrical party | A genre of opera | | Fioritura | flowery | A highly embellised vocal line | | Intermedio | intermediate | A short connecting instrumental movement – an intermezzo | | Intermezzo | interval | A short connecting instrumental movement | | Libretto | little book | A work containing the words to an opera, musical, or ballet | | Melodramma | melodrama | A style of opera | | Opera | work | A drama set to music for singers and instrumentalists | | Opera buffa | humorous opera | A comic opera | | Opera semiseria | semi-serious opera | A variety of opera | | Opera seria | serious opera | An opera with a serious, esp. classical theme | | Operetta | little opera | A variety of light opera | | Oratorio | oratory | Large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists | | Pasticcio | pastiche | A musical piece containing works by different composers | | Ripieno concerto | padding concert | A form of Baroque concerto with no solo parts | | Serenata | Serenade | A song or composition in someone’s honour. Originally, a musical greeting performed for a lover | | Soggetto cavato | carved subject | A musical cryptogram, using coded syllables as a basis for the composition | | Sonata | sounded | A composition for one or two instruments in sonata form | | Verismo | realism | A genre of operas with scenarios based on contemporary everyday life |
Musical instruments | Piano(forte) | soft-loud | A keyboard instrument | | Viola | viola, orig. Latin vitulari "be joyful" | A medium-sized stringed instrument | | (Violon)cello | Small violone (violone means "big viola") | A large stringed instrument | | Viola da gamba | leg viola | A stringed instrument held between the legs | | Viola da braccio | arm viola | A stringed instrument held in the arm, such as a violin or viola | | Viola d'amore | love viola | A tenor viol with no frets | | Tuba | tube | A large brass instrument | | Piccolo | little | A tiny woodwind instrument | | Fagotto | bass oboe | A bass woodwind instrument played with a double reed. | | Sordun | deaf, dull in sound | An archaic double-reed wind instrument | | Timpani | drums | Large drums | | Cornetto | little horn | An old woodwind instrument | | Campana | bell | A bell used in an orchestra; also campane "bells" | | Orchestra | orchestra, orig. Greek orkesthai "dance" | An ensemble of instruments | |
Voices | Soprano | upper | The highest vocal line | | Mezzo-soprano | middle-upper | Between soprano and alto | | Alto | high | Second-highest vocal line | | Contralto | against high | Alto, esp. a female alto | | Basso | low | Or "bass;" the lowest vocal line | | Basso profondo | deep and low | A very deep bass voice | | Coloratura soprano | colouring soprano | A soprano specialised in complex, ornamented melody | | Soprano sfogato | unlimited soprano | A soprano who has extended her upper range beyond the usual range of a soprano | | Spinto soprano | pushed soprano | A soprano whose voice, while normally of lyric weight and fluidity, can be pushed to a more forceful weight | | Squillo | ringing | The resonant clarity of an operatic singer’s voice | | Tenore contraltino | ' | A tenor voice capable of a slightly higher range of sustainable notes than usual | | Tenore di grazia or ‘’’Leggiero tenor’’’ | ' | A lightweight, flexible tenor voice | | Tessitura | texture | A singer’s comfortable range | | Falsetto | little false | A vocal register immediately above the modal voice range | | Falsettone | ' | Falsetto, sung using the usual techniques of modal voice register | | Castrato | castrated | A male singer, castrated so as to be able to sing soprano (now sung by women, conventional countertenors, or sopranisti) | | Musico | musician | Originally, a trained musician; later, a castrato or female singer | | Spinto | pushed | A forceful voice, between the lyric and dramatic in weight | | Passaggio | crossing | A vocal range | |
Tempo | Tempo | time | The speed of music e.g. 120 BPM | | Grave | solemn | Slow and solemn, slower than largo | | Largo | broad | Slow and dignified | | Larghetto | a little bit broad | Not as slow as largo | | Lentando | slowing | Becoming slower | | Lento | slow | Slow | | Tardo | slow | Slow | | Adagio | ad agio, at ease | Slow, but not as slow as largo | | Adagietto | little adagio | Faster than adagio; or a short adagio composition | | Andante | at a walking pace | Moderately slow, flowing along | | Andantino | slightly faster than andante | slightly faster than andante | | Moderato | moderately | At a moderate speed | | Allegretto | a little bit joyful | Slightly slower than allegro | | Largamente | broadly | Slow and dignified | | Mosso | moved | Agitated | | Allegro | joyful; lively and fast | Moderately fast | | Sostenuto | sustained | A