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Classical Music
Term | Definition |
---|---|
alberti bass | broken-chord patterns used as accompaniment for a melody; generally written for keyboard instrument |
augmented sixth chord | a chord whose outer pitches are the flat submediant and the raised subdominant, both of which normally resolve to the dominant |
coda | generally found as the closing section of a movement in large-scale works of the Classical and Romantic periods; harmonically, a final prolongation of the tonic harmony |
development | the section in sonata form that follows the exposition; its purpose is to modulate back to the tonic for the recapitulation, but its name derives from fragmenting, altering, treating in various keys, in short, "developing" themes from the exposition |
diapason | the main foundation timbre of the organ |
diminished seventh chord | a four-note chord built of minor thirds, usually found either on the leading tone or a semitone below the dominant; although it can be treated like a dominant ninth chord without a root, the ambiguity of its sound makes it a useful chord for modulation |
divertimento | an eighteenth century instrumental piece in several relatively short movements for small ensemble; intended primarily to entertain, thus containing many dances, marches, and variations |
empfindsamer stile | an expressive German style of the early Classical period which relies strongly on changes of mood and dynamics |
episode | a section of a fugue or ritornello movement that does not (generally) include the main theme; modulation and a lighter texture through use of sequences often characterize an episode |
exposition | the opening section in a sonata form, featuring tonal contrast (usually modulation from a tonic area to a dominant area) and generally thematic contrast as well |
figured music | in its Baroque meaning, florid polyphony using Baroque affective language, as opposed to a simple style (for instance, a chorale setting for the congregation) |
finale | the closing movement of a large-scale composition |
intermezzo | a seventeenth and eighteenth century type of comic opera in two parts inserted between the acts of an opera seria |
metastasian | a reference to the outstanding librettist of the eighteenth century, Pietro Metastasio, whose 27 opera texts were set more than 800 times |
minuet | an elegant French dance in moderate triple meter; optional in the Baroque suite, it became the standard third movement of the Classical symphony |
motive | a short, characteristic thematic building block that is smaller than a theme and flexible enough to serve in development sections or transitions; a theme may be built upon several _____s |
recapitulation | the third section of a sonata form, in which the tonic returns and with it the principal themes (transposed to the tonic, where necessary) |
reeds/reed pipes | organ stops of considerable power named for such orchestral reed instruments as the oboe and clarinet; usually used as solo stops |
rondo-form | a sectional form featuring one prominent theme set off by contrasting episodes, as in the following pattern: ABACABA; often found as the closing movement of a sonata or concerto |
scene | a vocal scene of a dramatic character in Italian opera, often consisting of recitative, arioso, and aria for a solo singer |
scherzo | literally, "joke"; a movement in triple meter; faster, more characterful, and less predictable than the typical minuet, whose place it takes in the typical Classical symphony and sonata |
sforzando | a strong accent on a note or chord |
sonata form | the standard form used by composers in first movements of symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, and concertos; it features tonal contrast, thematic contrast, and a true development section; three part form: exposition, development & recapitulation |
sonatina | a short, simple sonata; a modification of the sonata-form in which there is no development |
stopped pipes | organ pipes that are covered at the top, producing pitches an octave lower than voiced and altering the harmonics |
stops | on the organ, handles or levers above the manuals that enable an organist to change the registration |
style galant | a light-textured, elegant style of the early Classical period |