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Musical terminology and not found here.
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Many musical terms are in Italian because, in Europe, the vast majority of the most important early composers from the Renaissance to the Baroque period were Italian.[citation needed That period is when numerous musical indications were used extensively for the first time.[1]
Italian terms and English translations [ edit ]
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
A cappella in chapel style
Sung with no (instrumental) accompaniment, has much harmonizing
Aria air
Piece of music, usually for a singer
Aria di sorbetto sorbet air
A short solo performed by a secondary character in the opera
Arietta little air
A short or light aria
Arioso airy
A type of solo opera or operetta
Ballabile
danceable
(song) to be danced to
Battaglia battle
An instrumental or vocal piece suggesting a battle
Bergamasca from Bergamo
A peasant dance from Bergamo
Burletta a little joke
A light comic or farcical opera
Cabaletta from copola (couplet )
A two-part musical form
Cadenza falling
A florid solo at the end of a performance
Cantata sung
A piece for orchestra and singers
Capriccio caprice A lively piece, free in form, often used to show musical skill
Cavatina small instrumental tone
A simple melody or song
Coda tail
The end of a piece
Concerto concert
A work for one or more solo instruments accompanied by an orchestra
Concertino little concert
A short concerto; the solo instrument in a concerto
Concerto grosso big concert
A Baroque form of concerto, with a group of solo instruments
Da capo aria from the head aria
A three-section musical form
Dramma giocoso jocular drama
A form of opera
Dramma per musica drama for music
Libretto
Fantasia fantasy
A musical composition or “idea” typified by improvisation
Farsa farce
A one-act comical opera
Festa teatrale theatrical party
A genre of opera
Fioritura flowery
A highly embellished vocal line
Intermedio intermediate
A short connecting instrumental movement – an intermezzo
Intermezzo interval
A short connecting instrumental movement
Libretto little book
A work containing the words to an opera, musical, or ballet
Melodramma melodrama
A style of opera
Opera work
A drama set to music for singers and instrumentalists
Opera buffa humorous opera
A comic opera
Opera semiseria semi-serious opera
A variety of opera
Opera seria serious opera
An opera with a serious, esp. classical theme
Operetta little opera
A variety of light opera
Oratorio oratory
Large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists
Pasticcio pastiche
A musical piece containing works by different composers
Ripieno concerto padding concert
A form of Baroque concerto with no solo parts
Serenata
Serenade A song or composition in someone's honour. Originally, a musical greeting performed for a lover
Soggetto cavato carved subject
A musical cryptogram, using coded syllables as a basis for the composition
Sonata sounded
A composition for one or two instruments in sonata form
Verismo realism
A genre of operas with scenarios based on contemporary everyday life
Musical instruments [ edit ]
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Campana bell
A bell used in an orchestra; also campane "bells"
Cornetto little horn
An old woodwind instrument
Fagotto bundle
A bassoon, a woodwind instrument played with a double reed
Orchestra orchestra , orig. Greek orkesthai "dance"
An ensemble of instruments
Piano(forte) soft-loud
A keyboard instrument
Piccolo little
A tiny woodwind instrument
Sordun deaf, dull in sound
An archaic double-reed wind instrument
Timpani drums
Large drums
Tuba tube
A large brass instrument
Viola viola , orig. Latin vitulari "be joyful"
A medium-sized stringed instrument
Viola d'amore love viola
A tenor viol with no frets
Viola da braccio arm viola
A stringed instrument held in the arm, such as a violin or viola
Viola da gamba leg viola
A stringed instrument held between the legs
Violoncello
Violoncello was the original name for a cello.
A large stringed instrument
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Alto high
Second-highest vocal line
Basso low
Or "bass;" the lowest vocal line
Basso profondo deep low
A very deep bass voice
Castrato castrated
A male singer, castrated before puberty so as to be able to sing soprano (now sung by women, conventional countertenors , or sopranisti )
Coloratura soprano colouring soprano
A soprano specialised in complex, ornamented melody
Contralto against high
Alto, esp. a female alto
Falsetto little false
A vocal register immediately above the modal voice range
Falsettone
Falsetto, sung using the usual techniques of modal voice register
Leggiero tenor
See tenore di grazia
Musico musician
Originally, a trained musician; later, a castrato or female singer
Mezzo-soprano middle-upper
Between soprano and alto
Passaggio crossing
A vocal range
Soprano upper
The highest vocal line
Soprano sfogato unlimited soprano
A soprano who has extended her upper range beyond the usual range of a soprano
Spinto pushed
A forceful voice, between the lyric and dramatic in weight
Spinto soprano pushed soprano
A soprano whose voice, while normally of lyric weight and fluidity, can be pushed to a more forceful weight
Squillo ringing
The resonant clarity of an operatic singer's voice
Tenore contraltino
A tenor voice capable of a slightly higher range of sustainable notes than usual
Tenore di grazia Leggiero tenor tenor of grace or lightweight tenor
A lightweight, flexible tenor voice
Tessitura texture
A singer's comfortable range
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Accelerando accelerating
Accelerating
Accompagnato accompanied
The accompaniment must follow the singer who can speed up or slow down at will.