slowing of tempo, often accompanied by legato playing | | Fermata | stopped | Marks a note to be held or sustained | | Presto | ready | Very fast | | Prestissimo | very ready | Very very fast, as fast as possible | | Accelerando | accelerating | Accelerating | | Affrettando | becoming hurried | Accelerating | | Allargando | slowing and broadening | Slowing down and broadening, becoming more stately and majestic, possibly louder | | Ritardando | slowing down | Decelerating | | Rallentando | becoming progressively slower | Decelerating | | Rubato | robbed | Free flowing and exempt from steady rhythm | | Tenuto | sustained | Holding or sustaining a single note | | Accompagnato | accompanied | The accompaniment must follow the singer who can speed up or slow down at will | | Alla marcia | as a march | In strict tempo at a marching pace (e.g. 120 bpm) | | A tempo | to time | Return to previous tempo | | L'istesso tempo | Same speed | At the same speed |
Dynamics – volume | Calando | quietening | Becoming softer and slower | | Crescendo | growing | Becoming louder | | Decrescendo | shrinking | Becoming softer | | Diminuendo | dwindling | Becoming softer | | Forte | strong | Loud | | Fortissimo | very strong | Very loud | | Marcato | marked | A note played forcefully | | Mezzo forte | half-strong | Moderately loud | | Piano | gentle | Soft | | Pianissimo | very gentle | Very soft | | Mezzo piano | half-gentle | Moderately soft | | Sforzando | strained | Sharply accented | | Stentato | in the manner of Stentor | Loud, boisterous | | Tremolo | trembling | A rapid repetitive variation in the volume (or pitch) of a tone | | Messa di voce | placing the voice | A style of singing involving changing volume while holding a single note |
Moods | Affettuoso | with feeling | Tenderly | | Agitato | agitated | Excited and fast | | Animato | animated | Animated | | Brillante | brilliant | Brilliant, bright | | Bruscamente | brusquely | Brusquely – abruptly | | Cantabile | singable | In a singing style | | Colossale | colossal | In a fashion which suggests immensity | | Comodo | convenient | Comfortably, moderately | | Con amore | with love | With love | | Con fuoco | with fire | With fiery manner | | Con brio | with bright | brightly | | Con moto | with movement | With (audible) movement | | Con spirito | with spirit | With spirit | | Dolce | sweetly | Sweet | | Espressivo | expressive | Expressively | | Festoso | happy | With happiness | | Furioso | furious | With passion | | Grazioso | graciously or gracefully | With charm | | Lacrimoso | teary | Tearfully, sadly | | Maestoso | majestic | Stately | | Misterioso | mysterious | Mysteriously, secretively, enigmatic | | Pesante | heavy | Heavy, slowly, sadly | | Risoluto | resolved | Resolved, decisive | | Scherzando | playfully | Playfully | | Sotto | subdued | Subdued | | Semplicemente | simply | Simply | | Slancio | passion | Enthusiasm | | Vivace | vivacious | Up-tempo |
Musical expression (general) | Molto | very | Used with other terms, such as molto allegro | | Assai | very | Used with other terms, such as allegro assai | | Più | more | Used with other terms, such as più mosso | | Poco | little | "A little". Used with other terms, such as poco diminuendo | | poco a poco | little by little | "little by little", "slowly but steadily". Used with other terms, such as poco a poco crescendo | | ma non tanto | but not so much | Used with other terms, such as adagio ma non tanto | | ma non troppo | but not too much | Used with other terms, such as allegro ma non troppo | | Meno | less | Used with other terms, such as meno mosso | | Subito | suddenly, quickly | Used with other terms, such as subito fortissimo | |
Patterns within the musical score | Lacuna | gap | A silent pause in a piece of music | | Ossia | alternatively | A secondary passage of music which may be played in place of the original | | Ostinato | stubborn | A repeated motif or phrase in a piece of music | | Ritornello | little return | A recurring passage in a piece of Baroque music | | Segue | it follows | A smooth movement from one passage to another with no pause | | Stretto | tightened | In a fugue, the repeating of a motif by a second voice before the first rendition is completed | | Pensato | thought | A composed imaginary note | |
Directions | Attacca | attach | Proceed to the next section without pause | | Cambiare | change | Any change, such as to a new instrument | | Da Capo (al fine) | from the beginning (to the end) | Abbreviated as D.C., informs the performer to go back to the beginning (capo) (finishing where the part is marked fine) | | Dal Segno | from the sign | Abbreviated as D.S., informs the performer to repeat a specific section marked by a sign (segno) | | Divisi | divided | Instructs one section to divide into two or more separate sections, each playing a separate part. Often these separate parts are written on the same staff. | | Oppure | otherwise | Informs the player of alternative ways to play a passage. See Ossia. | | solo | alone | A piece or performance to be played by a single musician |
