Music Terms Flashcards
Art Song
Song that is written to capture the essence of a scene, paint a picture by sound, and help the listener create a visual image
Mass
The liturgy of the Roman Catholic Eucharist. In a music, a mass is a choral setting of the Mass that contains five sections: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Angus Dei
Cantata
A composition in several movements for orchestra and chorus often with a scared text, and utilizing recitatives, arias, and choruses
Motet
A polyphonic composition for choir based on a sacred Latin text and typically sung without accompaniment
Opera
A theatrical presentation with drama set to music
Grand Opéra
Also called Opera Seria (serious opera) grand in scale and tragic in tone. Highly stylized treatment of heroic subjects such as gods and heroes
Opera Buffa
Comic opera that usually does not have a spoken dialogue and typically uses satire to treat a serious topic with humor
Oratorio
a semi-dramatic work, without acting, scenery or costumes, often on a religious theme, for orchestra, choir and soloists
Concert Overture
an independent composition for orchestra in one movement, typically in sonata form and from the Romantic Period
Concerto
An extended composition for orchestra and one or more soloists, typically in three movements, fast-slow-fast
Solo music
written for one musician, with or without accompaniment
Duet
Music written for two musicians, with or without accompaniment
Trio
Music written for three musicians, with or without accompaniment
Quartet
Music written for four musicians, with or without accompaniment
Quintet
Music written for five musicians, with or without accompaniment
Sextet
Music written for six musicians, with or without accompaniment
Septet
Music written for seven musicians, with or without accompaniment
Octet
Music written for eight musicians, with or without accompaniment
Ensemble
any arrangement of musicians usually more than four
Orchestra
A large instrumental ensemble divided into sections such as strings brass, and percussion. In theatre, the section of seats on the ground floor of the auditorium directly in front of the stage
Sonata
An instrumental piece, usually in three or four movements and usually for one or two players
Suite
An instrumental composition, typically in two parts arising from the Baroque period and comprising a set of dance-inspired movements written in the same key but differing in tempo meter, and character
Symphony
An extended musical composition for orchestra usually consisting of three or four movements
Fugue
A polyphonic composition in which a theme or themes are stated successively in all voices.
Theme
the dominant idea of a work of art, music, film, dance, and literature. In music, a principal melodic phrase in a composition.
Sound
Vibrations that travel through the atmosphere and cause the eardrum to vibrate
Pitch
The highness or lowness of the sound. Short wavelengths create a higher pitch; whereas, long wavelengths create lower ones
Dynamics
The loudness of the sound. Pianissimo very soft: Piano-Soft Mezzo piano moderately soft Mezzo forte moderately loud: Forte loud; Fortissimo Very loud!
Tone color
The timbre of a voice or instrument
Timbre
The quality of a tone that distinguishes it from other tones of the same pitch
Duration
How many beats the pitch or note is being held
Beat
equal parts into which the measure is divided
Measure
On written music, a measure is the distance between two bar lines
Bar line
On written music, a vertical line that lies perpendicular to the staff or grand staff
Staff
five horizontal, parallel lines
Grand staff
two sets of five horizontal, parallel lines, connect by a Grand Bar Line, with the upper staff usually being treble clef and the bottom staff being bass clef
Meter
The regular succession of rhythmical impulses or beats
Rhythm
The relationship, either of time or space, between recurring elements of a composition. The regular or ordered repetition of dominant and subordinate elements or units with a design or composition
Tempo
The slowness or fastness of the rhythm
Melody
the succession of recognizable tones that create a whole
Harmony
The arrangement and progression of chords.
Texture
The melodic and harmonic characteristics of a composition
Theory
The scientific study of music, including aspects of physics of sound, chord progressions, and note development
Form and Analysis
The study of the overall development of a piece of music identilying which phrases repeat, and which phrases are new and all combinations within the piece of music
Baroque
A diverse artistic style taking place from the late 16th Century to the early 18th century marked typically by complexity, elaborate form, and appeal to the emotions.
Classical
Adhering to traditional standards. In music, classical refers to a style of the 18th century that adhered to classical standards but had no known classical antecedents
Romantic
A philosophy as well as a style in all the arts and literature, dating to the late 18th through 19th centuries. Sought to reflect great diversity
Contemporary
Music that reflects the style of the day
March
Music that has a definite 2-beat feel and was first written for military purpose
Reggae
A Caribbean Island feel that reflects the laid-back lifestyle those residents. Bobby Farin
Rock
Elvis Presley, King of Rock and Roll a strong, heavy drum beat that establishes the rhythmic feel with heavy guitar and piano providing the melody and harmony
Rhythm and Blues
written to fully express the restrained emotions of the slaves and former slaves developing in the Mississippi Delta.
Rap
A highly vocalized, automatonic, rhythmic beat that expresses the artist’s emotions usually of hatred and violence
Gospel
A sacred style of music that developed by African-Americans and was a spin-off of Rhythm and Blue.
Musical
Similar to an Opera but includes folk-music or music specifically written to carry the story
Prima Donna
The primary female singer in an opera or musical
Ballet
A “classical” or formal tradition resting heavily on a set of prescribed movements, actions, and positions.
Prima Ballerina
The primary female dancer in a ballet
Modern Dance
A form of concert dance relying on emotional use of the body, as opposed to formalized or conventional movement s as ballet, and stressing human emotion and the human condition
Ritual dance
A group of dances that perform some religious, moral, or ethical purpose in a society.
Folk dance
A body or group of dances performed to traditional music that is stylistically identifiable with a specific culture, for which it serves as a necessary or informative part.
Jazz dance
a form arising partly from African dance customs, and with a strong improvisational nature, that developed into American social and entertainment dances
Ballroom dance
A series of dance that have a prescribed style and set of steps that must be followed closely to express the customs of a particular country Many ballroom dances have derived from a Latin American country.
Line
when dancers stand in a straight line and perform high kicks and alternate moves to follow a domino pattern
Form
When a series of motions are repeated to reiterate or capture a particular expression or mood
Repetition
Reiteration of elements in a work so as to create a sense of unity
Mime
In theatre a type of Greek and roman farce; or a performance using only body movements and gestures, without the use bof words. In dance or theatre, actions that imitate human or animal movements
Pantomime
In dance, it is the transmission of emotions and meaning through gesture
Mise-en-scene
The complete visual environment of production, including scenery, lightning, properties, costumes, and physical structure of the theatre
Sign language
Using the hands and body to communicate, express, and translate thoughts emotions
Reaction
How the audience responds to what they have heard and/or seen
