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sacred concerto

Composition on a sacred text for one or more soloists and instrumental accompaniment, with chorus (grand concerto) or without (concerto for few voices). See also GRAND MOTET and PETIT MOTET. read more

sarabande

A slow Baroque dance in triple meter often with a tress on the second beat of the measure, normally a movement of a SUITE. read more

scale

A sequence of notes going upwards or downwards by step; hence major scale, minor scale, chromatic scale. read more

scherzo

1 A lively movement in triple meter that came to replace the minuet as a symphony movement. 2 In the nineteenth century, a self contained instrumental piece, usually for piano. read more

scherzo (It. "joke")

Jesting type of movement that evolved from the MINUET. read more

scherzo 1(It. "joke")

A lively movement in triple meter that came to replace the minute as a symphony movement. 2 In the nineteenth century, a self-contained instrumental piece, usually for piano. read more

scordatura

Unusual tuning of strings to facilitate playing certain notes or CHORDS. read more

score

The music-copy of a piece for several performers; hence full score, containing complete details of every participating voice and instruments, short score, a compressed version of a full score; conducting score, miniature score, pocket score, vocal score. read more

seconda pratica

Monteverdi's term for a practice of COUNTERPOINT that permits license to express the feelings of a text, also called STILE MODERNO; Monterverdi called the stricter counterpointprima practica. See also STILE GRAVE. read more

semitone

Half a tone, the smallest interval commonly used in Western music. read more

septet

A work for seven performers. read more

sequence

Immediate repetition of a pattern of MELODY or HARMONY on successive levels of pitch. read more

serenata (It. Serende")

Semi-dramatic piece, usually for a special occasion. read more

Serial

1 Pertaining to method of composition, either with rows or with series of twelve toes or PITCH-CLASSES. 2 Also applied to other parameters, such as duration, DYNAMICS, TIMBRE. TEXTURE. read more

serialism

A method of composing using a series of tones (usually all 12 of the chromatic scale), or other musical elements, which are heard only in a particular order; hence serial. read more

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