Born: March 31, 1732, Rohrau, AustriaDied: May 31, 1809, Vienna (age 77)
glossary
adagio [It]—slow tempo, often implying a lyrical, poignant character
allegro [I]—fast, lively tempo. From the Italian word for cheerful or gay.
andante [I]—moderately slow tempo (e.g. walking). Faster than adagio but slower than allegretto
chamber music, Kammermusik [G], musique de chambre [F], musica da camera [I], musica cameralis [L]—"Classical Music" for a small ensemble, generally 8 or fewer players with a canonical emphasis on 3-6 players. explore
con [I,S]—with
minuet, menuet [F], Menuett [G], menuetto [I], minuetto [I]—A graceful, courtly French dance of the Baroque and Classical period with a triple meter and a moderate tempo.It was introduced at the court of Louis XIV. In classical forms such as the symphony or chamber music, the minuet evolved into the more vigorous scherzo.
partita [I], parthia, partie—originally, an instrumental piece as well as, more specifically, a variation. Eventually, a synonym for suite.
Polonaise [F], Polonese [I], Polacca [I], Polaca, alla polacca, Polones—a dance of Polish origin in a moderate triple meter (3/4) typically with a characteristic rhythm (subdivisions of the beat with a flourish in the 2nd half of the 1st beat) and an energetic momentum.
rondo—sectional movement form featuring a recurring refrain between contrasting episodes in a variety of plans, a typical one being ABACABA (A is the refrain; B and C are episodes). Often used for finales.
sextet, sextour [F], sestetto [I]—six. Ensemble (or work) for six players.
spirito, con spirito, spiritoso, spirituoso—Spirited, lively
suite—a set of instrumental pieces (movements) played together to create a larger whole. Suites tend towards collections of dances, frequently in the same key, preceded by a prelude, introduction or overture.