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a cappella - singing without instrumental accompaniment. Not the same thing as monophony, since, among a group of singers, some performers could be singing accompanimental lines while others carry the melody (i.e., homophony) or the singers could be performing some sort of polyphony.
accelerando (pronounced "a-CHELL-er-AWN-doe") - the term used when the tempo grows faster in the course of a piece.
adagio - a musical tempo that is slow
advance - tickets sold before a show's opening
allegro - a musical tempo that is fast
alternation form - a pattern that alternates between two contrasting sections - a b a b (etc.). The form should have at least two appearances of each section. Sometimes called verse-chorus form when the b text is the same each time.
andante - a musical tempo that is walking speed
aria - a singing style that is a melodic style of singing; usually it conveys the singer's emotions
arioso - a singing style that is half speech-like, half sung (the oldest type)
asymmetrical meter - a meter in which there is an unusual grouping of the beats. I.e., 2+2+3
ballad - a type of song, usually strophic, which relates a story over the course of several verses
ballad opera - a genre which uses spoken dialogue (where an opera would use recitative). It has no single composer; instead, new words are written to well-known folk-tunes. Ballad operas written in English (due to a growing 18th-century emphasis on the vernacular).
baritone - a voice type midway between tenor (a high male voice) and bass (a low male voice)
Baroque - the term for the musical era ranging from approximately 1600 to 1750. Opera was devised at the start of the Baroque era.
beat - a steady background ‘pulse’ in music
binary form - a structure (form) with two halves, A and B (the first half can be repeated before going on to the second half, I.e.: ||:A:||:B:|| = AABB). Once B begins, A is not heard again. Sometimes called "2-part form."
book - the plot and the general spoken dialogue; often devised by someone other than the composer or lyricist
Broadway - the theater district in New York
choreographer - the person who designs the dance movements
chorus - a group of singers - male, female, or mixed - in which several singers sing each of the melodic lines.
chorus line / chorus girls - a group of singers (usually female) who sang simple numbers in musical comedies. The emphasis was traditionally on their appearance rather than their talent.
chromaticism - the use of notes outside of the usual do-re-mi scale tones
Classic - the term for the musical era ranging from approximately 1750 to 1815.
coda - instrumental or vocal music that "wraps up" the tune
company - the full cast of a show (in particular, the performers needed for a production number)
composer - the person who writes the score (the melodies / notes)
concept album - a recording made in the studio, with singers ‘performing’ their rôles (but by singing them into microphones only). A concept album is an effort to excite the interest (and $$) of backers so that the show can be produced (mounted as a stage production)
conjunct - a melody type in which the notes move mainly by step
crescendo (pronounced "cre-SHEN-doe")- the term used when the dynamic level grows louder in the course of a piece.