Meaning

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Music Words Meaning

M

MADRIGAL

Madrigal is a term often used in a loose sense for any light song, but properly denoting a type of song of Italian origin which normally consists of two or three tercets, followed by one or more couplets. It is also used for the music written for such songs. Madrigals were either sung by three or more unaccompanied voices, or played upon viols. They were written by most of the 16th and 17th century composers. Ultimately the form was merged in the glee.

MAESTOSO

Maestoso is a term used in musical notation. When used as part of a tempo marking, for example allegro maestoso, it modifies it, directing the performer to maintain a dignified character.

MAGGIORE

In music, maggiore is a term used in respect to scales, intervals, etc. meaning greater or major.

MAGOTEE

A magotee is a musical instrument used by the Pambatees or snake-charmers of the east Indies. It is composed of a hollow calabash, to one end of which is fitted a mouth-piece similar to that of a clarinet. To the other extremity is adapted a tube perforated with several holes, which are succesively stopped by the fingers, like those of the flute, while the player blows into the mouth-piece. In the middle of the instrument is a small mirror, on which the nakes fix their eyes while dancing. Sometimes bright beads are attached, which serve the same purpose as the mirror.

MAJOR

In music the term major means greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone.

MAJOR KEY

In music, a major key is a key in which one and two, two and three, four and five, five and six and seven, make major seconds, and three and four, and seven and eight, make minor seconds.

MAJOR SCALE

In music a major scale is the natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees. The scale of the major mode, of which the third is major.

MAJOR SECOND

In music, a major second is a second between whose tones is a difference in pitch of a step.

MAJOR SIXTH

In music a major sixth is a sixth of four steps and a half step. In major keys the third and sixth from the key tone are major. Major keys and intervals, as distinguished from minors, are more cheerful.

MAJOR THIRD

In music, a major third is a third of two steps.

MALAGUENA

The malaguena is a Spanish dance similar to the fandango.

MANDOLA

The mandola is a musical instrument closely resembling the mandolin, but of a larger size and tuned lower.

MANDOLIN

The mandolin is a stringed musical instrument like a small lute. The most widely known variety is the Neapolitan, which has eight strings tuned in four pairs of unisons to the same fifths as the violin, and played by a plectrum.

MANDORE

The mandore is a kind of four-stringed lute.

MANUDUCTOR

A manuductor was an officer in the ancient church who gave the signal for the choir to sing, and who beat time with the hand, and regulated the music.

MANUEL DE FALLA

Manuel de Falla was a Spanish composer. He was born in 1876 at Cadiz and died in 1946.

MARACA

A maraca is a Latin American percussion instrument made from a hollow gourd or gourd-shaped container, part filled with dry beans or other small hard objects, and shaken, usually in a pair.

MARCATO

In music, marcato is a directive to play in a marked emphatic manner.

MARIO CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was an Italian born American composer. He wa born in 1895 and died in 1968. he composed music scores for films including the 1944 'The Return of The Vampire'.

MASQUE

A masque is a form of semi-dramatic entertainment, in which a large part is played by singing and dancing. Promiscuous 'mumming' or 'disguising' with ' visors' was forbidden in London civic orders of the 15th century. The custom was, however, retained as a form of Christmas revels. It was the custom for the mummers to enter the hall and call on the guests to dice and dance with them. Originally this was perhaps done in dumb show, but in time dialogues and songs were used, and several examples are amongst the verses of Henry VI' s court poet, John Lydgate. The Tudor kings had sumptuous masques, with elaborate dresses and pageants or structures of painted carpentry of allegorical design on which the performers entered. The actual term 'mask' is first used in 1513, and before long supplanted both 'mumming' and ' disguising'. Under James I and his successor the masques were lavishly ornamented, Inigo Jones being usually employed to design them, while the music was entrusted to Henry Lawes, and the dialogue and songs to Ben Jonson or some other poet. The dance continued to be the central feature of the entertainment, and the masques were the lords and ladies of the court. The subject matter was generally mythical, pastoral or allegorical; but Jonson was fond of introducing what he called an 'antimasque', in which the characters, for the sake of contrast, were grotesques.

MATTHEW LOCKE

Matthew Locke was an English composer. He was born in 1630 at Exeter and died in 1677.

MAURICE RAVEL

Maurice Ravel was a French composer. He was born in 1875 at Cibourne and died in 1937.

MAXIM

The maxim was the longest musical note formerly used, being equal to two longs, or four breves.

MAZHAR

The mazhar is a very large tambourine.

MAZURKA

The mazurka is a national dance which derives its name from Mazovia in Poland where it originated. It is sometimes accompanied by singing, and its music is usually in 3/4 or 3/8 time. The peculiar rhythm of the mazurka was much used by Chopin and by Wieniawski.

MBIRA

The mbira is a South African wooden bell upon which are assembled a number of metal tongues.

MEDIANT

In music the mediant is the third above the keynote. It is so called because it divides the interval between the tonic and dominant into two thirds.

