SEASON 28 July 1–August 6, 2015

MUSIC

GUIDETO THE

Dear Friends of Bravo! Vail,

W elcome to Bravo! Vail’s 28th Season! It’s hard to imagine this is already my fifth season as Artistic Director and what a great privilege it is. Each

orchestra’s Music Director has a distinct point of view and passion for their ensemble, which results in an incredible variety of orchestral music and many Vail premieres.

This season I am especially proud that many of our soloists will be making their Bravo! Vail

debuts, and a large number of orchestra musicians will also be playing chamber music. Keeping the music fresh and vital is of paramount importance and a joy to plan.

Bravo! Vail is ideally suited to bring audiences the widest possible range of extraordinary

music. This summer you’ll hear music from the golden era of Broadway, beloved 19th and 20th century symphonic masterpieces, as well as contemporary music of some of America’s most brilliant composers.

This Guide to Music is like a mini music history lesson—with recordings from each stylistic period, many of which will be performed this summer. We hope you enjoy it.

Most importantly, we hope that the 2015 season will bring you, your family, and friends great joy, magic, and enrichment.

Sincerely,

Anne-Marie McDermottARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ARTISTIC DIRECTORFROM THE

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CONTENTSW E L C O M E

How to Enjoy the Concert Experience ...............................................................................4 What is Symphonic Music? .......................................................................................................................... 6What is Chamber Music? ...................................................................................................................................7The Roots of Classical Music.....................................................................................................................7

T H E H I S T O R Y

Antiquity ...........................................................................................................................................................................................10Medieval Music ..................................................................................................................................................................10 Renaissance ...............................................................................................................................................................................11Baroque ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12Classical..............................................................................................................................................................................................13Romantic ..........................................................................................................................................................................................1420th Century / Modern .................................................................................................................................... 15Modern Orchestra Set-up ...........................................................................................................................16Composer Quotes ........................................................................................................................................................17

T H E L A N G U A G E

Glossary of Musical Terms ........................................................................................................................2020 Suggested Classical Music Books ..................................................................................30

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B ravo! Vail is an extremely communal experience. In fact, people often say that

the social component is what sets Bravo! Vail apart from other classical music organizations. People coming together to enjoy great music in a casual atmosphere in one of the most beautiful settings in the world – that’s what makes Bravo! Vail so special.

RELAX After all, this is Colorado, where we like things to stay laid back; while we want everyone to be sensitive to other concertgoers’ musical experience, we’re a little more lax on standard concert hall etiquette. Be comfortable, be courteous, and enjoy your evening.

DRESS CODE Those who don’t often go to classical music concerts might stress out about what to wear. But don’t worry, because we here at Bravo! Vail adhere to the “Colorado Casual: Anything Goes” dress code mentality. There is no set dress for concerts— wear what makes you most comfortable! You can dress formally, or opt for jeans and t-shirts, or anything in between. The only word of advice we have is: while the summers in Colorado are perfect, the evenings often bring rain showers and cooler temps. We recommend being prepared for both.

APPLAUSE The “rules” about applause during a classical concert have shifted a lot over the last 200 years: in the 19th century, it was completely common for audiences to spontaneously erupt in applause at a great rendition of an operatic aria; today, we often take a more strict approach to applause. Ultimately, however, we encourage you to applaud whenever you are particularly moved by a piece or a performance. If you’d like to get some cues on when applause is more “standard,” you can just watch for when the conductor drops his or her arms and turns around, or watch those around you.

EXPERIENCE

HOW TO ENJOYTHE CONCERT

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VIEW PARKING PAGE VIEW FAQ’s PAGE

CONCERT START TIME Our concerts start promptly at the published start time, and latecomers will often have to wait until the end of the first movement or the end of the entire first work to be seated, so we recommend planning on arriving early. Many of our concerts take place in venues where parking can be a little tricky, so try to give yourself extra time for parking. If you’re so inclined, you might also take time to visit the concessions and read about the concert in the program book. We hate to see people having to rush to find their seat— we want everyone’s concert experience to be a relaxing and enjoyable one.

