A cappella

in chapel style

Sung with no instrumental accompaniment

Aria

air

A song, esp. one from an opera

Arietta

little air

A short or light aria

Ballabile

danceable

(song) to be danced to

Battaglia

battle

A piece suggesting a battle

Bergamasca

from Bergamo

A peasant dance from Bergamo in Italy

Burletta

a little joke

A light comic or farcical opera

Cadenza

falling

A florid solo at the end of a performance

Cantata

sung

A piece for orchestra and singers

Capriccio

caprice

A lively piece of music

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

Intermezzo

interval

A short connecting instrumental movement

Libretto

little book

A work containing the words to an opera or musical

Opera

work

A drama set to music for singers and instrumentalists

Opera buffa

humorous opera

A comic opera

Opera seria

serious opera

An opera with a serious, esp. classical theme

Sonata

sounded

A composition for one or two instruments in sonata form

Piano(forte)

soft-loud

A keyboard instrument

viola

viola, orig. Latin vitulari "be joyful"

A medium-sized stringed instrument

(Violon)cello

Small violone (violone means "big viola")

A large stringed instrument

Viola da gamba

leg viola

A stringed instrument held between the legs

Viola da braccio

arm viola

A stringed instrument held in the arm, such as a violin or viola

Viola d'amore

love viola

A tenor viol with no frets

Tuba

tube

A large brass instrument

Piccolo

little

A tiny woodwind instrument

Timpani

drums

Large drums

Cornetto

little horn

An old woodwind instrument

Campana

bell

A bell used in an orchestra; also campane "bells"

Orchestra

orchestra, orig. Greek orkesthai "dance"

An ensemble of instruments

Oboe d'amore

love oboe

A Baroque woodwind instrument

Soprano

upper

The highest vocal line

Mezzo-soprano

middle-upper

Between soprano and alto

Alto

high

Second-highest vocal line

Contralto

against high

Alto, esp. a female alto

Basso

low

Or "bass;" the lowest vocal line

Basso profondo

deep and low

A very deep bass voice

Castrato

castrated

A male singer, castrated so as to be able to sing soprano (now sung by women, conventional countertenors, or sopranisti)

Falsetto

false (dim.)

High male voice, affecting a female voice

Tempo

time

The speed of a piece of music

Largo

broad

Slow and dignified

Larghetto

a little bit broad

Not as slow as largo

Lento

slow

Slow

Adagio

ad agio, at ease

Slow, but not as slow as largo

Adagietto

little adagio

Faster than adagio; or a short adagio composition

Andante

walking

Moderately slow, flowing along

Moderato

moderately

At a moderate speed

Allegretto

a little bit joyful

Slightly slower than allegro

Allegro

joyful;lively and fast

Moderately fast

Fermata

stopped

Marks a note to be held or sustained

Presto

ready

Very fast

Prestissimo

very ready

Very very fast, as fast as possible

Accelerando

accelerating

accelerating

Affrettando

becoming hurried

accelerating

Allargando

to slow and broaden

slowing down and broadening, becoming more stately and majestic, possibly louder

Ritardando

to slow

decelerating

Rallentando

becoming progressively slower

decelerating

Rubato

robbed

free flowing and exempt from steady rhythm

Tenuto

sustained

holding or sustaining a single note

Accompagnato

accompanied

The accompaniment must follow the singer who can speed up or slow down at will

alla marcia

as a march

In strict tempo at a marching pace (e.g. 120 bpm)

Calando

quietening

Becoming softer and slower

Crescendo

growing

Becoming louder

Decrescendo

shrinking

Becoming softer

Diminuendo

dwindling

Becoming softer

Forte (f)

strong

Loud

Fortissimo (ff)

very strong

Very loud

Mezzo forte (mf)

half-strong

Moderately loud

Piano (p)

gentle

Soft

Pianissimo (pp)

very gentle

Very soft

Mezzo piano (mp)

half-gentle

Moderately soft

Sforzando (sf)

strained

Sharply accented

Affettuoso

with feeling

Tenderly

Agitato

agitated

Excited and fast

Animato

animated

Animated

Brillante

brilliant

Brilliant, bright

Bruscamente

brusquely

Brusquely - abruptly

Cantabile

singable

In a singing style

Comodo

easily

Unrestrainedly

Con amore

with love

with love

Con fuoco

with fire

with fiery manner

Con brio (Con Spirito)

with spirit

With spirit

Con moto

with movement

With movement

Dolce

sweetly

Sweet

Grazioso

graciously or gracefully

With charm

Maestoso

majestic

Stately

Misterioso

mysterious

Mysteriously, secretively, enigmatic

Scherzando

playfully

Playfully

Sotto

subdued

Subdued

Semplicemente

simply

Simply

Vivace

vivacious

up-tempo

Molto

very

Used with other terms, such as molto allegro

Assai

very

Used with other terms, such as allegro assai

Più

more

Used with other terms, such as più mosso

Poco

little

"a little". Used with other terms, such as poco diminuendo

Poco a poco

little by little

"little by little", "slowly but steadily". Used with other terms, such as poco a poco crescendo

ma non troppo

but not too much

But not too much, such as allegro ma non troppo

Meno

less

Used with other terms, such as meno mosso

Attacca

attach

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 end)

Abbreviated as D.C., informs the performer to go back to the beginning (capo) (finishing where the part is marked "fine")

Dal Segno

to 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.

Altissimo

very high

Very high

Arpeggio

harp-like

A chord with the notes spread out in time

Acciaccatura

crushing

An extra, very fast grace note

Appoggiatura

leaning

A type of ornament

Basso continuo

continuous bass

Continuous bass accompaniment (see figured bass.)

Bocca chiusa

mouth closed

Wordless humming in a choral piece

Chiuso

closed

Calls for a horn to be muted by hand

Col arco

with the bow

Cancels "col legno" and "pizzicato" (in a string passage, arco is usually expected and is not written.)

Colla voce

with the voice

A note to accompanists to play with (in time with) the singer, especially when slowing for textual effect

Col legno

with the wood

Calls for a bowed instrument to be struck with the wood rather than the hair of the bow

Coloratura

coloration

Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line

Con sordino

with mute

Calls for mute to be applied, esp. to string instruments.

Senza sordino

without mute

Calls for mute to be removed, esp. from string instruments.

Pizzicato

plucked

Calls for a bowed instrument to be plucked with the fingers

Coperti

covered

Of a drum, muted with a cloth

Una corda

one string

With the soft pedal, on a piano

Due corde

two strings

With the soft pedal, on a piano. For why both terms exist, see piano.

Tre corde or tutte le corde

Three strings or all the strings

Cancels an una corda

Scordatura

mistuning

Alternate tuning (of strings)

Prima donna

first lady

Leading female role

Primo uomo

first man

Leading male role

Comprimario/a

con primario, with the first

A supporting role

Concertino

little concert

The smaller, more virtuosic, group of musicians in a concerto grosso

Ripieno

filling or stuffing

The larger group of musicians in a concerto grosso