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List of Italian musical terms used in English
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WIKIMAG n. 8 - Luglio 2013
List of Italian musical
terms used in English
Text is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional
terms may apply. See
Terms of
Use for details.
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Inc., a non-profit organization.
Traduzione
interattiva on/off - Togli il segno di spunta per disattivarla
A great many
musical
terms are in
Italian. This is because many of the most important early
composers from the
Renaissance to the
Baroque
period were
Italian, and that period is when numerous musical indications were
used extensively for the first time[citation
needed]. (See also
sheet music.)
Here are some of these expressions:
Italian term |
Literal translation |
Definition |
Musical forms
A cappella |
in chapel style |
Sung with total no instrumental
accompaniment |
Aria |
air |
A song, esp. one from an opera |
Aria di sorbetto |
sherbert air |
a lesser aria within an opera |
Arietta |
little air |
A short or light aria |
Arioso |
airy |
a type of solo vocal piece during an opera
or operetta |
Ballabile |
danceable |
(song) to be danced to |
Battaglia |
battle |
An instrumental or vocal piece suggesting
a battle |
Bergamasca |
from Bergamo |
A peasant dance from
Bergamo |
Burletta |
a little joke |
A light comic or farcical opera |
Cabaletta |
from copola (couplet) |
a two-part musical form |
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 |
Cavatina |
small instrumental tone |
a simple melody or song |
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 |
Da capo aria |
from the head aria |
A three-section musical form |
Dramma giocoso |
jocular drama |
a form of opera |
Dramma per musica |
drama for music |
libretto |
Fantasia |
fantasy |
a musical composition or “idea” typified
by improvisation |
Farsa |
farce |
a one-act comical opera |
festa teatrale |
theatrical party |
a genre of opera |
Fioritura |
flowery |
a highly embellised vocal line |
Intermedio |
intermediate |
A short connecting instrumental movement -
an intermezzo |
Intermezzo |
interval |
A short connecting instrumental movement |
Libretto |
little book |
A work containing the words to an opera,
musical, or ballet |
Melodramma |
melodrama |
a style of opera |
Opera |
work |
A drama set to music for singers and
instrumentalists |
Opera buffa |
humorous opera |
A comic opera |
Opera semiseria |
semi-serious opera |
a variety fo opera |
Opera seria |
serious opera |
An opera with a serious, esp. classical
theme |
Operetta |
little opera |
a variety of light opera |
Oratorio |
oratory |
large musical composition for orchestra,
choir, and soloists |
Pasticcio |
pastiche |
a musical piece containing works by
different composers |
Ripieno concerto |
padding concert |
A form of Baroque concerto with no solo
parts |
Serenade |
from ‘’sereno’’ (serene) |
A song or composition in someone’s honour.
Originally, a musical greeting performed for a lover |
Soggetto cavato |
carved subject |
A musical cryptogram, using coded
syllables as a basis for the composition |
Sonata |
sounded |
A composition for one or two instruments
in
sonata form |
Verismo |
realism |
A genre of operas with scenarios based on
comtemporary everyday life |
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 |
Sordun |
deaf, dull in sound |
An archaic double-reed wind 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 |
Voices
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 |
Coloratura soprano |
colouring soprano |
a soprano specialised in complex,
ornamented melody |
Soprano sfogato |
unlimited soprano |
A soprano who has extended her upper range
beyond the usual range of a soprano |
Spinto soprano |
pushed soprano |
A soprano whose voice, while normally of
lyric weight and fluidity, can be pushed to a more forceful
weight |
Squillo |
ringing |
The resonant clarity of an operatic
singer’s voice |
Tenore contraltino |
' |
A tenor voice capable of a slightly higher
range of sustainable notes than usual |
Tenore di grazia or ‘’’Leggiero tenor’’’ |
' |
A lightweight, flexible tenor voice |
Tessitura |
texture |
A singer’s comfortable range |
Falsetto |
little false |
a vocal register immediately above the
modal voice range |
Falsettone |
' |
falsetto, sung using the usual techniques
of modal voice register |
Castrato |
castrated |
A male singer, castrated so as to be able
to sing soprano (now sung by women, conventional
countertenors, or
sopranisti) |
Musico |
musician |
originally, a trained musician; later, a
castrato or female singer |
Spinto |
pushed |
A forceful voice, between the lyric and