CONCERT ETIQUETTE Above all, we want everyone to have a beautiful, musically rich concert experience. We ask that all concertgoers help to ensure a mutually enjoyable evening by silencing all noisemakers (other than the ones on stage, of course!) such as cell phones, watch alarms, and pagers. Please take time to turn off devices prior to performances, as they’ll disrupt the concentration of musicians and other patrons. Likewise, talking during a performance might detract from the overall experience of those around you, so please keep unnecessary conversation to a minimum.

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T oday the word “symphonic” refers to a musical composition scored for a

symphony orchestra. But, symphonic music doesn’t necessarily refer just to symphonies; it includes works of all lengths and styles that require larger orchestral forces. The modern symphonic form was devised by the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn in the 18th century, and continues to be developed by present-day composers.

It would be misleading, however, to say that the word “symphonic” dictates a specific musical form. The word’s root derives from the Greek word συμφωνία, meaning “agreement or concord of sound.” Over the centuries the word evolved widely and with differing meanings. In Germany, Symphonie was a generic

term for spinets and virginals (early keyboards) from the late 16th to the 18th centuries. In the sense of “sounding together” the word begins to appear in the titles of some works by 16th and 17th century composers including Giovanni Gabrieli and Heinrich Schütz. In the 17th century and for most of the Baroque period, the terms “symphony” and “sinfonia” were used for a range of different compositions, including instrumental pieces used in operas, sonatas, and concertos—usually part of a larger work. The opera sinfonia (or Italian overture) had, by the 18th century, a standard structure of three contrasting movements: fast — slow — fast and dance-like. It is this form that is often considered to be the direct forerunner of the orchestral symphony.

WHAT IS SYMPHONIC MUSIC?

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C alled “the music of friends,” this form of music

began to flourish at a time when economic prosperity allowed amateur musicians with ample free time to gather with friends in their homes to entertain one another. This is music written to be performed in “chambers,” or rooms in palaces or stately homes. Chamber music is composed for smaller groups of instruments and performers, usually with one performer to a part. The real excitement of chamber music comes from being in close proximity to the music and the musicians, and the incredibly intimate, direct, and personal nature of the music making.

Playing chamber music requires special skills, both musical and social, that differ from those required for playing solo or symphonic works. A sense of teamwork, compromise, and respect for everyone’s input is required to be a successful chamber musician.

C lassical music is rooted in Western European liturgical and secular music, beginning

in the 11th century and continuing today. The music gradually became codified between 1550 and 1900, when much of the repertoire we perform today was written. During this time the staff notation system was created to prescribe the pitch, speed, meter, individual rhythms, and exact execution of a piece of music.

The term “classical music,” however, didn’t appear until the early 19th century, when music enthusiasts attempted to describe

the period from J.S. Bach to Beethoven as music’s Golden Age. The Oxford English Dictionary records 1836 as the earliest reference to “classical music.”

In order to understand the timeline for Western classical music, one must accept the fact that, first and foremost, musical periods were not “cut and dry,” nor were they necessarily linear. Styles and periods have always overlapped, but musical innovations in every era have led to exciting and influential new soundscapes that have come to define each period.

WHAT IS CHAMBER MUSIC?

THE ROOTS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

THE

HISTORYBRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC PERIODS

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ANTIQUITY We really have no idea what this music actually sounded like, but scholars have tried to recreate this music based on the knowledge that the Greeks in particular used three primary instruments: the lyre (harp), kithara (primitive guitar), and the aulos (reed instrument). Instruments were used to accompany stories, dancing, and poems that were tied to Greek dramas. Music

would accompany speech and dialogue on stage; later, competitions were held as instrumental music grew popular and more complex.

MEDIEVAL MUSIC written during the Middle Ages traces its beginnings to the fall of the Roman Empire. This era concludes sometime in the early 15th century. Beginning in the 12th century, Europe had begun to recover economically and stabilize after the fall of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages that followed. We see the rise of Gregorian chant and stringed instruments like

the lute and dulcimer, as well as instruments from places like Byzantium.

Take a listen to one of the first true geniuses of Western music, 14th century composer Guillaume de Machaut.

