| Italian term |
Literal translation |
Definition |
| Musical forms |
| A cappella* |
in chapel style |
Sung with no 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 |
| Burletta |
a little joke |
A light comic or farcical opera |
| Cadenza |
falling |
A florid solo at the end of a performance |
| Capriccio |
caprice |
A lively piece of music |
| Coda |
tail |
The end of a piece |
| Concerto |
concert |
A work for a solo instrument 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 |
| 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 |
| Intermezzo |
interval |
A short connecting instrumental movement |
| Musical instruments |
| 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 |
A large drum |
| 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 |
| Voices |
| Soprano |
upper |
The highest vocal line |
| Mezzo-soprano |
middle soprano |
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) |
| Tempo |
| 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 |
| Comodo |
comfortable |
At moderate speed |
| Allegretto |
a little bit joyful |
Slightly slower than allegro |
| Allegro |
joyful |
Moderately fast |
| Presto |
ready |
Very fast |
| Prestissimo |
very ready |
Very very fast |
| Accelerando |
accelerating |
accelerating |
| Affrettando |
becoming hurried |
accelerating |
| Accompagnato |
accompanied |
The accompaniment must follow the singer who can speed up or slow down at will |
| Dynamics - volume |
| Calando |
quietening |
Becoming softer |
| Crescendo |
growing |
Becoming louder |
| Decrescendo |
shrinking |
Becoming softer |
| Diminuendo |
dwindling |
Becoming softer |
| Forte |
strong |
Loud |
| Fortissimo |
very strong |
Very loud |
| Mezzo forte |
half-strong |
Moderately loud |
| Piano |
gentle |
Soft |
| Pianissimo |
very gentle |
Very soft |
| Mezzo piano |
half-gentle |
Moderately soft |
| Moods |
| Affettuoso |
with feeling |
Tenderly |
| Con brio |
with spirit |
With spirit |
| Cantabile |
singable |
In a fashion suggesting singing |
| Vivace |
lively |
up-tempo |
| Maestoso |
Majestic |
Stately |
| Agitato |
agitated |
Excited and fast |
| Animato |
animated |
Animated |
| Bruscamente |
brusquely |
Brusquely |
| Con amore |
with love |
with love |
| Con fuoco |
with fire |
with fiery manner |
| Musical expression (general) |
| Molto |
very |
Used with other terms, as "molto allegro" |
| Assai |
very |
Used with other terms, as "allegro assai" |
| Poco |
little |
"a little". Used with other terms, as "poco diminuendo" |
| ma non troppo |
but not too much |
But not too much (allegro ma non troppo) |
Directions |
| Attacca |
attack |
Proceed to the next section without pause |
| Cambiare |
change |
Any change, such as to a new instrument |
| Techniques |
| Coloratura |
coloration |
Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line |
| 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 |
| Bocca chiusa |
mouth closed |
Wordless humming in a choral piece |
| Chiuso |
closed |
Calls for a horn to be muted by hand |
| Col legno |
with the wood |
Calls for a bowed instrument to be struck with the wood rather than the hair of the bow |
| Pizzicato |
plucked(?) |
Calls for a bowed instrument to be plucked with the fingers |
| Col arco |
with the bow |
Cancels "col legno" and "pizzicato" |
| Basso continuo |
continuous bass |
Continuous bass accompaniment |
| 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 |
| Roles |
| Prima donna |
first lady |
Leading female role |
| Comprimario/a |
con primario, with the first |
A supporting role |
| Criticism |
| Bel canto |
beautiful voice |
Any fine singing, esp. that popular in 18th and 19th c. Italian opera |
| Bravura |
skill |
A performance of extraordinary virtuosity |
| Bravo! |
skillful |
a cry of congratulation to a male singer or performer. Fem. brava, pl. bravi, fem.pl. brave |
