Aria
expresses emotions, voice, same line over & over
Recitative 
solo song in opera, speech, conversation
liberetto
text, story of opera
liberettist
person who writes liberetto
movement
pieces of major composition, breaks in between
rittornello
refrain/return, played by full orchestra
ritornello form
repeated section of music played by the full orchestra (tutti)
tutti 
full orchestra
trill
rapid alteration of notes. baroque start with upper note
secco recitative
speech, dry
program music
instrumental side with story, poem. vivaldis ‘4 seasons’

prompter

person at end of stage bailing out singers
ground bass
repeated over & over throughout whole composition
da capo aria
ABA, ternary form (three sections). 2nd section contrasts with 1st section. 3rd section usually repeats 1st.
camarata
group of nobles who met & discussed. paved way for opera.
castrato
male singer castrated before puberty
accompanied recitative
speech with full orchestra
sonata da chiesa
instrument. church sonata. slow- fast- slow- fast
sonata da camera
chamber sonata, dance like
concerto grosso
music material passed between small group soloists.
Fugue
(to chase after) polyphonic, main melody, one main theme
pedal point
pedals on organ, sustained while other music goes on 
inversion
a fugue where variation is upside down
retrograde
a fugue where variation is backwards
augmentation
stretched out. same tune
diminution
shortened notes
prelude
short piece performed before a more important one. often before a fugue
chorale
hymn tune, german text
cantata 
main movement before chorus 
oratorio
large scale composition. set to a narrative text. based on biblical stories
theme & variation
same throughout piece, repeated. but changes slightly different. Haydn 104 surprise 
minuet & trio (type of form)
dance form. ternary, triple meter, used as 3rd movements, stately & dignified. (night music)
sonata
single movement, 3 sections, 1exposition: presented themes, 2development, 3recap: themes return, coda: end
symphony
orchestral composition. usually 45 min. tone color of orchestra 
concerto
soloist composition. 1fast 2slow 3fast 
cadenza
soloist plays at beginning. can be improvised.
programatic
only instruments
age of enlightenment 
progress was best for humans
Baroque 
elaborate decorated space, science experiments. frills, curly cues, fill in space. opera, viverous, continuous stream, base instuments, programatic began. text paining continued 
classical
power shifts to middle class. balance, clarity, 4 sections of orchestra. melodies(the tunes that get stuck in your head)
Monteverdi
italian, cremona born. early baroque. created passionate & dramatic. wrote first opera. music director. (you are dead)
Purcell
grief aria(repeated), ground bass, english. buried beneath organ in westminster abbey  
Vivaldi
‘red priest’. venice. (4 seasons) played for the hospice of mercy for orphans. music not appreciated when alive. 
Bach
musical family, 20 children, most eminent organist, wrote everything but opera. only organ piece we will hear. 
Handel
spent life in england, ran opera company. boss, organist. most famous for messiah, wrote in 24 days. alleluia
Haydn
skilled servant, esterhousys. conducted orchestra, did everything. father of symphony (no.4) wrote many quartets (4 voices & 4 instruments)
Mozart
Salzburg, austria. concert tour as a child. prodigy. wrote 41 symphonies. 35 years old died. died broke
terraced dynamics
alteration between loud & soft dynamic levels.
basso continuo 
made up of a bass part played by 2 instruments: a keyboard plus a low melodic instrument