The Agnus Dei from his La Messe de Nostre Dame is an example of the Ars nova (“New Art”), when composers created music of increased rhythmic complexity.

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THE HISTORY

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RENAISSANCE Starting around 1400 and ending with the beginning of the Baroque era around 1600, the music of this period was significantly influenced by the rise of humanistic thought and the rediscovery of the literary and artistic heritage of ancient Greece and Rome. The period is characterized by increased innovation and discovery, the growth of commercial

enterprise, the rise of the middle class, and the Protestant Reformation. From this changing society emerged a common, unifying musical language. The development of printing made distribution of music possible on a wide scale. Demand for music as entertainment and as an activity for educated amateurs increased with the emergence of the middle class. The flourishing system of music education in the many churches and cathedrals allowed the training of hundreds of singers and composers, who were then hired as composers and teachers by churches and aristocratic courts.

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, one of the Renaissance period’s most influential composers, is known for

his works that are the culmination of Renaissance polyphony. He had a lasting influence on the development of church music. This is his “Sicut Cervus,” a four-voice setting of Psalm 42, where each voice part is derived from imitative motives.

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BAROQUE Describing music that flourished from approximately 1600 to 1750, the word “baroque” comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning “misshapen pearl.” This connotation refers to the highly florid and heavily ornamented music of this period that, combined with the art of improvisation, became the hallmark of the era. Baroque music’s most famous composers include

Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Domenico Scarlatti, and Antonio Vivaldi. During the Baroque period, composers and performers made changes in musical notation and developed new instrumental playing techniques. Baroque music expanded the size, range, and complexity of instrumental performance. Opera as a musical genre, as well as many musical terms and concepts still used today, were established during the Baroque era.

Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos are a great example of the increased complexity and artistic flourishes

that came to be synonymous with the Baroque era. This group of compositions is one of the most iconic in music history. This is the fifth of that group, and showcases the collaborative give-and-take in traditional chamber music.

LOOK FOR THESE BAROQUE-

INSPIRED CONCERTS THIS

SUMMER:

JULY 14: Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik featuring Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor

AUGUST 4: Baroque Dances Through Time is a concert that invites audiences to hear two Bach works in addition to a 21st century take on a Baroque dance suite

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CLASSICAL This term refers to music written after the death of J.S. Bach in 1750 until about 1820. A reaction to the “excesses” of Baroque music, music of this period mirrors the move toward a new style in architecture, literature, and the arts, generally known as Classicism, which sought to emulate the ideals of Classical antiquity, especially those of Classical

Greece. While still tightly linked to the royal court culture with its formality and emphasis on order and hierarchy, the new aesthetic emphasized a cleaner style—one that favored clearer divisions between parts, brighter contrasts and colors, and simplicity rather than complexity. The typical orchestra size increased with the legendary composers of this era: Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Listen to Haydn’s “Surprise Symphony,” Symphony No. 94 in G Major, and you’ll hear the stately

elegance that music of the classical period embodies. Even the more rigorous sections maintain a sense of structure and balance. Arguably his most famous symphony, it is commonly called the “Surprise Symphony” due to the sudden dynamic shifts that occur in the opening section.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

MUSIC FROM THE CLASSICAL

ERA THIS SUMMER, CHECK

OUT THESE CONCERTS:

JULY 3: Mozart’s Requiem is an evening that’s perfect for the orchestral enthusiast and choral music lover alike

JULY 10: Ohlsson Plays Rachmaninoff in which The Philadelphia Orchestra will also play Beethoven’s idyllic sounding Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No. 6)

JULY 28: Chamber with the New York Philharmonic featuring the virtuosic Beethoven horn sonata

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ROMANTIC MUSIC that is the heart and soul of the modern symphony orchestra was written roughly between the 1820s and 1910. Influenced by Beethoven, composers of this era exploited the full spectrum of emotional expression in their music. This unleashing of emotion was the focus of all the arts of the self-described Romantic movement. The nineteenth century saw the creation and

evolution of new genres such as symphonies that followed explicit story lines, the symphonic poem, the concert overture, and short, expressive piano pieces written for the salons of Europe by Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin. The Italian bel canto (beautiful singing) tradition of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini led directly to the later operatic masterworks of Giuseppe Verdi. North of Italy, music developed along a different path, with the new idea of the German music drama as established by Richard Wagner. His operas were organized around the leitmotif, or a short, recurring phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea. Romantic composers turned to the visual arts, poetry, drama, literature, and nature while further developing the older musical forms and making them serve their heightened emotional artistic ideals.

