Foreign Musical Terms

Question 1

Geige

Answer 1

A violin is a stringed instrument played with a bow, having four strings tuned at intervals of a fifth, an unfretted fingerboard, and a shallower body than the viol.

Question 2

Bratsche

Answer 2

The tenor viola, or viola.

Question 3

Posaune

Answer 3

An organ reed with a tone resembling a trombone.

Question 4

Pauken

Answer 4

Timpani.

Question 5

Corni

Answer 5

The archaic Italian plural term for the French Horn.

Question 6

Fagotti

Answer 6

The Bassoon.

Question 7

Cor Anglais

Answer 7

This is the English Horn which is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and half times the length of an oboe. Transposing instrument pitched in F.

Question 8

H-dur (German)

Answer 8

German for B-Major.

Question 9

B-moll (German)

Answer 9

B-Flat minor.

Question 10

Con sordino

Answer 10

A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition with a mute or damped.

Question 11

Mit Dämpfer

Answer 11

To always play with a mute.

Question 12

Al niente

Answer 12

The dynamics fade to nothing.

Question 13

Meno mosso

Answer 13

Less rapidly; slower.

Question 14

Schnell

Answer 14

Fast.

Question 15

Lebhaft

Answer 15

Lively or vivace.

Question 16

Langsam

Answer 16

A German term directing the musicians to performant the indicating passage of the composition with a broad tempo, or fairly slow.