Orchestra FINAL

adagio

a slow and stately pace

andante

a moderately slow and flowing pace, often likened to a walking pace

Presto

a very fast speed

Rallentando

an Italian term instructing the performer to gradually slow down the tempo; implies a gradual slowing that may be used to create a sense of dying away or a rolling stop, often at the end of a section

Ritardando

a gradual decrease in speed; suggests a more immediate or dramatic slowing, potentially to hold back a phrase or build tension

Staccato

notes that are played short, detached, and disconnected

Legato

playing notes smoothly and connected, with no gaps between them

Slurs

a symbol that connects two or more notes, indicating they should be played smoothly, without a break between them

Accents

a deliberate emphasis or stronger attack on a particular note or chord

tenuto

a marking that instructs the performer to hold a note for its full value, without necessarily adding a slight accent or emphasis

Fermata

a musical symbol that indicates to a performer to hold a note or rest longer than its normal duration

Con fuoco

an Italian term that translates to "with fire" or "with passion"

Leggiero

a direction to the performer to play a passage with a delicate, airy, and graceful touch, often in a nimble or swift manner.

Con brio

a directive to play with liveliness, energy, and vigor

Fucoso Brusco

a performance direction suggesting a fiery and abrupt, or rough, style.

Enharmonics

Different notes that sound the same (ex: B flat and A sharp)

Johann Strauss Jr.

200th birth year in 2025; Austrian; composed The Blue Danube and Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka; violinist

Johannes Brahms

German; main instrument: piano; 1833-1897

Frederick Chopin

Polish; main instrument: piano; 1810-1849

Gustav Mahler

Austro-Bohemian; main instrument: piano; 1860-1911

Richard Wagner

German; main instrument: piano; 1813-1883

Franz Schubert

Austrian; main instrument: piano; 1797-1828

Piotr Illych Tchaikovsky

Russian; Ballets: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker; 1840-1893