OTHER CONCERTS FEATURING MUSIC FROM THE ROMANTIC PERIOD INCLUDE:

Hector Berlioz’s programmatic (a term referring to a work that tries to musically narrate an extra-

musical story) Symphonie fantastique is one of the most iconic examples of Romantic emotional expression. The work is the composer’s musical rendering of a life of a Romantic artist, and the fourth movement is the most recognizable with its syncopated rhythms, haunting opening, and triumphant march-like melody. Want to see and hear Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique live this summer? The Dallas Symphony Orchestra performs it on July 6.

JULY 14: Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik features Edvard Grieg’s From Holberg’s Time, Suite in the Olden Style

JULY 16: Puccini & Mozart Soirée including both Giacomo Puccini’s I Crisantemi and Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade JULY 26: Tovey & McDermott is an evening of lush, Romantic music

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THE HISTORY

Because music of the 20th century and beyond is so diverse, it is difficult to choose only one piece

that embodies the sensibilities and aesthetics of the era. The links above will help illustrate some of the varied compositional techniques. Still, one of the most innovative composers of the 20th Century was John Cage. His piece Second Construction for percussion and “prepared” piano instructed the pianist to insert screws and pieces of cardboard into the strings of the piano, thereby significantly altering the sound of the instrument. This technique was later adopted and altered by other composers throughout the century.

MANY CONCERTS

IN THE 2015 BRAVO! VAIL

SEASON SHOWCASE

MUSIC FROM THE 20TH AND

21ST CENTURIES, INCLUDING:

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20TH CENTURY / MODERN Arising out of the social advances of the 19th century and associated political tumult, music of this era is diverse, disparate, and developed in many different directions at the same time. Composers such as Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Jean Sibelius were pushing the boundaries of Post-Romantic symphonic writing at the same time that the Impressionist

movement took hold in France, spearheaded by Claude Debussy. Reactions to Post-Romantic and Impressionist styles in turn were widespread: Arnold Schoenberg developed atonality out of the expressionism that arose in the early part of the 20th century, Stravinsky explored Neoclassicism, and Italian composers dabbled with the “Futurist” context. Concert music moved into the university setting after World War II, and audiences sometimes challenged these modern works as more highly experimental styles became the norm. Some composers in the United States responded by creating an American vernacular style of music, evidenced by the works of Aaron Copland and George Gershwin. In the latter part of the 20th century, minimalism ascended through the works of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and John Adams, as did other significant movements. The term “postmodern music” is often applied to music that “reacts” to Modernism. Experimentation and open mindedness are the hallmarks of the music with which we currently live.

JULY 7: Music for Two Pianos features a wide array of pieces, including a work by contemporary American composer Philip Glass

JULY 12: Dvořák, From the New World pairs a sweeping 20th century symphonic work with a 21st century virtuosic violin concerto by Jennifer Higdon

AUGUST 4, 5 & 6: The Classically Uncorked Series invites audiences to hear newly composed works alongside fresh interpretations of beloved classics in an exciting and intimate setting.

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Please note this is the standard orchestra set-up. Individual orchestra setups may vary.

ORCHESTRA SET-UPMODERN

THE HISTORY

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TRUE MUSIC MUST REPEAT THE THOUGHT AND

INSPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE TIME. MY

PEOPLE ARE AMERICANS AND MY TIME IS TODAY.”

GERSHWIN

W e usually think of great composers through their sounds, not their

words. Yet many of the masters of modern music had memorable (and at times, self-aggrandizing) things to say about their artform.

WHAT YOU ARE, YOU ARE BY ACCIDENT OF BIRTH; WHAT I AM, I AM BY MYSELF. THERE ARE AND WILL BE A THOUSAND PRINCES;

THERE IS ONLY ONE BEETHOVEN.”

