Foreign Musical Terms

a

To, from, by

abafando

Muffled, muted

ab

Off, meaning organ stops or mutes

abandon, avec

Free, unrestrained, passionate

abandono, con

Forlorn, yielding. Also con abandonamiento. Unrestrained, passionate

abbastanza

Enough, rather, rather slow

abbruciante

Fiery

abdampfen

to mute

aber

but

abgemessen

in strict time

abgestossen

same as

abnehmend

diminishing in loudness

abschwellen

becoming softer

absetzen

to separate, either notes or phrases

abstossen

in violin music, same as detache. in organ music, to take off a stop

abstrich

down-bow

absturzend

dropping sharply, suddenly softer

abwechseln

to alternate

accablement, avec

heavily, very dejected

accalorandosi

becoming excited, growing more animated

accanito or accanitamente

frenzied, furious. persistent, obstinate

accarezzevole

carassing, soothing, affectionate

accelerant or accelerez

becoming faster

accentato, accentuare, accentuato, con acccentuazione

accented, emphasized, stressed

accentune

accented, marked, stressed

acceso

sparkling, brillianta

acciaccatura

a short grace note

acciaccato

pounded, hammered

accompagnando, accompagnant

accompanyinga

ccorato

sad, melacholy

accordando, come

as if in unisona

accordez sur

tune to

accordo

chord

accordo d’

in tunea

accouple or accouplez

couplera

accuse

with emphasis

accelerando or accelerar

becoming faster

acentuado

emphasized, stressed, accented

achtel

eighth note, eighth rest

acusado

attackeda

cuta

in organs, a mixture stop that includes a rank of pipes sounding a third higher than the keys played

acuto

high-pitched, shrill. sharp, top note

adagietto

a tempo some-what faster than adagio

adagio

a slow tempo, slower than andante but not as slow as lento

addolcito or addolcendo

softer, sometimes also slower

adirato

enraged, angry

ad libitum

freely, at will, improvised, meaning one may vary the tempo, perform or omit certain notes, voices, or parts, and/or add new notes, voices or parts

adoucissant

becoming gentler and smoother

aeolina

in organs, a rank of very soft 8-foot string or foundation pipes tuned either slightly sharp or slightly flat

aeoline

in organs, one of the softest string stopsa

aeoline celeste

a very soft, undulating organ stop, made up of two ranks of aeoline pipes, one tuned normally and the other slightly sharp

aequalprinzipal

in organs, the major 8-foot diapason or principal stop

aereo

light, graceful, airy

aerien

light, airy

afectuoso

fondly, with warmtha

affabile

gentle, pleasing, graceful

affaiblissez or affaibli

become softer and weaker

affannato, affannoso, affannosamente, con affanno

breathless, hurried, agitated

affectuesement

fondly, tenderly

affekt, mit

passionately

affetuoso

tenderly, with feeling

affezione con

tenderly, with feeling

affirmatif or affirme

assertive, definiteaf

affole

distracted, bewitched, maddened

affrettando, affrettare, affrettato

hurrying, rushed

afinar

to tune

agevole

easy, smooth, fluent

aggizunione

same as nachschlag

aggressivo

bold, forthright

agiatamente

with ease, unhurried, comfortably

agil

nimble, fast, light

agilita or agilmente

nimbly, lightly

agitato, agitando, agitare, con agitazione

excited, restless

agite

excited, restless, fluttering

agressivement

forthright, bold

aigre

harsh, shrill