Musical Terms and Glossary

Musical Terms & Glossary

Adagio: The notation for music played in a slow tempo.

Aria: In an opera, a piece for one voice.

Arpeggio: The notes of a chord played in succession, either ascending or descending.

Cassation: An informal musical composition popular in the 18th century. Sometimes meant to be played outdoors (called cassazione in Amadeus).

Coloratura: A elaborately ornamented performance of a vocal solo performed by a soprano.

Divertimento: A light entertaining composition, usually a suite for a chamber orchestra.

Fortepiano: An early, smaller version of the modern piano.

Libretto: The text used in musical works like opera.

Sonata: A composition for a solo instrumentalist, often with piano accompaniment.

Glossary

Gluck: Christoph Willibald Gluck, a court composer (Kapellmeister), the mentor of Salieri. Upon Gluck’s death, Mozart received a royal appointment.

The Prater: The Wurstelprater, known as The Prater for short, a large public park in Vienna.

Prodigy: A person, especially a child, having an extraordinary talent or ability.

Kyrie Eleison: Greek for “Lord have mercy,” the Kyrie is a prayer in Christian liturgies and part of the rite of penitence in the Catholic Mass. It is often set to music.

First Kapellmeister: The head conductor, the person in charge of music at the Austrian royal court. Lead conductor of an orchestra or a choir.

Freemasons: Any of the fraternal organizations that trace their beginning to the fraternities of stonemasons in the middle ages. Traditionally, freemasonry was characterized by secret ceremonies and iconography.