Listen, most of U people out there don`t actually know the speak, so I`ve compiled the requisite go to glossary in this post devoted to terminology. The day will arise when someone is going to try to flash U out in front of a crowd…. this post will see U armed to the teeth, so pay attention.
WORDS THAT REFER TO TEMPO
SLOW – grave; extremely slow and solemn, adagio; very slow, lento; slow, largo; slow and broad, larghetto; less slow than largo.
MEDIUM – andante; rather slow, at a moderate, walking pace, Andantino; this used to mean a little slower than andante, but in modern times usually refers to a little faster than andante, moderato; moderate pace, allegretto; fairly quick, slightly slower than allegro.
FAST – con moto; with movement, or a certain quickness, allegro; lively, rather quick, vivace; quick and lively, veloce; with velocity, rapido; rapid, presto; very quick, prestissimo; as quick as possible.
OTHERS – tempo commodo; easily, without haste, tempo ordinario; at an ordinary speed, tempo giusto; in exact time, a tempo; in time, that is a return to the original pace after an increase or decrease in tempo, con rigore; in strict time, l`istesso tempo; at the same pace.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VARIATIONS IN TEMPO
accelerando; gradually getting quicker, meno mosso; less movement, slower,ritardando; gradually getting slower, rallentando; gradually getting slower, tempo rubato; robbed time, doppio movimento; double the preceedingspeed, stringendo; pressing onwards, hurrying, ad libitum; at the performer`s liberty, a piacere; at the performer`s pleasure, ritenuto; suddenly slower, held back, slargando; broadening,allabreve; make the half note as a unit, rather than a quarter note, slentando; getting slower, tempo primo; returning to the original time.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VOLUME
pianissimo; very soft, piano; soft, mezzo-piano; moderately soft, mezzo-forte; moderately loud, fortissimo; very loud.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VARIATIONS IN VOLUME
crescendo; gradually louder, decrescendo or diminuendo; gradually softer, sforzando; strongly accented, forte-piano; loud, then immediately soft, rinforzando; strengthening the tone.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VARIATIONS IN TEMPO AND VOLUME
morendo orperdendosi; dying away and becoming slower, smorzando, toning down to extinction, calando; gradually decreasing the time and tone, mancando; dying away, allargando; gradually slower and broader.
COMMON WORDS THAT REFER TO STYLE IN PLAYING
arpeggio; the notes of a chord played successively instead of simultaneously, brillante or con brio; with brilliance or vivacity, cantibile; in a singing style, dolce; sweetly,legato; smoothly, scherzando; playfully, staccato; detached, tenuto; held, vivace; lively.
MORE WORDS THAT REFER TO STYLE
a capella; music written for choir, without an accompaniment,a capriccio; in a humorous manner, affectuoso; affectionate with tender warmth, agitato; excited, agitated, amabile; sweet, amiable, amoroso; loving,animato orcon anima; with spirit, appasionato; impassioned, arioso; a short solo in the atyleof an air, con dolore; with sorrow,con forza; with strength, con fuoco; with fire, con giusto; with taste, fitting mood and tempo, con passione; with passion, con spirito; with spirit, deciso; with decision, delicato; delicately, dolente; sorrowful, espressivo; expressively,facilimente; easily, without strain, feroce; ferocious, furioso; furiously, giacoso; gaily, grandioso; grandly,grazioso; graceful, impetuoso; in an energetic manner, lacrimoso; tearfully, lamentoso; in a mournful style, largamente; in a dignified manner, leggerio; light and graceful, ludingando; alluring, flattering,maestoso; majestically, marcato; emphasized, marziale; march like,mesto; mournful, sad, misterioso; mysteriously, nobilimente; nobly, parlando; in a `speaking`style, pateticamente; pathetically, pesante; heavy, weighing, piacevole; agreeable, piangevole; plaintively, placidamente; peacefully, pomposo; pompous, religioso; devotional in feeling, risoluto; resloutely, secco; `dry`,that is, staccato, semplice; simple, serioso; serious, soave; suave, gently,solennemente; solemnly, sonore; sonorous, sostenuto; sustained, sotto voce; with a barely audible sound, strepitoso; noisy, teneramente; tenderly, tessitura; the average range of a vocal part, tranquillo; tranquil, vigoroso; vigorous, vivo; lively.
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS YET RELEVANT ITALIAN WORDS
attaca; do not pause between the movements, coda; a section of composition which is added at the end, as a conclusion, da capo; repeat from the beginning, fine; end, close, obbligato; indispensible, must not be omitted, segue; go on with what follows, tacet; silence, tremolo; rapid repitition of a note, tutti; for all, vibrato; a slight varying of pitch.