BEETHOVEN

DON’T BOTHER LOOKING AT THE VIEW

— I HAVE ALREADY COMPOSED IT.”

MAHLER

I SIT DOWN TO THE PIANO REGULARLY AT NINE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND MESDAMES LES MUSES HAVE LEARNED TO

BE ON TIME FOR THAT RENDEZVOUS.”

TCHAIKOVSKY

MUSIC IS ENOUGH FOR A LIFETIME, BUT A LIFETIME IS NOT ENOUGH FOR MUSIC.”

RACHMANINOFF

IN ART THERE ARE ONLY FAST OR SLOW DEVELOPMENTS.

ESSENTIALLY IT IS A MATTER OF EVOLUTION,

NOT REVOLUTION.”

BARTÓK

BELIEVE ME, WERE I EVER TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING, IT WOULD BE IN MUSIC,

WHICH HAS ALWAYS ATTRACTED ME; AND, WITHOUT OVERESTIMATING MYSELF,

I AM CONSCIOUS OF POSSESSING A CERTAIN CREATIVE FACULTY.”

SCHUMANN

THIS WILL BE OUR REPLY TO VIOLENCE: TO MAKE MUSIC MORE INTENSELY, MORE BEAUTIFULLY,

MORE DEVOTEDLY THAN EVER BEFORE.”

BERNSTEIN

COMPOSER QUOTES

THE

A SHORT GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS

LANGUAGE

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a cappella (“in the church manner”) choral music without instrumental accompaniment.

accelerando gradually speeding up.

adagioslow tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

allegro (“happy”) fast tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

andante (“walking”) moderate tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

aria a composition for solo voice and instrumental accompaniment, usually from an opera, oratorio or cantata.

arpeggio(“in the manner of a harp”) the notes of a chord played in quick succession rather than simultaneously.

atonal/atonality without tonality, i.e., the absence in a composition or passage of a harmonic tonal center

avant garde: [Fr.](“ahead of the guard”), the most progressive style of its time.

bara measure.

baritonemiddle-range male voice, between tenor and bass; an instrument or melody in this range.

Baroque the historical era extending from about 1600 (the invention of opera) to 1750 (the death of J.S. Bach), characterized by motoric rhythm, florid counterpoint, elaborate spun-out melody, continuously unfolding form, rich harmony, use of basso continuo and small orchestral ensembles, and strong emotional expression.

bass lowest male voice; an instrument or melody in this range; the clef used for instruments in the low range.

basso continuothe ubiquitous accompanimental instruments in Baroque music — an obligatory chordal instrument (harpsichord, organ, lute), usually doubled by a bass melody instrument (cello, double bass, bassoon) — which “realize” or fill out the continuous stream of harmonies from the composition’s single notated bass line.

bravuraa virtuoso work, passage or performance.

brio briskly, with vigor.

cadenzaan unaccompanied passage for solo instrument.

capriccio (“whim, caprice”) a musical work

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in free form, usually comprising several continuous sections.

chromaticpitch alterations of diatonic scales and chords through the use of sharps, flats and/or naturals, usually to heighten the music’s expressive intensity.

clef a notational sign indicating the pitch values of the lines and spaces of a staff.

coda the concluding section of a movement or work.

concertmasterthe orchestra’s first-chair violinist (called “leader” in England).

concertoa work for soloist (occasionally multiple soloists, as in the concerto grosso) and orchestra.

counterpoint(from “punctus contra punctum,” i.e., “note against note”) two or more melodic lines sounding simultaneously.

crescendo increasing in volume.

da capo (“the head”) return to the beginning of the work or movement.

decrescendodecreasing in volume.

