Music Notation and Terminology Part 19

_Binary form_--a form in two parts.

_Binary measure_--a measure having two beats.

_Bis_--twice. Used to indicate a repet.i.tion. (Rare.)

_Brace_--the sign used to join several staffs, showing that all tones represented on these staffs are to be performed together. The term is often used also in referring to the music written on staffs so joined; as--"Begin with the upper _brace_."

_Broken chord_--a chord whose tones are not all sounded simultaneously, as _e.g._, in an accompaniment group.

_Broken octave_--an octave whose tones are sounded one at a time instead of simultaneously.

_Cacophony_--harsh, discordant, unpleasant, especially _incorrect_ combinations of tones. The opposite of _euphony_.

_Cadenza_--A brilliant pa.s.sage, usually in an instrumental composition, introduced just before the close of a movement. The _cadenza_ was formerly improvised by the performer, (thus giving an opportunity of displaying his technical skill), but since Beethoven, composers have usually written their own _cadenzas_.

_Cantabile_--in a singing style.

_Cantando_--same as _cantabile_.

_Canto_--the highest voice part; _i.e._, the soprano part.

Note the derivation of _canto_, _cantabile_, etc., from the Latin word _cantus_, meaning a _song_.

_Carol_--a hymn of joyful praise, usually sung in connection with Easter or Christmas festivities. The word _carol_ meant originally _a dance_, hence the _happy_ character of songs of this type.

_Catch_--a round set to humorous words.

_Chromatic_ (noun)--a term somewhat loosely applied to any tone not belonging to the key as indicated by the signature. Many teachers are replacing the word _chromatic_ in this sense with the term _intermediate tone_, this term being applicable whether the foreign tone is actually used for ornamental purposes as a _chromatic_, or to effect a modulation. Thus _e.g._, "F[sharp] is the _intermediate tone_ between F and G in the key of C."

_Clavichord_--an instrument with keys, resembling the square piano in appearance. The tone was produced by forcing wedge-shaped pieces of metal against the strings, thus setting them in vibration. The _clavichord_ was one of the immediate predecessors of the piano, much of the music written by Bach being composed for it, although this music is now played on the modern piano.

_Colla voce_--with the voice: _i.e._, play the accompaniment according to the soloist's performance rather than strictly according to the rhythm indicated in the score.

_Colla parte_--same as _colla voce_.

_Coloratura_--florid pa.s.sages in singing. Also applied to the style of singing employed in rendering such pa.s.sages. (See p. 76, Sec. 171.)

_Consonance_--A combination of tones agreeable to the ear and requiring no resolution to other tone-combinations in order to give the effect of finality. The major triad C--E--G is an example of a consonant chord.

_Contralto_--same as _alto_.

_Con variazioni_--with variations.

_Direct_--a sign ([direct symbol]) placed at the end of the last staff on a page, to indicate what the first note on the next page is going to be. This sign is now practically obsolete.

_Dirge_--a funeral chant. The dirge is named from the first word of a chant used in the "office for the dead," which begins--_Dirige Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam_ (Direct, O Lord, My G.o.d, my way in Thy sight).

_Discord_--an ugly, unharmonious combination of tones.

_Dissonance_--a harmonic combination of tones giving rise to the feeling of incompleteness or unrest, and therefore requiring resolution to some other combination which has an agreeable or final feeling. (cf.

consonance.) The diminished triad C--E[flat]--G[flat] is an example of a dissonant chord.

_Divisi_--divided. An indication showing that the first violins, or the sopranos, or any other body of performers ordinarily sounding in unison are now to divide into two or more parts.

_Duet_--a composition for two performers. (From the It. word _due_--two.)

_ecole_--a school or style of composition or performance.

_Etude_--a study. Also an instrumental composition in the style of a study, but intended for artistic performance.

_Euphony_--agreeable tone combinations; the opposite of cacophony. (From the Greek word meaning _well-sounding_.)

_Facile_--easy.

_Fanfare_--a trumpet call.

_Fantasia_--An instrumental composition not based on any regular form.

_Fiasco_--a complete failure or breakdown.

This use of the word _fiasco_ (which means in Italian a flask, or bottle) is said to have reference to the bursting of a bottle, the complete ruin of the bottle being compared with the complete failure of a performance.

_Gamut_--all the tones of a scale.

_Glissando_--playing a scale on the keyboard by drawing the finger along over the keys, thus depressing them in very rapid succession. The word is derived from the French word _glisser_--to glide.

_Harpsichord_--one of the immediate predecessors of the piano.

_Humoresque_--a capricious, fantastic composition. (Cf. _fantasia_.)

_Idyl_--a short, romantic piece of music in simple and unaffected style.

_In alt_--pitches in the first octave above the treble staff. Thus _e.g._, "C in alt" is the C represented by the second added line above the treble staff.

_In altissimo_--pitches in the octave above the _alt_ octave.

_Instrumentation_--see _orchestration_.

_Interlude_--a short movement between two larger movements.

_Loco_--place; _i.e._, play as written. (See p. 15, Sec. 46.)

_Lunga trillo_--a long trill.

CHAPTER XX