| Italian term | Literal translation | Definition |
|---|
| A cappella | in chapel style | Sung with no (instrumental) accompaniment, has much harmonizing |
| Aria | air | Piece of music, usually for a singer |
| Aria di sorbetto | sorbet air | A short solo performed by a secondary character in the opera |
| Arietta | little air | A short or light aria |
| Arioso | airy | A type of solo opera or operetta |
| Ballabile | danceable | (song) to be danced to |
| Battaglia | battle | An instrumental or vocal piece suggesting a battle |
| Bergamasca | from Bergamo | A peasant dance from Bergamo |
| Burletta | a little joke | A light comic or farcical opera |
| Cabaletta | from copola (couplet) | A two-part musical form |
| Cadenza | falling | A florid solo at the end of a performance |
| Cantata | sung | A piece for orchestra and singers |
| Capriccio | caprice | A lively piece, free in form, often used to show musical skill |
| Cavatina | small instrumental tone | A simple melody or song |
| Coda | tail | The end of a piece |
| Concerto | concert | A work for one or more solo instruments accompanied by an orchestra |
| Concertino | little concert | A short concerto; the solo instrument in a concerto |
| Concerto grosso | big concert | A Baroque form of concerto, with a group of solo instruments |
| Da capo aria | from the head aria | A three-section musical form |
| Dramma giocoso | jocular drama | A form of opera |
| Dramma per musica | drama for music | Libretto |
| Fantasia | fantasy | A musical composition or “idea” typified by improvisation |
| Farsa | farce | A one-act comical opera |
| Festa teatrale | theatrical party | A genre of opera |
| Fioritura | flowery | A highly embellished vocal line |
| Intermedio | intermediate | A short connecting instrumental movement – an intermezzo |
| Intermezzo | interval | A short connecting instrumental movement |
| Libretto | little book | A work containing the words to an opera, musical, or ballet |
| Melodramma | melodrama | A style of opera |
| Opera | work | A drama set to music for singers and instrumentalists |
| Opera buffa | humorous opera | A comic opera |
| Opera semiseria | semi-serious opera | A variety of opera |
| Opera seria | serious opera | An opera with a serious, esp. classical theme |
| Operetta | little opera | A variety of light opera |
| Oratorio | oratory | Large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists |
| Pasticcio | pastiche | A musical piece containing works by different composers |
| Ripieno concerto | padding concert | A form of Baroque concerto with no solo parts |
| Serenata | Serenade | A song or composition in someone's honour. Originally, a musical greeting performed for a lover |
| Soggetto cavato | carved subject | A musical cryptogram, using coded syllables as a basis for the composition |
| Sonata | sounded | A composition for one or two instruments in sonata form |
| Verismo | realism | A genre of operas with scenarios based on contemporary everyday life | |
| Italian term | Literal translation | Definition |
|---|
| Campana | bell | A bell used in an orchestra; also campane "bells" |
| Cornetto | little horn | An old woodwind instrument |
| Fagotto | bundle | A bassoon, a woodwind instrument played with a double reed |
| Orchestra | orchestra, orig. Greek orkesthai "dance" | An ensemble of instruments |
| Piano(forte) | soft-loud | A keyboard instrument |
| Piccolo | little | A tiny woodwind instrument |
| Sordun | deaf, dull in sound | An archaic double-reed wind instrument |
| Timpani | drums | Large drums |
| Tuba | tube | A large brass instrument |
| Viola | viola, orig. Latin vitulari "be joyful" | A medium-sized stringed instrument |
| Viola d'amore | love viola | A tenor viol with no frets |
| Viola da braccio | arm viola | A stringed instrument held in the arm, such as a violin or viola |
| Viola da gamba | leg viola | A stringed instrument held between the legs |
| Violoncello | Violoncello was the original name for a cello. | A large stringed instrument |
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| Italian term | Literal translation | Definition |
|---|
| Alto | high | Second-highest vocal line |
| Basso | low | Or "bass;" the lowest vocal line |
| Basso profondo | deep low | A very deep bass voice |