Dies irae (“Day of Wrath”) a chant from the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass for the Dead, used by numerous composers (Berlioz, Liszt, Saint-Saëns,

Rachmaninoff, etc.) in programmatic compositions associated with death or the supernatural.

diminuendo decreasing in volume.

dissonant the sounding together of two or more pitches in such a way as to produce an expressive state of tension or instability which, in traditional styles, leads to resolution in consonance.

divertimento multi-movement instrumental composition for entertainment (“diversion”), usually for small ensemble or chamber orchestra.

double stops two or more pitches played simultaneously on a bowed string instrument.

dynamics degrees of volume — piano (soft), mezzo-piano (medium soft), mezzo-forte (medium loud), forte (“strong,” i.e., loud), etc.

elegya composition of mournful character.

ensemble (“together”) a group of musicians performing together.

entr’acte (“between acts”) an instrumental piece performed between the acts of a play or opera.

epilogue the concluding section of a movement or work; a coda.

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episode a subsidiary passage in a musical form, usually leading to an important structural juncture.

espressivo expressively.

etude a “study,” usually intended to work on a single aspect of technique, therefore yielding a composition of unified character.

exposition the opening section of a sonata form.

fanfare a short musical piece, often for brass instruments, in the nature of a signal or alert; a musical style using principally the notes playable on the natural trumpet or horn, i.e., those of a common chord.

fantasy a work, often free in form, in which the imagination of the composer takes precedence over conventional styles and forms.

flat a notational symbol that lowers a pitch by a half-step.

fortepiano (“loud-soft”) the wood-frame keyboard instrument of the late 18th-early 19th centuries whose name derives from its ability to play at different dynamic levels, unlike the earlier mono-dynamic harpsichord.

fortissimo very loud.

fugue a musical style in which thematic material is imitated by the individual voices in succession; the form of a complete fugue is based on the alternation of sections in which the principal theme occurs (“expositions”) and sections (“episodes”) in which other material, often simply figural, is heard.

furiant a fiery Bohemian dance in quick triple meter with frequent shifting accents.

gavotte a French dance in moderate duple meter.

genre a type of musical composition (e.g., symphony, concerto, tone poem, oratorio, etc.).

German dance an Austrian folk dance (a “Ländler”) in moderate triple meter.

gigue a French dance in quick compound meter.

giocoso humorous.

glissando a continuous slide connecting two notes.

grace notes small ornamenting notes.

Gregorian chant the monophonic liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church; named in honor of Pope Gregory I (reigned 590-604), who is credited with initiating the systematic

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codification of the previously largely unorganized Church repertory into a settled musical liturgy.

ground bass a short melodic pattern (“ground”), usually in the bass voice, that is repeated continuously while changing music is heard in the other voices.

habañera a Spanish and Cuban dance of seductive character inmoderate duple meter.

half-step the smallest traditional musical interval (i.e., “semi-tone”).

harmonic a succession of chords. progression

harmonics the constituent sounds of a musical tone, which include the notated pitch (“fundamental”) plus the resultant higher pitches of lesser intensity that are set in vibration sympathetically by the fundamental (“overtones” or “harmonics”); the character and relative strengths of the constituent pitches determine the sonority of an instrument or voice.

harmony the simultaneously sounding of multiple musical pitches.

imitation the statement in close succession of a melody in different voices.

impetuoso impetuously.

Impressionism an early 20th-century musical style, principally associated with Debussy, in which lush harmonies, subtle rhythms and opulent sonorities are used to evoke moods and impressions.

impromptu (“unprepared, unpremeditated”) a brief work of improvisation-like spontaneity.

improvisation spontaneous performance without the aid of notation or memory; spontaneous decoration of a notated work in performance.

incidental music music to be used in conjunction with the performance of a play.

interlude any kind of inserted music, often for church or theatrical use; an episode in a musical form.

intermezzo an instrumental movement in an opera, often used as the introduction to an act.

interval the distance between two musical pitches.

irregular meters any succession of stressed and unstressed beats that does not consistently follow the same duple, triple or compound meter.

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jig a lively English dance.

jota a lively dance in rapid triple meter, accompanied by castanets, from Aragon (northeastern Spain).

joyeux joyful.

K. an entry in Ludwig Köchel’s chronological catalog of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Kammermusik chamber music.

Kapellmeister (“chapel master”) a court or church music director.

key a tonality.

keyboard the set of keys in a piano, organ, harpsichord, clavichord, etc. used to activate the sound mechanism; by extension, any instrument with a keyboard.

