Mozart Opera Key Terms Flashcards
(101 cards)
1
Q
Melody
A
A sequence of notes
2
Q
Conjunct/Stepwise
A
Moving mainly by step, tone or semitone
3
Q
Disjunct
A
Moving by intervals more than a second
4
Q
Scalic
A
Melody based on scales
5
Q
Triadic
A
A chord of three notes
6
Q
Arpeggios
A
Outlines a specific chord
7
Q
Diatonic
A
Chords or notes that exist in a given key
8
Q
Chromatic
A
Notes that not in the key of the piece
9
Q
Compound melody
A
Two or more melody intertwining
10
Q
Non-harmony notes
A
Notes that are not in the chord being played
11
Q
Anticipatory note
A
An unaccented non-chord note which is an early sounding of the following chord note, which is then repeated within its own chord.
12
Q
Auxillary note
A
A non - chord note a step above or below a chord note that resolves or moves back to it
13
Q
Ornaments
A
Melodic decoration of a melody
14
Q
Appogiatura
A
A leaning note in which the ornament takes half the value of the note it proceeds
15
Q
Acciaccatura
A
A note played as quickly as possible before the note that follows it.
16
Q
Trill
A
Two adjacent notes that are played rapidly one after the other.
17
Q
Mordent
A
Formed by playing a note, the note above and then returning to the first note.
18
Q
Turn
A
A short decoration consisting of four notes: the note above, the note itself, the note below and the note itself again
19
Q
Motif
A
A short music idea, a usual recurring figure.
20
Q
Sequence
A
The restatement of a melodic (or harmonic) passage at a higher or lower pitch
21
Q
Fragmentation
A
Using a fragment of a musical idea
22
Q
Inversion
A
Melody is flipped upside down
23
Q
Intervallic Diminution
A
When the space between two notes or the interval itself is shortened in length
24
Q
Intervallic Augmentation
A
The space between two notes or the interval itself is increased
25
Antecedent Phrases
The first phrase in a pair which presents a musical idea and often ends with a weaker cadence.
26
Consequent Phrase
The second phrase which often completes the idea and usually ends with a perfect cadence
27
Periodic Phrasing
Balanced phrase structure which comprises of two phrases.
28
Consonance
Harmony that feels complete or resolved
29
Dissonance
Two or more notes played together that produce a clashing, tense, unstable sound
30
Diatonic Triads
Three note chord with notes only in the given key or scale.
31
Dominant 7th chord
Major Triad built on the 5th degree of a key (dominant) with an added minor 7th
32
Primary Triads
The tonic, subdominant and dominant chords in a key
33
Secondary triads
Built on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees of the scale.
34
Chord Inversion
When the lowest note of a chord is not the root. Root, 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, 3rd inversion
35
Chromatic harmony
Chords and Progressions that use notes outside the key
36
Neapolitan 7th chord
A major triad built on the lowered second scale degree of a given key, with a minor seventh added to it.
37
Diminished 7th chord
A four note chord composed of a root note, together with a minor third, a diminished 5th and a diminished 7th above the root
38
Augmented 6th chord
An interval that is a semitone larger that a major 6th.
39
Secondary dominant
The dominant of the dominant
40
Tonic minor chord
The minor chord of the tonic
41
Cadence
The ending of a phrase, often indicated by a two-chord progression
42
Perfect Cadence
Chord V - I
43
Imperfect Cadence
Any chord to chord V
44
Interrupted cadence
Chord V - VI
45
Preparation - Suspension - Resolution
How to set up a suspension
46
Cadential 6 - 4
Second inversion chord which creates a 6/4 interval above
47
Pedal note
A sustained or repeated note that remains unchanged while the harmony changes above it
48
Tonic pedal
A pedal on the tonic
49
Dominant pedal
A pedal on the dominant
50
Inverted pedal
A sustained or repeated note of a high register
51
Inner pedal
Pedal note that occurs within the middle part of a musical texture
52
Circle of fifths
Harmonic sequence of perfect 5ths
53
Modulation
Change of key within a piece
54
Pivot chord
The pre-dominant to the modulating dominant and a chord common to both the keys of the tonic and the false tonic
55
Binary Form
Structure composed of two parts
56
Ternary form
Structure composed of three parts
57
Through - composed form
A song or piece where each verse or section has its section has its own unique melody
58
Rondo form
A recurring main theme that contrasts with an alternating theme.
E.g. ABABA
59
Introduction
A section at the start of piece
60
Coda
A concluding section that brings the movement to a close
61
Codetta
A brief conclusion at the end of the exposition
62
Recitative
A type of vocal music that is closer to speech than singing
63
Accompanied Recitative
Recitative with full orchestra accompanying
64
Secco recitative
Recitative accompanied by continuo typically harpsichord and cello
65
Basso continuo
A continuous bass line with improvised harmonies.
66
Figured Bass
A shorthand notation system where numbers and symbols are specific intervals
67
Pizzicato
Plucked strings
68
Arco
Bowed strings
69
Con sordino
With mute
70
Sul Ponticello
On the bridge
71
Double stopping
A technique where two notes are played simultaneously on two different strings of a stringed instrument
72
Sotto voce
An instruction to play or sing a passage very softly, like a whisper, often implying a sense of intimacy or secrecy.
73
Vibrato
A musical effect where a note subtly and rapidly changes pitch, creating a wavering or pulsating sound.
74
(Chordal) Homophony
Music played in block chords.
75
Counterpoint/polyphony
A style of writing where two or more independent melodic lines are combined, often creating a rich and intricate texture.
76
Melody and accompaniment
A melody is the main tune or series of notes that forms the central, recognizable part of a song or piece. Accompaniment is the supporting music that surrounds and fills out the melody, providing rhythmic, harmonic, or textural richness.
77
Antiphony
Call and response between two different groups of instruments.
78
Countermelody
A secondary melody that accompanies the main melody
79
Parallel compound 3rds
Parts playing the same melody 10ths apart
80
Simple time
each beat within a bar can be further divided into two, four, or eight equal parts.
81
Compound time
A type of musical time signature where the primary beat is divided into three equal parts, rather than two as in simple time.
82
Motor rhythms
A specific type of repetitive, often machine-like rhythmic pattern.
83
Harmonic rhythms
The number of chords in a bar.
84
Ritenuto
A sudden or immediate slowing down in tempo
85
Rallentando
Gradual slowing down in tempo
86
Presto
To play at a fast tempo
87
Allegretto
At a fairly brisk tempo
88
Minuet
A musical form and a dance, typically written in a moderate triple time (3/4 or 3/8) and characterized by a graceful, formal style.
89
Cross - phrasing
A rhythmic device where musical phrases, or groups of notes, are not synchronized with the beat or meter. This often creates a syncopated effect, where notes or chords land "off-beat"
90
Cross-rhythms
Rhythms playing at the same time intertwining.
91
Syncopation
A rhythm that emphasizes notes or chords that are not typically accented, often shifting the emphasis to the weak beats of a measure or the "off-beats"
92
Melismatic
A vocal style where one syllable of text is sung over multiple musical notes, creating a more elaborate and ornamented melody
93
Syllablic
Music with lyrics that have primarily one syllable of text per musical note.
94
Sonata form
Form that has Exposition, Development and the Recapitulation
95
Arioso
Category of vocal music that falls between aria and recitative
96
Aria
A solo song for a singer, usually in an opera
97
Fermata
A pause in the music
98
Accent
Emphasis is put on a certain beat of the bar
99
Tenuto
Note should be held for a full duration and with emphasis
100
Ostinato
A repeating melody rhythm or phrase
101
Staccato/legato
Short and detached, long and smooth
