|
imperfect cadence |
semi-cadence, half-cadence |
| intermission |
interval |
|
interrupted cadence |
deceptive cadence |
| interval |
intermission |
| inverted cadence |
cadence whose chords are not in root position (no simple
American label for that concept) |
| iconography |
in music, the representation of instruments and musical customs in durable art.
Used as a source of information |
| ictus |
stress (usually associated with plainsong) |
| ictus |
the accent marking the rhythm; the intensity of delivery that distinguishes one note from
others |
| idee fixe |
a theme expressed repeatedly, with or without variation, throughout a composition.
Berlioz first applied the phrase to denote the repetition in his
symphony fantastique |
| idiomatic |
styled particularly well for a particular
instrument |
|
idiomelon |
hymn with its own melody |
|
idyll |
pastoral composition |
|
il canto ben marcato |
the melody played distinctly |
| illustrative music |
music that evokes a nonmusical source, such as a poem, scene, mood, idea, or
experience |
| imbroglio |
operatic scene depicting confusion by having parts with different
rhythms |
| imitation |
repetition by one instrument or voice of something already stated by another-often at a different pitch. imitation is much used in canons and
fugues |
|
imitative counterpoint |
encompasses the canon, fugue, and motet, wherein all parts state the theme in
succession |
|
imperfect cadence |
see half-cadence |
|
impetuoso |
impetuous |
| impresario |
manager or agent |
| impressionism |
a stylistic period of composition that sought to put to music only the most immediate, direct impressions, upon the composer, of a given subject.
Impressionism avoided traditional harmony of thirds, employing more often quartal or quintal
tonality |
| impromptu |
a short instrumental work, often for piano which suggests spur-of-the-moment inspiration.
Schubert and Chopin were famed for their
impromptus |
| improvisation |
music played spontaneously, alone, or against a pre-arranged background of chords and melodies.
Liszt and Chopin were renowned for the improvisations. today, they are common in organ recitals and in jazz
music |
|
in modo di |
'in the manner of' |
|
incalzando |
pressing forward |
| incantation |
spell, or operatic scene in which spirits are
conjured |
| incidental music |
played intermittently to punctuate a play or film.
Usually written specifically for the play or film it accompanies |
|
incipit |
in Gregorian chant, the first words sung by the cantor before the
chorus |
| indeterminacy |
a modern device where a composer leaves certain sections or elements of a composition to chance, or to the discretion of the
performer |
|
inegales |
modification of evenly written notes so that one is lengthened and one is cheated.
Used frequently to add a triplet "swing" feel to popular music |
| inflection |
change of pitch or tone |
|
inganno |
deceptive cadence |
|
initium |
two or three opening notes of a psalm tone |
|
innig |
heartfelt |
|
inno |
hymn |
| instrument, musical |
any object or device that is used to produce musical sounds.
The principal families to which most instruments belong include wind, string, percussion, and
keyboard |
| instrumentation |
is generally used to mean orchestration, the art of writing music for instruments, or, alternatively, the actual scoring of a particular
composition |
| instruments |
devices that produce musical sounds |
|
inszenierung |
staging, as of an opera |
|
intabulation |
designation for a keyboard or lute arrangement of a vocal
piece |
|
intavolatura |
designation that music is notated on two staves as opposed to "di partitura," wherein each part has its own
staff |
| interlude |
a short piece of music between two longer pieces, or between the acts of a
play |
|
intermezzo |
most often describes an instrumental piece played in the middle of an opera.
Can also describe a short piano piece, or a comic interlude played between scenes of an
opera |
| interpretation |
the personal and creative element of performance |
| interval |
the distance in frequency between two periodic
tones |
| intonation |
accurate tuning in singing or playing |
|
intrada |
introduction or prelude |
|
intrepido |
intrepid |
| introduction |
a section of the music that precedes the first
theme |
|
introit |
the initial chant of the mass proper |
| invention |
short, free contrapuntal styled piece |
| inversion |
the rearrangement of the notes in a chord. also the turning upside down of a theme, as in serial
music jam session. An informal performance of musicians, involving a degree of improvisation.
Jam sessions also serve as training sessions for young musicians. common in jazz, also pop and folk
music |
| inverted canon |
changed by inversion or retrograde motion |
| inverted fugue |
counter fugue |
| inverted mordent |
alternation of the written note with the one immediately above
it |
| invertible counterpoint |
a passage arranged so that if one part is transposed, usually by an octave, the music still
works |
| ionian mode |
a medieval mode whose scale pattern is that of playing c to c on the white keys of a piano. this scale is identical to a major
scale |
|
iso |
the same |
|
isomelic |
device found in isorhythmic motets of the time of ciconia |
| isometric |
moving together rhythmically, blocked chords |
|
isorhythmic |
14th century motet principle wherein a reiterated system of time values is used for the cantus firmus |
| isosyllabic |
principle of versification based entirely on the syllable
count |
|
istesso (tempo) |
l'istesso tempo, the same speed, is found as an instruction to the player to return to the previous speed of the
music |
|
Italian sixth chord |
an augmented sixth chord, which contains only three tones, as opposed to a
German sixth chord, or a French sixth chord |
