Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Adagio (it.) - Slowly. Also as a name for a piece written in that tempo. [back]
Alegria (it.) - Joyful flamenco dance from the province of cadiz. [back]
Allemande (it.) - German dance in 3/4 time, 16th/17th, rather slow. Like a landler. Often
the first dance in the classic suite. [back]
Andantino (it.) - A little faster than andante. (Originally it meant just the opposite, slower
than andante, but is no more interpreted like that.) [back]
Animato (it.) - Animated, with spirit, lively. (Originally it meant just the opposite, slower
than andante, but is no more interpreted like that.) [back]
Aria (it.) - A melodic composition like an air, a song or a tune. Originally for a single
voice with or without accompaniment. Often also an instrumental piece with a singable
melody. [back]
Arpeggio (it.) - In the Style of a harp. The notes of a chord are struck consecutively one
after the other. [back]
Barcarolle (fr.)/ Barcarola (it.) - Song in the style of the Venetian gondoliers. [back]
Bolero - Spanish dance in 3/4 time, 19th century. Also known as Cachuca. [back]
Bourree (fr.) - old french dance, quick, in double time, often part of suites of pieces
[back]
Caprice (fr.) Capriccio (it.) Capricioso (it.) - a humorous fanciful composition with a
somewhat irregular form. [back]
Cavatina - A melody of a simple form. A song without a second part or a "Da Capo" a
humorous fanciful composition with a somewhat irregular form. [back]
Choro - A typical Brasilian music genre deriving from a mix of different european styles
like polka, Scottish, tango and havanaise. Melodies emphasizing 16th notes. Choro
means "crying". [back]
Courante (fr.) Corrente (it.) - From "running". Old french dance in AB-form and 3/2 time.
The second dance in the classic suite. a humorous fanciful composition with a somewhat
irregular form. [back]
Cueca - Chilian dance written in 6/8 time with the accompaniment in 3/4 time. [back]
Da Capo (it.) - The sign at the end of a piece saying to begin over from from the
beginning. Abreviation: D.C. [back]
Da Capo Al Fine (it.) - The sign at the end of a piece saying to begin over from from the
beginning up to where it says "Fine". [back]
Divertimento (it.) - (1) A light composition, (1) A suite for instrument [back]
Entree (fr.) - an introduction, a march-like piece played during the entrance of a dancing
group, or played before a ballet. Usually in 4/4 time. [back]
Etude (fr.) / Study - a usualy short composition meant to excercice some special
difficulty or technique. [back]
Fandango (span.) - lively spanish dance in tripple time, beginning slow and getting
faster. [back]
Fine (it.) - The End. This is where to end a piece after a repeat or partial repeat. [back]
Fugue - A polyphonic composition with one or more short themes introduced first by a
one voice and repeated by other voices in turn. All this happening with hamonization
Gavotte (fr.) - Frenche Dance in 4/4, 17th/18th century, still alive in the Bretagne, rather
quick [back]
Gigue (fr.) - (Jig) lively Scotisch or Irish dance in 6/8, 17th/18th century, often the last
part in a suite (from english jig, Giga, Geige) [back]
Grave (fr.) - Slow (the slowest tempo in music) or deep in pitch [back]
Hornpipe - An old english dance in a lively tempo written in triple and later also in
quadruple time. [back]
Landler (ger.) - A dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time and lively and graceful character. Popular
among Styrian peasants. [back]
Larghetto (it.) - Rather slow, but not as slow als largo [back]
Maxixe - A Brazilian dance first introduced in Paris in 1912. It is in 2/4 time of rapid
tempo with a slight syncopation. [back]
Menuet / Minuet (fr.) - Old french dance, in triple time, 17th/18th century, (from menu
pas - small step) [back]
Milonga (it.) - 1.the peppy, cheerful dance milonga as part of the tango; 2.the 'milonga
campera' or 'milonga surena', an Argentinian folk music form, often performed just by a
singer with a guitar, and of very clear hispanic influence. The Milonga rhythm is
characterized through the devision of the 4/4 time in 3+3+2. [back]
Musette(fr.) - (1) A small bagpipe or (2) a melody or dance written over a ground note to
imitate a the sound of a bagpipe [back]
Passepied (fr.) - French dance in 3/8 or 6/8 time, sometimes in the German Suites.
N
[back]
Pavane - Slow solemn dance in duple (or sometimes triple) time, of Spanish origin;
generally in three sections, each one repeated. [back]
Polacca / Polonaise (fr.) - A Polish dance in moderate 3/4 time reapearting different
short motives. [back]
Prelude (it) - A piece to be played as an introduction or opening piece but often also a
single romantic piece, following no sepcific form. [back]
Romance (fr.)/ Romanza (it.) / Romanze (ger.)- Romantic, sentimental melody. [back]
Rondo - from the french "rondeau". A piece where a main theme reappears in alteration
with contrasting other themes. Most often in the form of ABABA or more modern
ABACAB and coda. [back]
Sarabande (it.) - A dance of spanish origin in 3/4 or 3/2 time. Often part of old suites. It
has a stady pace and mostly two parts. [back]
Serenade (fr.) - An evening music. A compostion for use in the open air at night. [back]
Siciliano (it.) Sicilienne (fr.) - - a soft, slow peasant dance in 6/8 or 12/8 time, often in a
minor key. Rather similar to a Pastorale, usually in ABA form. It usually has a melody in
dotted rhythms, with a broken chord accompaniment. [back]
Sonata (it.) - A composition for one or two instruments with several movements, each
following specific forms and charachteristics. [back]
Sonatina (it.) / Sonatine (fr.)- A short sonata, smaller, with less and shorter movements
and the subjects not develloped at lenght. [back]
Study / Etude - a usualy short composition meant to excercice some special difficulty or
technique. [back]
Suite (fr.) - A set or series of movements, each consisting of a dance form ( Allemande,
Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Gavotte, Menuet, Bourree, Passepied, etc.) and all in the
same key. Often preceded by a Prelude. [back]
Tango - A dance originated in the streets and salons of Buenos Aires, Argentine. Its is
characterised as very aspassionate. [back]
Tarantella - A rapid italian dance (supposed to cure the bite of a tarantula). [back]
Variations - A theme repeated several times, each time with modifications in time,
melody or harmony, but still staying recognisable as the original theme. [back]
Waltz / Valse (fr.) / Valce (it.) / Walzer (ger.)- A dance form said to originate in Bohemia
or the German landler. Its in 3/4 time. "Classical" waltzes are compositions in waltzform but not for dancing. [back]