Konzertstück “concert piece” for solo instrument and orchestra.

kraft strength.

lament a composition commemorating a death; a piece of mournful character.

Ländler an Austrian folk dance in moderate triple meter, predecessor of the waltz.

largo (“broad”) slow tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

Late Romantic the historical era of the late 19th century, when the elements of Romanticism — strong emotional expression, chromatic harmony, long involved forms, large virtuoso orchestra, luxuriant texture, affective melody — were brought to their ripest state.

legato the smooth connection of notes.

lento very slow tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

libretto (“little book”) the words of a vocal or music theater work.

Lied song.

lontano from a distance.

lullaby a composition of gentle nature in swaying meter.

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measure a single grouping of beats (units of musical time.)

medley a continuous succession of independent melodies.

meter a continuously repeated pattern of uniformly stressed and unstressed beats.

mezzo-forte medium loud.

mezzo-piano medium soft.

mezzo-soprano the middle-range woman’s voice, between soprano and alto.

minimalism a style of modern music that utilizes repetitive melodic patterns, consonant harmonies.

minor one of the two principal scale forms (along with major) in traditional Western music, and the system of harmony founded upon that scale, whose tonal center is indicated by pitch name (e.g., F minor, B-flat minor); among the expressive attributes of minor tonalities are sadness, unease, foreboding, struggle, tragedy, etc.

minuet [menuet, menuetto, minuetto] a French dance in triple meter; a common internal movement (usually the third movement) in Classical-era symphonies, quartets, sonatas, etc., where it is paired with

a complementary central section (trio) of similar form and style; a composition in this style and form.

movement one of the principal portions of a symphony, concerto, sonata, etc., usually complete within itself.

Nachtstück night piece.

narrator the performer of the spoken text in a musical work.

natural a musical pitch that is neither a sharp nor a flat; the notational sign that cancels an existing sharp or flat.

Neo-Classicism a style of the early 20th-century that sought to revive the clear melody and harmony, balanced form, and expressive objectivity of late 18th-century music.

Neo-Romantic a modern style that seeks to revive the extroverted expression, rich harmony, sweeping melody and opulent sonority of 19th-century music.

nocturne a composition suggesting the night or meditative in mood.

note an individual musical sound, consisting of pitch, duration and sonority.

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obbligato an ambiguous term, which literally means “obligatory” (i.e., must not be omitted) and is used in that sense in Baroque music, but subsequently came to indicate a secondary melody, which may be omitted at the discretion of the performer.

octave a musical interval, heard in succession (i.e., melodically) or simultaneously (i.e., harmonically), from one pitch to another eight scale steps distant (e.g., C-d-e-f-g-a-b-C).

off-beat the emphasis on a beat other than the one usually accented in a metric pattern.

opus (“work”) a numerical designation applied by the composer or publisher to indicate the chronological placement of a work in a composer’s output.

oratorio an extended musical setting of a sacred, usually non-liturgical, text that employs the forms and styles of opera but is performed without scenery, costumes or stage movement.

orchestration the technique of assigning the content of a musical work to the ensemble’s various instruments.

ostinato (“obstinate”) a persistently repeated musical phrase.

overture an instrumental composition that precedes an opera, oratorio or play.

pastorale an instrumental piece of gentle character written in imitation of the music of shepherds, especially with reference to the shepherds who attended the birth of Christ.

pentatonic a five-note scale, most commonly the one playable on the black keys of the piano, which is often used to evoke images of the Far East.

phrase a division of a melody, comparable to a sentence in prose, that ends with a cadence, breath or pause.

piano soft.

pitch a musical tone whose sound, high or low, is determined by speed of the vibrations which produce it.

pizzicato a note produced by plucking a string of a violin, viola, cello or bass with the finger.

poco little.

polyphonic (“many sounds”) a musical texture made from the weaving together of two or more independent lines of equal importance.

ponticello the bridge of a string instrument; bowing at the bridge to produce a glassy sound.

presto very fast.