| Castrato | castrated | A male singer, castrated before puberty so as to be able to sing soprano (now sung by women, conventional countertenors, or sopranisti) |
| Coloratura soprano | colouring soprano | A soprano specialised in complex, ornamented melody |
| Contralto | against high | Alto, esp. a female alto |
| Falsetto | little false | A vocal register immediately above the modal voice range |
| Falsettone | | Falsetto, sung using the usual techniques of modal voice register |
| Leggiero tenor | | See tenore di grazia |
| Musico | musician | Originally, a trained musician; later, a castrato or female singer |
| Mezzo-soprano | middle-upper | Between soprano and alto |
| Passaggio | crossing | A vocal range |
| Soprano | upper | The highest vocal line |
| Soprano sfogato | unlimited soprano | A soprano who has extended her upper range beyond the usual range of a soprano |
| Spinto | pushed | A forceful voice, between the lyric and dramatic in weight |
| Spinto soprano | pushed soprano | A soprano whose voice, while normally of lyric weight and fluidity, can be pushed to a more forceful weight |
| Squillo | ringing | The resonant clarity of an operatic singer's voice |
| Tenore contraltino | | A tenor voice capable of a slightly higher range of sustainable notes than usual |
| Tenore di grazia or Leggiero tenor | tenor of grace or lightweight tenor | A lightweight, flexible tenor voice |
| Tessitura | texture | A singer's comfortable range |
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| Italian term | Literal translation | Definition |
|---|
| Accelerando | accelerating | Accelerating |
| Accompagnato | accompanied | The accompaniment must follow the singer who can speed up or slow down at will. |
| Adagio | ad agio, at ease | Slow and easy (but not as slow as largo) |
| Adagietto | a bit at ease | 1. Slightly less easy than adagio (so slightly faster); 2. a short adagio composition |
| Affrettando | becoming hurried | Accelerating |
| Alla marcia | as a march | In strict tempo at a marching pace (e.g. 120BPM) |
| Allargando | broadening | Slowing down and broadening; becoming more stately and majestic, possibly louder |
| Allegro | joyful; lively and fast | Joyful; moderately fast tempo |
| Allegretto | a little bit joyful | Slightly less joyful than allegro (so slightly slower tempo) |
| Andante | walking | At a walking pace; flowing; moderately slow tempo |
| Andantino | a little bit walking | Less of a walking pace than andante (so slightly quicker) |
| A tempo | to time | Return to previous tempo |
| Fermata | held, stopped, orig. Latin firmo "make firm, fortify" | Holding or sustaining a note |
| Grave | grave, solemn | Slow and solemn tempo (slower than largo) |
| Largo | broad | Slow and dignified tempo |
| Largamente | broadly | Slow and dignified tempo |
| Larghetto | broad-ish | Slightly less dignified than largo (so slightly faster tempo) |
| Lento | slow | Slow tempo |
| Lentando | slowing | Decelerating, slowing down |
| L'istesso tempo | the same time | At the same tempo |
| Moderato | moderate | Moderate tempo |
| Mosso | moved, agitated | Agitated |
| Presto | prompt, quick; ready for action | Very fast |
| Prestissimo | very prompt, very quick | Very very fast (above 200BPM) |
| Rallentando | slowing down | Decelerating |
| Ritardando | retarding | Decelerating |
| Tardo | slow, tardy | Slow tempo |
| Tempo | time | The speed of music; e.g. 120BPM (beats per minute) |
| (Tempo) rubato | robbed | Free flowing and exempt from steady rhythm |
| Tenuto | sustained | Holding or sustaining a single note |
| Vivace | vivacious | Fast and lively tempo (quicker than allegro) | |
| Italian term | Literal translation | Usage |
|---|
| Molto | very; much | Comes before other terms; e.g. molto allegro ("very cheerful") |
| Assai | very; aplenty | Comes after other terms; e.g. allegro assai ("very cheerful") |
| Più | more | Comes before other terms; e.g. più mosso ("more moved/agitated") |
| Poco | little | Comes before other terms; e.g. poco diminuendo ("a little diminishing") |
| poco a poco | little by little | "Slowly but steadily." Comes before other terms; e.g. poco a poco crescendo ("increasing little by little") |