Techniques | Altissimo | very high | Very high | | Arpeggio | harp-like | A chord with the notes spread out in time (rather than sounded simultaneously) | | Acciaccatura | crushing | An extra, very fast grace note | | Appoggiatura | leaning | A type of ornament that creates a "yearning" effect | | Basso continuo | continuous bass | Continuous bass accompaniment by chordal instrument(s) and bass instrument(s) (see figured bass.) | | A bocca chiusa | mouth closed | Wordless humming in a choral piece | | Chiuso | closed | Calls for a horn to be muted by hand | | Coll'arco | with the bow | Cancels col legno and pizzicato (in a string passage, arco is usually expected, as it is the "default" approach, and is not written except at the end of col legno or pizzicato passages.) | | Colla voce | with the voice | A note to accompanists to play with (in time with) the singer's text, especially when slowing for textual effect | | Col legno | with the wood | Calls for a bowed instrument's strings to be struck with the wood of the bow rather having the hair of the bow drawn over the strings | | Coloratura | coloration | Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line | | Glissando | glide | A sweeping glide from one pitch to another used for dramatic effect | | Legato | tied together | A series of notes played with a smooth connection between them | | Martellato | hammered | Notes are strongly accented and detached | | Con sordino | with mute | Calls for mute to be applied, esp. to string instruments. | | Senza sordino | without mute | Calls for mute to be removed, esp. from string instruments. | | Pizzicato | plucked | Calls for a bowed instrument to be plucked with the fingers | | Portamento | carrying | A sliding of pitch between two notes | | Portato | carried | A style of playing between staccato and legato | | Sforzando | using force | Played with strong, marked emphasis | | Coperti | covered | Of a drum, muted with a cloth | | Una corda | one string | With the soft pedal, on a piano | | Due corde | two strings | With the soft pedal, on a piano. For why both terms exist, see piano. | | Tre corde or tutte le corde | Three strings or all the strings | Cancels an una corda | | Spiccato | separated | Playing a stringed instrument by bouncing the bow lightly on the strings | | Tutti | all | A direction for the entire ensemble to play or sing, rather than just a soloist or principal player | | staccatissimo | very detached | Forcefully exaggerated staccato | | Staccato | detached | A form of musical articulation in which notes are distinct and separated from each other by short gaps | | Scordatura | mistuning | Alternate tuning (of strings) | | vibrato | vibrating | A rapid repetitive variation or undulation in the pitch of a tone |
Roles | Prima donna | first lady | Leading female role | | Primo uomo | first man | Leading male role | | Banda | band | A small music ensemble used as a supplement to the orchestra in an opera | | Comprimario | con primario, with the first | A supporting role | | Concertino | little concert | The smaller, more virtuosic, group of musicians in a concerto grosso | | Coro | choir | An ensemble of singers | | Diva | female deity | A leading female singer | | Ripieno | filling or stuffing | The larger group of musicians in a concerto grosso | | Convenienze | conveniences | The rules relating to the ranking of singers in opera |
Criticism | Bel canto | beautiful voice | Any fine singing, esp. that popular in 18th- and 19th-century Italian opera | | Bravura | skill | A performance of extraordinary virtuosity | | Bravo | skillful | A cry of congratulation to a male singer or performer. Fem. brava, pl. bravi, fem.pl. brave. The use of ! after "Bravo/a/i/e(!)" strongly emphasizes the written expression. |
Musical direction and staging | Maestro | Master, teacher | Conductor, music director, music teacher, also composer and other eminent musicians and singers | | Maestro sostituto | Deputy master | Assistant conductor | | Maestro collaboratore | Collaborating master | Assistant conductor | | Maestro suggeritore | Master prompter | Prompter | | Stagione | season | A variety of formal organisation of players and crew in the staging of operas |
See also External links - 8notes glossary
- Pronounce It Right: Italian musical terms
4 : Musical terminology|Lists of English words of Italian origin|Italian words and phrases|Glossaries of music |