dramatic in weight |
Passaggio |
crossing |
a vocal range |
Tempo
Tempo |
time |
The speed of music ex. 120BPM |
Largo |
broad |
Slow and dignified |
Larghetto |
a little bit broad |
Not as slow as largo |
Lentando |
slowing |
Becoming slower |
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 |
Largamente |
broadly |
Slow and dignified |
Mosso |
moved |
Agitated |
Allegro |
joyful; lively and fast |
Moderately fast |
Sostenuto |
sustained |
A slowing of tempo, often accompanied by
legato playing |
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 |
slowing and broadening |
Slowing down and broadening, becoming more
stately and majestic, possibly louder |
Ritardando |
slowing |
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) |
A tempo |
to time |
Return to previous tempo |
L'istesso tempo |
Same speed |
At the same speed |
Dynamics - volume
Moods
Musical expression (general)
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 |
Patterns within the musical score
Lacuna |
gap |
a silent pause in a piece of music |
Ossia |
alternatively |
a secondary passage of music which may be
played in place of the original |
Ostinato |
stubborn |
a repeated motif or phrase in a piece of
music |
Ritornello |
little return |
A recurring passage in a piece of Baroque
music |
Segue |
it follows |
A smooth movement from one passage to
another with no pause |
Stretto |
tightened |
In a fugue, the repeating of a motif by a
second voice before the first rendition is completed |
Pensato |
thought |
a composed imaginary note |
Directions
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. |
solo |
alone |
A piece or performance to be played by a
single musician |
Vibrato |
vibrating |
A rapid repetitive variation in the pitch
of a tone |
Techniques
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.) |
A bocca chiusa |
mouth closed |
Wordless humming in a choral piece |
Chiuso |
closed |
Calls for a horn to be muted by hand |
Coll'arco |
with the bow |
Cancels col legno and pizzicato
(in a string passage, arco is usually expected and is not
written except at the end of col legno or pizzicato passages.) |
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 |
Glissando |
glide |
a sweeping glide from one pitch to another |
Legato |
tied together |
a series of notes played with a smooth
connection between them |
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 |
Portamento |
carrying |
a sliding of pitch between two notes |
Portato |
carried |
a style of playing between staccato and
legato |
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 |
Spiccato |
separated |
Playing a stringed instrument by bouncing
the bow lightly on the strings |
Tutti |
all |
A direction for the entire ensemble to
play or sing, rather than a soloist |
staccatissimo |
very detached |
Forcefully exaggerated staccato |
Staccato |
detached |
A form of musical articulation in which
notes are distinct an separated from each other by short gaps |
Scordatura |
mistuning |
Alternate tuning (of strings) |
Roles
Prima donna |
first lady |
Leading female role |
Primo uomo |
first man |
Leading male role |
Banda |
band |
a small music ensemble used as a
supplement to the orchestra in an opera |
Comprimario/a |
con primario, with the first |
A supporting role |
Concertino |
little concert |
The smaller, more virtuosic, group of
musicians in a
concerto grosso |
Coro |
choir |
an ensemble of singers |
Diva |
female deity |
a leading female singer |
Ripieno |
filling or stuffing |
The larger group of musicians in a
concerto grosso |
Convenienze |
conveniences |
the rules relating to the ranking of
singers in opera |
Criticism
Bel canto |
beautiful voice |
Any fine singing, esp. that popular in
18th- and 19th-century 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. The use of ! at the of "Bravo/a/i/e(!)" strongly
emphasize the written expression. |
Musical
direction and staging
Maestro |
Master, teacher |
Conductor, music director, music teacher,
also composer and other eminent musicians and singers |
Maestro sostituto |
Deputy master |
Assistant conductor |
Maestro collaboratore |
Collaborating master |
Assistant conductor |
Maestro suggeritore |
Master prompter |
Prompter |
Stagione |
season |
A variety of formal organisation of
players and crew in the staging of operas |
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1)
scrivi
le parole inglesi dentro la
striscia gialla 2)
seleziona il testo 3)
clicca "Ascolta il testo"
DA INGLESE A ITALIANO
Inserire
nella casella Traduci la parola
INGLESE e cliccare
Go.
DA ITALIANO A INGLESE
Impostare INGLESE anziché italiano e
ripetere la procedura descritta.
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