COMMANDOpera Glossary of Italian Musical Terms
Listen, most of U people out there don`t actually know the speak, so I`ve compiled the requisite go to glossary in this post devoted to terminology. The day will arise when someone is going to try to flash U out in front of a crowd…. this post will see U armed to the teeth, so pay attention.
WORDS THAT REFER TO TEMPO
SLOW – grave; extremely slow and solemn, adagio; very slow, lento; slow, largo; slow and broad, larghetto; less slow than largo.
MEDIUM – andante; rather slow, at a moderate, walking pace, Andantino; this used to mean a little slower than andante, but in modern times usually refers to a little faster than andante, moderato; moderate pace, allegretto; fairly quick, slightly slower than allegro.
FAST – con moto; with movement, or a certain quickness, allegro; lively, rather quick, vivace; quick and lively, veloce; with velocity, rapido; rapid, presto; very quick, prestissimo; as quick as possible.
OTHERS – tempo commodo; easily, without haste, tempo ordinario; at an ordinary speed, tempo giusto; in exact time, a tempo; in time, that is a return to the original pace after an increase or decrease in tempo, con rigore; in strict time, l`istesso tempo; at the same pace.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VARIATIONS IN TEMPO
accelerando; gradually getting quicker, meno mosso; less movement, slower,ritardando; gradually getting slower, rallentando; gradually getting slower, tempo rubato; robbed time, doppio movimento; double the preceedingspeed, stringendo; pressing onwards, hurrying, ad libitum; at the performer`s liberty, a piacere; at the performer`s pleasure, ritenuto; suddenly slower, held back, slargando; broadening,allabreve; make the half note as a unit, rather than a quarter note, slentando; getting slower, tempo primo; returning to the original time.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VOLUME
pianissimo; very soft, piano; soft, mezzo-piano; moderately soft, mezzo-forte; moderately loud, fortissimo; very loud.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VARIATIONS IN VOLUME
crescendo; gradually louder, decrescendo or diminuendo; gradually softer, sforzando; strongly accented, forte-piano; loud, then immediately soft, rinforzando; strengthening the tone.
WORDS THAT REFER TO VARIATIONS IN TEMPO AND VOLUME
morendo orperdendosi; dying away and becoming slower, smorzando, toning down to extinction, calando; gradually decreasing the time and tone, mancando; dying away, allargando; gradually slower and broader.
COMMON WORDS THAT REFER TO STYLE IN PLAYING
arpeggio; the notes of a chord played successively instead of simultaneously, brillante or con brio; with brilliance or vivacity, cantibile; in a singing style, dolce; sweetly,legato; smoothly, scherzando; playfully, staccato; detached, tenuto; held, vivace; lively.
MORE WORDS THAT REFER TO STYLE
a capella; music written for choir, without an accompaniment,a capriccio; in a humorous manner, affectuoso; affectionate with tender warmth, agitato; excited, agitated, amabile; sweet, amiable, amoroso; loving,animato orcon anima; with spirit, appasionato; impassioned, arioso; a short solo in the atyleof an air, con dolore; with sorrow,con forza; with strength, con fuoco; with fire, con giusto; with taste, fitting mood and tempo, con passione; with passion, con spirito; with spirit, deciso; with decision, delicato; delicately, dolente; sorrowful, espressivo; expressively,facilimente; easily, without strain, feroce; ferocious, furioso; furiously, giacoso; gaily, grandioso; grandly,grazioso; graceful, impetuoso; in an energetic manner, lacrimoso; tearfully, lamentoso; in a mournful style, largamente; in a dignified manner, leggerio; light and graceful, ludingando; alluring, flattering,maestoso; majestically, marcato; emphasized, marziale; march like,mesto; mournful, sad, misterioso; mysteriously, nobilimente; nobly, parlando; in a `speaking`style, pateticamente; pathetically, pesante; heavy, weighing, piacevole; agreeable, piangevole; plaintively, placidamente; peacefully, pomposo; pompous, religioso; devotional in feeling, risoluto; resloutely, secco; `dry`,that is, staccato, semplice; simple, serioso; serious, soave; suave, gently,solennemente; solemnly, sonore; sonorous, sostenuto; sustained, sotto voce; with a barely audible sound, strepitoso; noisy, teneramente; tenderly, tessitura; the average range of a vocal part, tranquillo; tranquil, vigoroso; vigorous, vivo; lively.
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS YET RELEVANT ITALIAN WORDS
attaca; do not pause between the movements, coda; a section of composition which is added at the end, as a conclusion, da capo; repeat from the beginning, fine; end, close, obbligato; indispensible, must not be omitted, segue; go on with what follows, tacet; silence, tremolo; rapid repitition of a note, tutti; for all, vibrato; a slight varying of pitch.