Born: August 25, 1918, Lawrence, MADied: October 14, 1990, New York, NY (age 72)
glossary
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
finale [I], final [F]—The final movement, sometimes explicitly titled thus
movement, mouvement [F], movimento [I], Satz [G]—A generally self-contained, complete section or piece of music forming part of a large whole, typically separated from the other movements by silence and a break.
opus [L], opera[pl], Op., Opp, WoO, Op. posth—work, as in a work of art. For unique identification, publishers/composers often assign an "opus number", abbreviated as "Op." (e.g. Op. 1). A range of works by opus number, uses the plural "opp." (e.g. "Opp. 1-3"). A single opus number may refer to a collection of works (e.g. a set of quartets) giving rise to designations like "Op. 1, No. 4". For misc. works without opus numbers, "WoO" is often used (e.g."Without Opus"). Posthumously assigned numbers may use "Op. posth". Opus numbers may not precisely reflect chronology (publication vs. composition), can be erroneous, sparse or duplicative. Thus, the works of some historically important composers may use separate catalog numbers (e.g. Bach, Haydn, Schubert). See wiki
prelude, prélude, präludium [G], präludien [G, pl], praeludium, preludio—a movement preceding another almost by way of introduction: to let listeners and players acclimate, often to prepare for greater demands ahead
quartet, quatuor [F], quartett [G], quartetto [I], cuarteto [S]—ensemble or work for four players the most important examples being the string quartet and the piano quartet
quasi—almost, almost like, as if
recitative [I], recitativo, récitative [F], récitatif, récit, rezitativ [G]—vocal style that imitates speech: reciting (speaking) rather than singing; a passage for solo instrument
religioso [I]—Religiously
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.
tempo, tempi [pl]—speed or pace at which music progresses. Traditional classic music typically uses standard Italian words to designate the tempo, e.g. Allegro or adagio. Metronome markings provide precise numerical speeds. Tempo selection during performance is a complex artistic choice informed by composer's markings, performance tradition, technical limitations and interpretation.
waltz, valse, walzer, alla valse—a popular dance introduced in Vienna in the 1780s usually in 3/4 time. wiki