AHR´-ee-uh (traditionally ‘air’ in French and English) An aria is a short piece for solo voice, with or without accompaniment. Arias are usually light, melodic, and designed to display vocal […]

suh-NAW´-tuh (Italian, ‘sounded’ or ‘played’) A sonata is a piece of music written for one or two instruments. Sonatas are generally divided into three or four sections, or movements, which […]

kun-TAH´-tuh (Italian, ‘sung’) A cantata is a narrative piece of music, for one or more voices, usually sung to an instrumental accompaniment. Cantatas, which can be sacred or secular, usually […]

or-uh-TOR´-ee-oh An oratorio is a large-scale cantata with a sacred theme. As such, it’s generally a narrative work (based on scripture) for voices and orchestra, similar to an opera in […]

kun-CHAIR´-toh A concerto is a work composed for one or more instrumental soloists and a full orchestra. Concerti (the proper plural), which have three contrasting movements, have been written for […]

tess´-uh-TUR´-uh (Italian, ‘texture’) Tessitura is the range, from lowest to highest note, of a melody, vocal part, or vocal role. For a successful performance, a vocalist’s range must cover the […]

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 […]

(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 […]