Grade 5 Italian Flashcards
a due, a 2
For 2 performers or instruments (in orchestral or band music, it means that a part is to be played in unison by 2 instruments)
alla marcia
In the style of a march
alt
High
In alt
Used in vocal music to refer to notes in the octave above the treble stave, starting with the G
In altissimo
In the octave above that
al tallone
Use the bow (of a string instrument) at the heel, i.e. the end held by the player
Amoroso
Loving
A piacere
At pleasure, the performer is not bound to follow the given rhythm exactly
A punto d’arco
Use the bow at the point, i.e. the end opposite to that held by the player
Arco
Bow of string instrument, a direction after pizzicato
attacca
go straight on, indicating an immediate move to the next section of music
bis
Twice, indicating the repetition of a short passage
Bravura
Skill, brilliance
Con bravura
In a brilliant style
Brilliante
Brilliant
calmato
calm, tranquil
capriccioso
In a whimsical, fanciful style
Colla parte
Keep with the soloist, a direction to an accompanist
Colla voce
Keep with the singer, a direction to an accompanist
Col legno
With the wood, a direction to a string player to play with the wood of the boy rather than with the hair
Coll’ ottava
With the octave, a direction to a keyboard player to double notes an octave higher, or lower if ‘bassa’ is added
Corda, corde
Strings
Da
From
divisi, div.
Divided, a direction to orchestral players (usually strings) to divide into 2 or more groups
dolente
sad, mournful
Dolore, duolo
Grief
Doloroso
Sorrowful
doppio movimento
Twice as fast
eguale
Equal
Expressione
Expression
Estinto
As soft as possible, lifeless
Felice
Happy
Feroce
Fierce
fine
End
Flautato, flautando
Flute-like, a direction for natural harmonics on string instruments
Flessibile
Flexible, not in a strict tempo
fretta
Haste
Giojoso
Joyful, merry
Grandioso
Grandly
Impetuoso
Impetuous
Incalzando
Getting quicker (literally: pressing forward)
Inquieto
Restless
in relievo
Prominent (lit: ‘in relief), a direction to make melody stand out
Lacrimoso, lagrimando, lagrimoso
Sad (lit. ‘Tearful’)
Lamentoso
Lamenting
lento
slow
Lentement
Slowly
liberamente
Freely
Licenza
License, freedom
Con alcuna licenza
With some freedom, particularly with regard to tempo and rhythm
Loco
At the normal pitch (used to cancel an 8va direction, or to confirm that one is not intended)
Lontano
Distant
Lugubre
Mournful
Lunga
Long
Lusingando
Coaxing; in a sweet, persuasive style
Mano
Hand
Mano sinistra, m.s.
Left hand
Mano destra, m.d.
Right hand
Mancando
Fading away
Martellato
Strongly accented (lit: hammered), generally used in string music to denote a particular type of bowing, but can also be applied to music for piano or other instruments.
Misterioso
Mysterious
misura
measure
Alla misura
In strict time
muta
Change, e.g. as in changing the tuning of a kettle drum or in transferring from one instrument to another
Naturale, nat.
in the ordinary way, a direction to a singer or instrumentalist to resume the normal method of performance (e.g. after a col legno passage in string music)
Nobilmente
Nobly
nuovo
new
di nuovo
again
Obbligato
Obligatory, indicating that an instrument has a special role and is essential (though the word is sometimes incorrectly used to mean ‘optional’)
Ossia
Or, alternatively (often used to indicate a simpler version of a difficult passage)
Ottava, ott.
Octave
Ottava bassa
Octave lower
Ottava Alta
Octave higher
Parlando
Speaking, a direction to sing in a conversational style
Patetico
With deep feeling, with pathos
Pausa
A pause
Pedale
Pedal
Per
By, for, through, to
piacevole
Pleasant
Piangevole
Plaintive, in the style of a lament
Pietoso, pietosamente
Tenderly (lit: pitifully)
pizzicato, pizz.
plucked, a direction for plucking the strings of a bowed instrument
placido
calm, peaceful
pochettino, posh.
rather little
Pochissimo, poschiss.
Very little
poi
then
ponticello
Bridge
Portamento
slide from one note to the next (lit: carrying), a direction to a voice, bowed instrument or trombone (but not to keyboard instruments since they always play in ‘steps’ of at least a semitone)
Precipitando, precipitato, precipitoso
Rushing, headlong
Repetizione, replica
Repetition
Rigoroso
Strict
Rinforzando, rinforzato, rinf., rfz, rf
Reinforcing
Saltando, saltato
springing, a lightly bouncing bow technique on string instruments
Secco
Crisp (lit: dry) suppress the sound as quickly as possible - do not allow it to continue to reverberate
Segue
Go straight on (lit. follow)
Sino, sin’
Until, up to
Sin’ al fine
Until the end
slargando, slentando
Getting slower
Slancio
Enthusiasm, impetus
Con slancio
With impetuosity
Smorzando, smorz.
Dying away in tone and speed
Soave
Gentle, smooth
Sonoramente, sonoro
Resonant, with rich tone
Sordino, sord
Mute
Con sordini
With mutes
Senza sordini
without mutes
Sospirando
Sighing
Sotto
Below, e.g. a direction for keyboard players to place one hand below the other
Spiccato
Detached (lit: ‘clearly articulated) a bouncing bow technique on string instruments
Spiritoso
Spirited
Staccato, stacc.
Detached, short
Staccatissimo
Very short
Strepitoso
Noisy, boisterous
Stretto
Quickening the speed (also means overlapping entries of a fugue subject)
Stringendo
Gradually getting faster
subito, sub.
Suddenly
Sul, sulla
On the (e.g. sul G: on the G string)
Sul ponticello
Near (lit: on) the bridge
Tacet (Latin)
Silent, a direction that a particular part has nothing to play in a section of music
Tasto
The fingerboard of a string instrument or the key of a keyboard
Sul tasto
On the fingerboard
Tasto solo (T.S)
A direction to a continuo player not to add anything above the given bass.
Teneramente
Tenderly
Tenerezza
Tenderness
Tosto
Swift, rapid (but often used in the same sense as troppo)
tre
Three
Tre corde
Three strings, a direction to pianists to release the left pedal
Tremolando, tremolo, trem.
Trembling, a direction for the rapid reiterations of a single note or alternations of different notes
Trionfale
Triumphant
Tristamente, triste
Sad
Tutti
All, everyone
Unisono, unis.
In unison, with everyone performing the same notes, a direction to cancel ‘divisi’
Vibrato
Vibrating
Vigoroso
Vigorous, strong
Volti subito, V.S.
Turn (the page) at once
Volante
Flying, fast
Glissando, gliss.
Slide (a rapid scale passage produced by e.g. drawing a thumb or finger-tip along the white keys of a piano, or by sweeping the fingers across the strings of a harp, or by sliding the finger along a string of string instrument)
