Glossary S-Z

sarabande: A dance of Spanish origin, used by Bach in many of his French, English, and orchestral suites. The sarabande is a slow dance in triple meter, with accents on the second and/or third beat. It was quite dignified in character, and usually lacked upbeats.

scale: a pre-determined arrangement of a succession of pitches, usually eight, where the first and last have the same pitch name. Most commonly used are major and minor scales, especially in Bach's day.

secco recitative: a recitative accompanied by continuo alone, in which the continuo merely provides harmonic support; there are no melodic elements or ornamental elements to the continuo accompaniment

secular: music not written for religious purposes

sequence: a melodic pattern, which appears, usually in a single voice, beginning on different pitches. Sequences are common in "filler" passages between important melodic statements. An example of a sequence is shown at right.

siciliano (also siciliana): a medium tempo Italian dance, usually in compound duple meter (usually 6/ 8 or 12/8), with lots of dotted rhythms (dotted eighth, sixteenth, eighth).

sinfonia: An Italian term used from the Baroque period onward, and in a variety of applications, almost always with instrumental works. Bach used the term “sinfonia” both to indicate his 3-part inventions, several random instrumental pieces (including the chaconne BWV 18; a prelude and fugue BWV 152). Most commonly used to indicate an instrumental opening movement of an otherwise vocal work; what we might think of as an introduction or overture, as in many of Bach’s cantatas and the Easter Oratorio.

simple binary form: a binary form in which there is no actual return of the theme which opened the movement, though the melody may be similar. In contrast, a "rounded binary" form brings back the original them, albeit shortened, with the return of the tonic in the second section.

simple recitative (recitativo semplice): similar to secco recitative in that the accompaniment is generally provided by continuo (although, other instruments of the orchestra may be included). The primary purpose of the accompaniment in a simple recitative is to provide harmonic support, though the parts may have some minor melodic interest, written out ornaments, or more active transitional passage

soprano: the highest-sounding female voice; or, the highest register in an instrumental work. Flutes, violins, and oboes are instruments which typical play in the soprano range.

stile antico: the term used during the Baroque for the old style of writing; that is, a cappella church music of the Renaissance, such as by Palestrina and his generation.

stretto:  overlapping statements of a fugue subject.  Stretto may occur anywhere in the fugue except in the exposition.  Many fugues, however, have no examples of stretto.

strophic: In poetry or hymns, any text which is organized in stanzas of equal length. Strophic musical settings refer to a composition which employs the same music for different text (usually, strophic poetry).

subject: the theme in a fugue.

suspension: a non-chord tone in which a tone which had been a member of a chord is sustained (suspended) as the harmony changes, at which point it creates a dissonance. A suspension must resolve downward to a member of the chord. An example of a suspension is shown in the score at left.

syncopation: a rhythmic device whereby an accent occurs in some place other than the strong beat (or strong portion of the beat), or where the strong beat (or strong portion of the beat) is de-emphasized through the use of suspension across the strong beat (or strong portion of the beat). An example of a suspension is shown in the score at right.

taille: an older term for middle voice, usually performed by the viola. Bach may have intended this part to be performed by a tenor oboe, tuned like the oboe DA caccia or English horn.

Te Deum: also known as the St. Ambrose hymn or Ambrosian Hymn. It is used at the conclusion of the Office of the Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays outside Lent, daily during the Octaves of Christmas and Easter, and on Solemnities and Feast Days. Considered a general hymn of praise. Frequently set by composers, including Verdi, Bruckner, Berlioz, Mozart, Haydn, and Britten, among others.

tempo: the speed of a piece of music.

texture: the character of a composition or passage, in view of the combination of all parts; the musical fabric. Textures may be thick or thin, busy or simple, homophonic, polyphonic, or monophonic.

through-composed: used primarily in reference to vocal music. Describes music which is composed without internal repeats or recurring refrains.

timbre: tone color.

tonic: the home chord of a key. For example, in C major, the tonic chord is C major (C-E-G). Tonic can also refer to the root of the chord. In the same example, the tonic pitch would be C.

tremolo:  rapid repetition on one pitch; performed on strings by moving the bow quickly back and forth on one note.  The tremolos can be measured by the composer (that is, the composer can indicate how many times back and forth) or unmeasured (where they have a more random effect).

triad: a chord built of three pitches which can fit on consecutive lines or consecutive spaces on a staff.

trio sonata: though the term implies three (trio), a trio sonata normally employs 4 performers--two melodic parts, and two instruments (a melodic one and a chordal one) on the continuo part. There are, however, three separate parts in the score.

triplet: a division of the beat into 3 equal parts, rather than 2.

tritone: the interval of an augmented fourth or diminished fifth. The most dissonant of all interval. Referred to by Medieval and Renaissance musicians as the "devil in music"

tutti: everyone or all. Synonymous with ripieno in a concerto or concerto gross setting.

unison: simultaneous performance of the same pitch; also, the interval containing no semitones or whole tones. Sometimes the term "rhythmic unison" is employed to distinguish music in which all parts are rhythmically the same, despite any pitch differences which may exist.

vernacular: the language of the people, rather than Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church. For example, the vernacular in France is French; the vernacular in Wales is Welsh.

Viola da gamba: a member of the Renaissance string family known as "viols."  "Da gamba" indicated that is was played between the legs, as opposed to "da braccio," meaning on the arm (like the modern violin).  Viola da gamba uses six or seven strings, and has a wider range than the modern cello.  Although the viols were enormously popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, they had fallen out of favor and were replaced by the modern violin family by Bach's time — the exception being the bass viol, which still exists in the form of the string bass.  Bach, however, wrote for viola da gamba in various pieces throughout his life, including in the St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, and Cantatas 76, 152, 199, and 205. 

Violone: the largest of the viol family. By the end of the Baroque era, the viol family almost entirely disappears from orchestras, being replaced by the preferred violin family. The exception is what we today know as the string bass or double bass, which is in fact derived from the viol family. In the Renaissance, viols were the preferred string instruments. The strings were tuned in fourths, rather than fifths as the modern violin. Viols were basically categorized by range: treble, tenor, and bass. Bach is one of the last composers to employ the viol in his ensembles, though even in his works the appearances of the viols are limited. Generally speaking, the viol continues in France as part of court chamber music longer than elsewhere in Europe.

violino piccolo: a string instrument similar to the violin, though tuned differently, and normally sounding a minor third higher than written. Since the range is not dramatically different from the "normal" violin, scholars assume that the violino piccolo must have had a distinctive timbre, and thus Bach’s use of this instrument is related to color, not range. Bach uses the violino piccolo in Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, among a few other works.

virtuoso: someone who displays a high level of proficiency in playing or singing.

vivace:  literally, lively.  Always interpreted as quick in tempo.

walking bass line: sometimes called running bass line. A common characteristic of high Baroque music, a walking bass line is an active, moving bassline with frequently changing pitches. See section "What is Baroque?" for an example.

The Well-Tempered Clavier: written in two volumes, each contains a prelude and a fugue in every major and minor key. Used as a teaching tool.

word painting: when the music reflects or imitates the words. For example, on "heaven" the music rises.

© 2004 Carol Traupman-Carr