THE LANGUAGE

27BRAVOVAIL.ORG

programmatic music with an extra-musical reference.

promenade a work or passage in the style of an informal procession.

quarter note a rhythmic value of moderately short duration, between a half and an eighth note.

quartet a work or passage for four voices or instruments.

quasi almost, nearly, close to.

quintet a work or passage for five voices or instruments.

recapitulation the concluding section of a sonata-form movement or work.

recitative a musical style in the manner of natural speech.

Requiem the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead.

rhapsody a work of free form or unrestrained character.

ritardando gradually slowing down.

Rococo the light, diverting, elegant style of the late 18th century, as distinct from the more serious, emotionally charged styles of the previous Baroque era or the contemporary Empfindsamer or Sturm und Drang idioms.

rondo a form in which a recurring musical refrain is separated by episodes of contrasting character: A — B — A — C — A — etc.

rubato (“robbed”) a flexible rather than strict tempo, which uses small accelerandos and ritardandos for expressive effect.

scale (“steps”) a sequence of adjacent ascending or descending pitches contained within the interval of an octave, arranged in traditional Western music into the major and minor modes.

scherzo (“joke”) a common internal movement (usually the third movement) of vigorous character in fast triple meter in 19th and 20th-century symphonies, quartets, sonatas, etc., where it is paired with a complementary central section (trio) of similar form and style; a composition in this style and form.

sharp a notational symbol that raises a pitch by a half-step.

sonata a multi-movement work for soloist or small ensemble.

28 BRAVOVAIL.ORG

sordino muted.

spiccato (“detached”) quick notes played by bouncing the bow on the string.

staccato (“detached”) separated notes.

staff the five parallel lines that serve as the notational grid for indicating musical pitches.

subito suddenly.

suite a selection of excerpts from music for an opera, ballet or play; a Baroque composition comprising a series of dances, usually preceded by a movement in the style and form of a French overture.

syncopated the disturbance of the normal accentuation of metric pulses.

tempo the speed of a composition or passage.

tessitura the portion of the total range within which most of a musical line lies.

theme a distinctive melodic idea upon which a movement or composition is based in whole or in part.

third a musical interval, heard in succession (i.e., melodically) or simultaneously (i.e., harmonically), from one pitch to another three scale steps distant (e.g., C-d-E).

tone poem a one-movement orchestral work with a narrative or illustrative association.

transposition the placement of a work or passage in a tonality different from the original.

treble the highest part in an ensemble, usually a choir; the clef sign used for instruments in the high range.

tremolo (“trembling”) the quick reiteration of a single pitch on a string instrument by the rapid movement of the bow up and down.

triad a chord of three notes.

trill the rapid alternation of two adjacent pitches.

trio a work or passage for three instruments or voices; the center section of a three-part form (i.e., “B” in an A–B–A form).

triple meter rhythmic pattern with emphasis on every third beat (ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three), e.g., a waltz.

tutti together, i.e., the entire ensemble.

Ungherese, all’ in Hungarian (i.e., Gypsy) style.

unison all voices and/or instruments sounding the same pitches simultaneously.

THE LANGUAGE

29BRAVOVAIL.ORG

valse waltz.

variations a form in which successive statements of a theme are altered: A (= the theme) — A1 — A2 — A3 — A4 — etc.

variazioni variations.

vif lively.

vigoroso vigorously.

violento violently.

virtuoso a performer or musical work of exceptional technical notoriety.

vite fast.

vivace lively tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

vivacemente very lively tempo; a composition or movement in this tempo.

vivo lively.

walking bass a bass line in even, steadily flowing rhythm.

waltz an Austrian dance in moderate triple meter.

walzer (”to rotate”) waltz.

whole note a rhythmic value of long duration, twice the length of a half note.

whole step a small musical interval, equal to two half-steps.

wie as, like.

wuchtig heavy, ponderous.

zapateado a Spanish dance in strong triple meter marked by stomping the heels.

zarzuela a Spanish theatrical genre in which musical numbers are mixed with spoken dialogue.

zeitmass tempo.

ziemlich rather, quite.

zu to, at; too.

zurückhalten guarded, cautious.

30 BRAVOVAIL.ORG

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THANK YOUSpecial thanks to

Dr. Richard Rodda for supplying

the glossary of musical terms for this publication.

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