/>
Sec. 170).



Mellifluous--pleasing; pleasant sounding.



Menuetto, menuet--same as minuet. (See p. 68, Sec. 151.)



Mezzo soprano--a woman's voice of soprano quality, but of somewhat

lower compass than the soprano voice. Range approximately b to g''.



Minore--minor.



Nocturne (sometimes spelled nocturn, notturna, nokturne,

etc.)--a night piece; a quiet, melodious, somewhat sentimental

composition, usually for piano solo.



Nuance--delicate shading; subtle variations in tempo and dynamics

which make the rendition of music more expressive.



Obbligato (sometimes incorrectly spelled obligato)--an accessory

melody accompanying harmonized music, (usually vocal music).



The word obbligato (It. bound, or obliged) refers to the

fact that this is usually a melody of independent value, so

important that it cannot be omitted in a complete performance.



Offertory (sometimes spelled offertoire, or offertorium)--a piece

of music played or sung during the taking up of the offering in the

church service. The word is often applied by composers to any short,

simple piece of music (usually for organ) that is suitable for the above

purpose.



Opus--work; used by composers to designate the order in which their

compositions were written, as e.g., Beethoven, Op. 2, No. 1.



Orchestration--the art of writing for the orchestra, this implying an

intimate knowledge of the range, quality, and possibilities of all the

orchestral instruments.



Ossia--or else; used most often to call the attention of the performer

to a simpler passage that may be substituted for the original one by a

player whose skill is not equal to the task he is attempting to perform.



Overture--(from overt--open)--an instrumental prelude to an opera or

oratorio. The older overtures were independent compositions and bore

no particular relation to the work which was to follow, but in modern

music (cf. Wagner, Strauss, etc.), the overture introduces the

principal themes that are to occur in the work itself, and the

introduction thus becomes an integral part of the work as a whole. The

word overture is sometimes applied to independent orchestral

compositions that have no connection with vocal works, as the Hebrides

Overture by Mendelssohn.



Pizzicato--plucked. A term found in music for stringed instruments,

and indicating that for the moment the bow is not to be used, the tone

being secured by plucking the string.



Polacca--a Polish dance in three-quarter measure.



Polonaise--same as polacca.



Postlude--(lit. after-play)--an organ composition to be played at the

close of a church service.



Prelude--(lit. before-play)--an instrumental composition to be played

at the beginning of a church service, or before some larger work (opera,

etc.). The term is also applied to independent piano compositions of

somewhat indefinite form. (Cf. preludes by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, etc.)



Priere--a prayer; a term often applied (especially by French

composers) to a quiet, devotional composition for organ.



Quintole, quintuplet--a group of five notes to be performed in the

time ordinarily given to four notes of the same value. There is only one

accent in the group, this occurring of course on the first of the five

tones.



Religioso, religiosamente--in a devotional style.



Requiem--the mass for the dead in the Roman Catholic service. It is so

called from its first word requiem which means rest. (See p. 77,

Sec. 165.)



Rhapsody--an irregular instrumental composition of the nature of an

improvisation. A term first applied by Liszt to a series of piano pieces

based on gypsy themes.



Ribattuta--a device in instrumental music whereby a two-note phrase is

gradually accelerated, even to the extent of becoming a trill. (See

Appendix E, p. 150, for an example.) [Transcriber's Note: Corrected

misspelling Ribbatua in original.]



Ritornello, ritornelle--a short instrumental prelude, interlude, or

postlude, in a vocal composition, as e.g., in an operatic aria or

chorus.



Schottische--a dance in two-quarter measure, something like the

polka.



Sec, secco--dry, unornamented: applied to a style of opera recitative

(see p. 75, Sec. 170), and also to some particular chord in an

instrumental composition which is to be sounded and almost instantly

dropped.



Score--a term used in two senses:



1. To designate some particular point to which teacher or

conductor wishes to call attention; as e.g., Begin with the

lower score, third measure. The word brace is also

frequently used in this sense.



2. To refer to all the parts of a composition that are to be

performed simultaneously, when they have been assembled on a

single page for use by a chorus or orchestral conductor. The

term vocal score usually means all chorus parts together

with an accompaniment arranged for piano or organ, while the

terms full score and orchestral score refer to a complete

assemblage of all parts, each being printed on a separate

staff, but all staffs being braced and barred together.



Senza replica, senza repetizione--without repetition; a term used in

connection with such indications as D.C., D.S., etc., which often

call for the repetition of some large division of a composition, the

term senza replica indicating that the smaller repeats included within

the larger division are not to be observed the second time.

[Transcriber's Note: Corrected misspelling senza repetitione in

original.]



Serenade, serenata--an evening song.



Sextet--a composition for six voices or instruments.



Sextuplet--a group of six notes to be performed in the time ordinarily

given to four of the same value. The sextuplet differs from a pair of

triplets in having but one accent.



Simile, similiter--the same; indicating that the same general effect

is to be continued.



Solfeggio, solfege--a vocal exercise sung either on simple vowels or

on arbitrary syllables containing these simple vowel sounds. Its purpose

is to develop tone quality and flexibility. These terms are also often

applied to classes in sight-singing which use the sol-fa syllables.



Sopra--above.



Soprano--the highest female voice. Range approximately b--c'''.



Sostenuto--sustained or connected; the opposite of staccato.



Sotto--under. E.g., sotto voce--under the voice, i.e., with

subdued tone.



Solmization--sight-singing by syllable.



Staccato--detached; the opposite of legato.



Subito--suddenly.



Tenor--the highest male voice. Range approximately d--c''.



Tenuto--(from teneo, to hold)--a direction signifying that the tones

are to be prolonged to the full value indicated by the notes.



Toccata--a brilliant composition for piano or organ, usually

characterized by much rapid staccato playing.



Triplet--a group of three tones, to be performed in the time

ordinarily given to two of the same value. The first tone of the triplet

is always slightly accented.



Tutti--(derived from totus, toti, Latin--all)--a direction

signifying that all performers are to take part. Also used occasionally

to refer to a passage where all performers do take part.