pizzicato
pits´-uh-CAW´-toh (Italian, ‘pinched’) Pizzicato is a technique in which performers of stringed instruments pluck strings, instead of playing them with a bow, in order to produce particular notes. The term […]
Music
staccato
(Italian, ‘detached’) Staccato is a musical technique in which performers play a note, or series of notes, in a quick and choppy manner. Staccato is the opposite of legato, which […]
libretto
luh-BRET´-oh (Italian, ‘little book’) Libretto refers to the words that are sung or spoken in musical works for the theater, including operas, operettas, and oratorios. The author of these words […]
intermezzo
in-ter-METS´-oh (‘interlude’ in Italian) Historically, an intermezzo is any short entertainment, dance, or musical piece performed between the acts of a play or an opera. Today the term is generally […]
chamber music
Chamber music is music specifically composed to be played by a small number of musicians in a private room or other small venue. While compositions written as chamber music are […]