Adagio ad agio, at ease
Slow and easy (but not as slow as largo)
Adagietto a bit at ease
1. Slightly less easy than adagio (so slightly faster); 2. a short adagio composition
Affrettando becoming hurried
Accelerating
Alla marcia as a march
In strict tempo at a marching pace (e.g. 120 BPM)
Allargando broadening
Slowing down and broadening; becoming more stately and majestic, possibly louder
Allegro joyful; lively and fast
Joyful; moderately fast tempo
Allegretto a little bit joyful
Slightly less joyful than allegro (so slightly slower tempo)
Andante walking
At a walking pace; flowing; moderately slow tempo
Andantino a little bit walking
Less of a walking pace than andante (so slightly quicker)
A tempo to time
Return to previous tempo
Fermata held, stopped , orig. Latin firmo "make firm, fortify"
Holding or sustaining a note
Grave grave, solemn
Slow and solemn tempo (slower than largo)
Largo broad
Slow and dignified tempo
Largamente broadly
Slow and dignified tempo
Larghetto broad-ish
Slightly less dignified than largo (so slightly faster tempo)
Lento slow
Slow tempo
Lentando slowing
Decelerating, slowing down
L'istesso tempo the same time
At the same tempo
Moderato moderate
Moderate tempo
Mosso moved, agitated
Agitated
Presto prompt, quick; ready for action
Very fast
Prestissimo very prompt, very quick
Very very fast (above 200 BPM)
Rallentando slowing down
Decelerating
Ritardando retarding
Decelerating
Tardo slow, tardy
Slow tempo
Tempo time
The speed of music; e.g. 120 BPM (beats per minute)
(Tempo) rubato robbed
Free flowing and exempt from steady rhythm
Tenuto sustained
Holding or sustaining a single note
Vivace vivacious
Fast and lively tempo (quicker than allegro)
Italian term
Literal translation
Musical definition
Affettuoso with feeling
Tenderly
Agitato agitated, moved
Excited, fast
Animato animated
Animated, fast
Brillante brilliant
Bright, radiant
Bruscamente brusquely
Abruptly, bluntly
Cantabile singable
In a singing style
Colossale colossal
In a fashion which suggests immensity
Comodo convenient
Comfortably, moderately
Con amore with love
With love
Con brio with power
With vigour
Con fuoco with fire
Passionate, enthusiastic
Con moto with movement
With movement, with energy, spirited
Con spirito with spirit
Vigorous, spirited
Deciso
firm, resolute
Decisive, determined
Dolce sweet
Softly, sweetly
Drammatico dramatic
Dramatic
Espressivo
expressive
Expressive
Feroce ferocious
Fierce, heavy
Festoso
happy
Festive, jolly
Furioso furious
Angry, hasty
Giocoso playful
Merry, spirited, playful
Grandioso
great, grandiose
Broad, noble, great
Grazioso gracious, graceful
Graceful, charming
Lacrimoso
lachrymose, teary
Tearfully, sadly
Lamentoso
Plaintively, Sadly
Mournfully, with sorrow
Maestoso majestic
Stately, broadly
Misterioso
mysterious
Mysteriously, secretively, enigmatic
Morendo dying
Dying away
Pesante heavy
Heavy, slowly, weightily
Risoluto
resolved
Resolved, decisive
Scherzando playful, joking
Playful, lively
Solitario
lonely
Lonely, alone
Sotto (voce) under-voice, subdued (voice)
Subdued, hushed
Sonore loud, resonant
Full, broad
Semplicemente simply
Simply
Slancio passionately hurl or fling; lance
Enthusiastic
Tranquillo calm, tranquil
Calm, soft, peaceful
Vivace vivacious
Up-tempo, lively
Volante flying
Fast, light
[ edit ]
Italian term
Literal translation
Usage
Molto very; much
Comes before other terms; e.g. molto allegro ("very cheerful")
Assai very; aplenty
Comes after other terms; e.g. allegro assai ("very cheerful")
Più more
Comes before other terms; e.g. più mosso ("more moved/agitated")
Poco little
Comes before other terms; e.g. poco diminuendo ("a little diminishing")
poco a poco little by little
"Slowly but steadily." Comes before other terms; e.g. poco a poco crescendo ("increasing little by little")
ma non tanto
but not so much
Comes after other terms; e.g. adagio ma non tanto ("not quite at ease")
ma non troppo but not too much
Comes after other terms; e.g. allegro ma non troppo ("not too joyful")
Meno less
Comes before other terms, such as meno mosso ("less moved/agitated")
Subito suddenly, quickly
Comes before or after other terms; e.g. subito fortissimo ("suddenly very loud")
Patterns within the musical score [ edit ]
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Lacuna gap
A silent pause in a piece of music
Ossia from o ("or") + sia ("that it be")
A secondary passage of music which may be played in place of the original
Ostinato stubborn, obstinate
A repeated motif or phrase in a piece of music
Pensato thought out
A composed imaginary note
Ritornello little return
A recurring passage in a piece of Baroque music
Segue it follows
A smooth movement from one passage to another with no pause
Stretto tightened, strict
In a fugue, the repeating of a motif by a second voice before the first rendition is completed
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Attacca attach, begin
Proceed to the next section without pause
Cambiare change
Any change, such as to a new instrument
Da Capo (al fine) from the beginning (to the "fine")
Abbreviated as D.C., informs the performer to go back to the beginning (capo) (finishing where the part is marked fine ).
