HUM 310 - Enlightenment Terms

Allegro

A fast tempo in music, Italian for "cheerful."

Andante

A moderate tempo in music, Italian for "going."

Bacchante

A female attendant or devotee of Dionysus.

Brass

A family of wind instruments including the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba.

Caricature

A comically or grotesquely exaggerated representation of someone or something.

Coda

A passage added to the closing section of a movement or musical composition to create the sense of a definite ending, Italian for "tail."

Concerto

An instrumental composition consisting of one or more solo instruments and a larger group of instruments playing in dialog.

Deductive reasoning

A method of inquiry that begins with clearly established general premises and moves toward the establishment of particular truths.

Fête galante

A festive diversion enjoyed by aristocrats, French for "elegant entertainment."

Fortissimo

A directive indicating that the music should be played very loud, Italian for "very loud."

Geocentric

Earth-centered.

Haiku

A light verse form consisting of seventeen syllables (three lines of five, seven, and five).

Heliocentric

Sun-centered.

Inductive reasoning

A method of inquiry that begins with direct observation and experimentation and moves toward the establishment of general conclusions.

Laissez-faire

A practice in which the government does not interfere or has minimal interference in economic matters.

Largo

A very slow tempo or a musical piece/movement in such a tempo.

Neoclassical

A style of art, architecture, and economics drawing inspiration from Ancient Greece and Rome.

Percussion

A group of instruments that are sounded by being struck or shaken; used especially for rhythm.

Philosophes

The intellectuals of the European Enlightenment, French for "philosophers."

Satyr

A semi-bestial woodland creature symbolic of Dionysus.

Social contract

An agreement made between citizens leading to the establishment of the state.

Sonata form/Sonata allegro form

A structural form commonly used in the late eighteenth century for the first and fourth movements of symphonies and other instrumental compositions.

String quartet

A composition for two violins, viola, and cello, with each playing its part.

Strings

A family of instruments, including the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, often bowed, as well as harp, guitar, lute, and zither, often plucked.

Symphony

An independent instrumental composition for orchestra.

Theme and variations

A form employing a basic musical idea that is repeated with changes in rhythm, harmony, melody, dynamics, or tone color.

Virtuoso

One who exhibits great technical ability, especially in musical performance.

Woodwinds

A family of wind instruments usually consisting of the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.