| ma non tanto | but not so much | Comes after other terms; e.g. adagio ma non tanto ("not quite at ease") |
| ma non troppo | but not too much | Comes after other terms; e.g. allegro ma non troppo ("not too joyful") |
| Meno | less | Comes before other terms, such as meno mosso ("less moved/agitated") |
| Subito | suddenly, quickly | Comes before or after other terms; e.g. subito fortissimo ("suddenly very loud") | |
| Italian term | Literal translation | Definition |
|---|
| Attacca | attach, begin | Proceed to the next section without pause |
| Cambiare | change | Any change, such as to a new instrument |
| Da Capo (al fine) | from the beginning (to the "fine") | Abbreviated as D.C., informs the performer to go back to the beginning (capo) (finishing where the part is marked fine). |
| Dal Segno | from the sign | Abbreviated as D.S., informs the performer to repeat a specific section marked by a sign (segno). |
| Divisi | divided | Instructs one section to divide into two or more separate sections, each playing a separate part. Often these separate parts are written on the same staff. |
| Oppure | from o ("or") + pure ("also") | Informs the player of alternative ways to play a passage. See Ossia. |
| Solo | alone | A piece or performance to be played by a single musician |
| Sole | Group solo | A piece or performance to be played by a designated group | |
| Italian term | Literal translation | Definition |
|---|
| Acciaccatura | crunching | An extra, very fast grace note |
| Altissimo | very high | Very high |
| Appoggiatura | leaning, supporting | A type of ornament that creates a "yearning" effect |
| Arco | bow | Cancels col legno and pizzicato. (In any string passage, arco is usually expected, as it is the "default" approach; it is only ever written at the end of col legno or pizzicato passages.) |
| Arpeggio | harp-like | A chord with the notes spread out in time (rather than sounded simultaneously) |
| Basso continuo | continuous bass | Continuous bass accompaniment by chordal instrument(s) and bass instrument(s) (see Figured bass.) |
| A bocca chiusa | in closed mouth | Wordless humming in a choral piece |
| Chiuso | closed | Calls for a horn to be muted by hand. |
| Coloratura | colouration | Elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line |
| Coperti | covered | Of a drum, muted with a cloth |
| Una corda | one string, cord | On a piano, played with the soft pedal depressed |
| Due corde | two strings | On a piano, played with the soft pedal depressed (For why both terms exist, see Piano#Pedals.) |
| Tre corde or tutte le corde | three strings or all the strings | Cancels una corda |
| Glissando | gliding, glossing | A sweeping glide from one pitch to another used for dramatic effect |
| Legato | tied | A series of notes played with a smooth connection between them |
| Col legno | with the wood | Calls for a bowed instrument's strings to be struck with the wood of the bow (rather than drawn across with the hair of the bow). |
| Martellato | hammered | Of notes, strongly accented and detached |
| Pizzicato | pinched, plucked | Calls for a bowed instrument's strings to be plucked with the fingers. |
| Portamento | carrying | Playing with a sliding of pitch between two notes |
| Portato | carried | Played in a style between staccato and legato |
| Sforzando | forcing | Playing with strong, marked emphasis |
| Scordatura | discord | Alternate tuning (of strings) |
| Con sordino | with sourdine (mute) | With mute applied, esp. to string instruments |
| Senza sordino | without sourdine (mute) | With mute removed |
| Spiccato | separated, distinct; standing out | With a stringed instrument, played by bouncing the bow lightly on the strings |
| Staccato | detached | A form of musical articulation in which notes are distinct and separated from each other by short gaps |
| Staccatissimo | very detached | Forcefully exaggerated staccato |
| Tutti | all | Played or sung by the entire ensemble, rather than by just a soloist or principal player |
| Vibrato | vibrating | Played with rapid repetitive variation or undulation in pitch |
| Colla voce | with the voice | (For accompanists) In time with the singer's text, especially when slowing for textual effect |
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