All Questions
Tagged with history terminology
34
questions
7
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5
answers
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Is "secco" really used in piano music?
Secco is Italian for dry. Many sources define the term within the context of recitativo secco, i.e. with sparse accompaniment. Wikipedia describes an appropriate realization for basso continuo.
Two ...
- 1,880
8
votes
3
answers
973
views
In terms of range, what does "eingestrichen" refer to?
I'm trying to read an old handwritten German document from 1835 which describes the range of the newly invented tuba.
It says:
die Bass-Tuba hingegen 4 reine Octaven durch die chromatische Scala, ...
- 979
6
votes
4
answers
314
views
What is the etymology of word "chromatic" (= relating to color) in music?
Regarding "chromatic," I found on Wiktionary:
Latin chrōmaticus, from Ancient Greek χρωματικός (khrōmatikós, “relating to colour; one of the three types of tetrachord in Greek music”)
Then ...
- 161
1
vote
4
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695
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Accidentals - what's that?
We are aware that an accidental is a sign which changes the pitch of a note usually stated in the key signature, like a natural sign before a C in key D makes that into C♮, etc. Sometimes even the key ...
- 195k
3
votes
1
answer
99
views
Is there literal correlation between sounds and the words to describe them?
In English, we describe pitches as "high" and "low", as being "sharp" or "flat". A timbre can be "fat". At least one study suggests that there is a ...
- 91.3k
7
votes
3
answers
2k
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Latin voice denotations in Renaissance vocal music
I see that in the original printings of renaissance vocal music, the voices are labeled with Latin words like cantus, triplex, medius, etc... Assuming that these words denote the ranges of their ...
- 331
9
votes
1
answer
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What is the origin and original meaning of "tonic", "supertonic", "mediant", etc.?
Each of the pitches in the diatonic scale has a "name":
tonic
supertonic
mediant
subdominant
dominant
submediant
subtonic
I was first introduced to tonic, dominant, and subdominant in the ...
- 91.3k
1
vote
2
answers
194
views
Which tempo indications have changed meaning over time, and how so?
I recall a piano teacher once telling me that the tempo marking in a piece I was learning (andante, if memory serves) meant different things in different eras. (Maybe slower in the Baroque than in the ...
- 91.3k
6
votes
2
answers
533
views
Etymology of crotchet [duplicate]
A crotchet in British English is one beat - a quarter in American English.
In French, the very similar word croche means a quaver (eighth note), just half the value of a crotchet.
The two words are ...
- 195k
1
vote
2
answers
242
views
Bach Die kunst der fuge reference in Beethoven Op. 111
In Beethoven last sonata's arietta, the variations starting at bar 33 seems to be clearly a reference to the contrapunctus 2 from die Kunst der fuge. Since as well Beethoven seems to attempt to do ...
- 645
2
votes
3
answers
227
views
Is there a term in English to characterize the male/female bipolarity of major and minor tonality?
Is there any association of dur and moll with male and female like in European compositions to define the polarity of major and minor tonalities in orchestral works like symphonies?
Edit:
To avoid ...
- 26k
4
votes
2
answers
605
views
What is a **Ruggiero** in music?
I have once heard this term Ruggiero in a discussion about a Baroque composition on the radio.
I thought it could be this walking bass line of 4 notes we know so well from Bach's concertos: "so la ...
- 26k
0
votes
1
answer
130
views
Celtic modes, what modes are these?
I know the ancient Greek modes and the Gregorian modes of the medieval era. Reading in a comment the term Celtic modes I wonder is there something different or special that I have missed until today?
- 26k
3
votes
4
answers
253
views
Did the music of the common practice period always end with a full measure?
If there are pieces which end with an incomplete measure, then what would be some examples? And is there a term for an incomplete measure at the end? Something that would be the opposite of anacrusis.
- 641
-1
votes
1
answer
440
views
What does the term "ex tempore" mean?
I was going to give an answer and in this quotation about Werckmeister I encountered the term ex tempore.
enter link description here
I first thought this means memorizing and playing by heart.
A ...
- 26k