MEDLEY

In music a medley is a composition of passages detached from several different compositions arranged so that the end of one merges into the start of the next. The term medley is usually applied to vocal compositions, and the term potpourri to instrumental, compositions.

MELISMA

A melisma is a group of notes sung to a single syllable and used in plainsong and in other song.

MELODEON

The melodeon is a kind of small reed organ, a portable form of the seraphine.

MELODY

A melody is a rhythmical succession of single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and so related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity of what is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing to the ear and characteristic in expression.

METRONOME

A metronome is a device for regulating time in the performance of music. The first was patented in 1816 by Maelzel.

MEZZA VOCE

Mezza voce is a musical term meaning with a medium fullness of sound.

MEZZO-SOPRANO

In music, a mezzo-soprano is a female singer having a medium compass between the soprano and contralto.

MIKHAIL GLINKA

Mikhail Glinka was a Russian composer. He was born in 1803 at Smolensk and died in 1857.

MILTON BYRON BABBITT

Milton Byron Babbitt is an American composer. He was born in 1916 at Philadelphia. He studied with the American composer Roger Sessions and joined the Princeton University faculty in 1938, and in 1959 he helped found the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center. In 1982 he was awarded a Pulitzer Special Citation for his life's work. His works include Philomel (1964), for soprano and magnetic tape, and Concerti for Violin, Small Orchestra, and Synthesized Tape (1976).

MINIM

In music a minim is a time note, formerly the shortest in use; a half note, equal to half a semibreve, or two quarter notes or crotchets.

MINOR MODE

In music the minor mode is that mode, or scale, in which the third and sixth are minor. It is much used for mournful and solemn subjects.

MINOR THIRD

In music a minor third is an interval of a tone and a half.

MINUET

The Minuet is a stately form of dance which came to Paris in 1650 and reached its greatest popularity in the reign of Louis XV. It combined gracefulness with ceremonial formality, and was usually to 3/4 time music. Beethoven developed the minuet into the scherzo, under which name the movement holds an important position in symphonies and sonatas.

MISURATO

In music, misurato is a direction to perform a passage in strict or measured time.

MIXOLYDIAN MODE

In music, the mixolydian mode is the seventh ecclesiastical mode, whose scale commences on G.

MODEST MOUSSORGSKY

Modest Petrovich Moussorgsky was a Russian composer. He was born in 1835 at St Petersburg and died in 1881.

MONOCHORD

In music, a monochord is an instrument used for experimenting upon the mathematical relations of musical sounds. It consists of a single string stretched between two bridges, one or both of which are movable, and which stand upon a graduated rule for the purpose of readily changing and measuring the length of the part of the string between them.

MONODIC

In music the term monodic is applied to music in which the melody is confined to one part, instead of being shared by all the parts as in the style called polyphonic.

MORBIDEZZA

In music, morbidezza is a term used as a direction in execution, signifying, with extreme delicacy.

MORDENTE

In music, a mordente is an embellishment resembling a trill.

MORENDO

In music, a morendo is a gradual decrescendo at the end of a strain or cadence.

MOTET

A motet is a form of sacred choral composition of moderate length, set to Latin words, and from the 14th century frequently used to supplement the service of high mass. Its music is written in one or other of the old ecclesiastical modes, and the theme is generally of a sacred character, as the melody of a plaint chant; but secular melodies have also been utilised. Certain sections usually contain passages for solo, which choral accompaniment in fluid counterpoint.

MOTIVE

In music, the motive is the theme or subject taking the form of a leading phrase or passage which is reproduced and varied through the course of a comor or a movement. It is a short figure, or melodic germ, out of which a whole movement is developed.

MOTO

In music, the term moto means movement and particularly, movement with increased rapidity. It is used especially in the phrase con moto, directing to a somewhat quicker movement; as, andante con moto, a little more rapidly than andante, etc.

MOVEMENT

In music, a movement is one of the several strains or pieces, each complete in itself, with its own time and rhythm, which make up a larger work; as for example, the several movements of a suite or a symphony.

MOZART

See "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart"

MUFFLER

In music, a muffler is a cushion for terminating or softening a note made by a stringed instrument with a keyboard.

MUSICAL BOX

Musical boxes are automatic instruments developed from the 18th century musical snuff-boxes. The sounds are generated by the vibrating teeth of a steel comb. The teeth are tuned to produce the notes of the musical scale, and their points are in juxtaposition to a revolving brass cylinder, which is set in motion by the winding of a spring. The surface of the cylinder contains small projecting pins, so arranged that as the cylinder turns they impinge upon and set in vibration the respective teeth which produce the desired combination or succession of sounds. A single cylinder may be 'noted' to play as many as thirty-six tunes, the change from one to another being produced by altering the position of the cylinder so as to bring a different series of pins into action.

MUZIO CLEMENTI

Muzio Clementi was an Italian composer. He was born in 1752 and died in 1832. He is best known for his Gradus ad Parnassum pianoforte studies. He was a brilliant pianist, competing with Mozart in a contest at Vienna in 1781. After a brilliant career as a concert pianist he established in London the music-publishing and pianoforte manufacturing business which became Collard & Collard.