Dal Segno from the sign
Abbreviated as D.S., informs the performer to repeat a specific section marked by a sign (segno) .
Divisi divided
Instructs one section to divide into two or more separate sections, each playing a separate part. Often these separate parts are written on the same staff.
Oppure from o ("or") + pure ("also")
Informs the player of alternative ways to play a passage. See Ossia .
Solo alone
A piece or performance to be played by a single musician
Sole
Group solo
A piece or performance to be played by a designated group
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Acciaccatura crunching
An extra, very fast grace note
Altissimo very high
Very high
Appoggiatura leaning, supporting
A type of ornament that creates a "yearning" effect
Arco bow
Cancels col legno and pizzicato. (In any string passage, arco is usually expected, as it is the "default" approach; it is only ever written at the end of col legno or pizzicato passages.)
Arpeggio harp-like
A chord with the notes spread out in time (rather than sounded simultaneously)
Basso continuo continuous bass
Continuous bass accompaniment by chordal instrument(s) and bass instrument(s) (see figured bass.)
A bocca chiusa in closed mouth
Wordless humming in a choral piece
Chiuso closed
Calls for a horn to be muted by hand.
Coloratura colouration
Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line
Coperti covered
Of a drum, muted with a cloth
Una corda one string, cord
On a piano, played with the soft pedal depressed
Due corde two strings
On a piano, played with the soft pedal depressed (For why both terms exist, see Piano#Pedals . )
Tre corde tutte le corde three strings or all the strings
Cancels una corda
Glissando gliding, glossing
A sweeping glide from one pitch to another used for dramatic effect
Legato tied
A series of notes played with a smooth connection between them
Col legno with the wood
Calls for a bowed instrument's strings to be struck with the wood of the bow (rather than drawn across with the hair of the bow).
Martellato hammered
Of notes, strongly accented and detached
Pizzicato pinched, plucked
Calls for a bowed instrument's strings to be plucked with the fingers.
Portamento carrying
Playing with a sliding of pitch between two notes
Portato carried
Played in a style between staccato and legato
Sforzando forcing
Playing with strong, marked emphasis
Scordatura discord
Alternate tuning (of strings)
Con sordino with sourdine (mute)
With mute applied, esp. to string instruments
Senza sordino without sourdine (mute)
With mute removed
Spiccato separated, distinct; standing out
With a stringed instrument, played by bouncing the bow lightly on the strings
Staccato detached
A form of musical articulation in which notes are distinct and separated from each other by short gaps
Staccatissimo very detached
Forcefully exaggerated staccato
Tutti all
Played or sung by the entire ensemble, rather than by just a soloist or principal player
Vibrato vibrating
Played with rapid repetitive variation or undulation in pitch
Colla voce
with the voice
(For accompanists) In time with the singer's text, especially when slowing for textual effect
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Banda band
Small music ensemble used as a supplement to the orchestra in an opera
Comprimario with the first
Supporting role
Concertino little concert
Smaller, more virtuosic group of musicians in a concerto grosso
Convenienze
conveniences
Rules relating to the ranking of singers in opera (primo , secondo , comprimario ) in 19th-century Italian opera , and the number of scenes, arias, etc. that they were entitled to expect.[2] convenienze are referred to in the Donizetti opera Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali
Coro choir
Ensemble of singers
Diva divine one (fem.)
Leading female singer
Prima donna first lady
Leading female role
Primo uomo first man
Leading male role
Ripieno refilling or stuffing
The larger group of musicians in a concerto grosso
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Bel canto beautiful singing
Any fine singing, esp. that popular in 18th- and 19th-century Italian opera
Bravura skill
A performance of extraordinary virtuosity
Bravo
skillful
A cry of congratulation to a male singer or performer. (Masc. pl. bravi; fem. sing. brava; fem. pl. brave.) The use of ! after a written expression of "bravo/a/i/e(!)" strongly emphasizes it.
Musical direction and staging [ edit ]
Italian term
Literal translation
Definition
Maestro master, teacher
Conductor, music director, music teacher; also composer and other eminent musicians and singers
Maestro collaboratore
collaborating master
Assistant conductor
Maestro sostituto
substitute/deputy master
Assistant conductor
Maestro suggeritore
master suggester/prompter
Prompter
Stagione season
A variety of formal organisation of players and crew in the staging of operas
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