Books › Pronouncing dictionary and condensed encyclopedia of musical terms, instruments, composers, and important works, 1895 › scan 56
Scan 56
Pronouncing dictionary and condensed encyclopedia of musical terms, instruments, composers, and important works, 1895
75 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Octave Flute, a small flute an octave higher than the German flute.
3Octave Successions, or "consecutive octaves," the parallel motion of two voices at the interval of an octave, are forbidden in four-part harmony, because they temporarily reduce the number of parts to three.
5Octette, a composition for eight voices or instruments.
7Ode, an air or song; a hymn of praise.
9Oesten, Theodore, the famous arranger of teaching pieces for the piano, was born at Berlin, Dec. 31, 1813. Learned various instruments, and was in great demand as a teacher of piano-forte. Died 1870.
11Oeuvre (Fr. üvr), work; composition; piece. A term used in numbering a composer's production in the order of their composition or publication.
13Offenbach, Jacques, the famous composer of opera buffo, was born at Cologne, 1819, of Jewish parents. Studied music, became orchestral conductor, and appeared as composer in 1853. O. composed 69 pieces and 143 acts within 25 years. D. 1880.
15Offertorium (Lat. of-fér-tō-rĭ ūm). A hymn, prayer, anthem or instrumental piece played during the offertory.
17Ohne (Ger. ö'-ně), without. Ohne begleitung, without accompaniment; ohne pedalis, without pedals (in organ music); ohne dampfer, without dampers (with the pedal pressed down).
19Old Hundredth, The, a tune long associated with the 100th Psalm. Supposed to have been written as early as 1551.
21Ondeggiante (Ital. ön-dăd-jē-ăn'-tě). Waving, undulating, trembling.
23Ongleur (Fr. őnh-glûr). An old term for a performer on the lyre or harp.
25Olimpiade, libretto by Metastasio, composed over 31 times, by Caldara, Leo, Pergolese, Hasse, etc.
27Olympie, lyric tragedy in 3 acts by Spontini, 1819.
29Open Diapason (di-ă-pă'-sŏn). The most important stop in an organ. It consists of metal pipes, of large scale and free and solid tone, and forms the foundation of the tone of the full organ.
31Open Harmony, or Open Position, a position of chord in which the three upper tones of the chord do not fall within the compass of an octave.
33Open Pipe, an organ pipe open at the upper end.
35Open Note, a tone produced by an open string, a free, uncramped tone.
37Open String, a string vibrating through its whole length. Open notes on the violin have more resonance than those produced by "stopping."
39Opera, a drama set to music for solo singers, chorus, orchestra, scenery, and dramatic action. The words of an opera are called the "Book," or "Libretto." Opera dates back to the 15th century. The principal schools of opera are the Italian, in which the singing is the chief thing, the French, in which the dramatic action is chief; the German, which aims at the complete union of action, singing, and music.1 description, and opera buffa in which the absurd and laughable is aimed at.
41Opera Buffa, comic or buffo opera.
43Opera, Italian. The greatest composers of this school were Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Verdi.
45Opera, German. The greatest composers of this school were Gluck, Mozart, von Weber, and Wagner.
47Opera, English, opera in English, by English composers. The principal masters of this school are Balfe and Wallace.
49Opera, French. The principal composers are Halévy, Hérold, A. Thomas, and Meyerbeer, although the latter is also partly German.
51Opera Seria, a serious or tragic opera.
53Opera, Grand, opera in which the dialogue is carried on by means of recitatives.
55Operetta, a little opera.
57Ophicleide (ŏf'-ĭ-klid). A large bass brass instrument, of deep and powerful tone. It has a compass of three octaves from double B flat.
59Opus (Lat. ō'-pŭs, abbreviated op.). Work. Used by composers in numbering their works in the order of their composition or publication, as op. 1, op. 2, op. 3, etc.
61Opus Posthumus, a work published after the death of its author.
63Orage (Fr. ō'-răzh'), a storm. An organ stop intended to imitate the noise of a storm. one of two readings
64Orage (Fr. ō'-rāzh'), a storm. An organ stop intended to imitate the noise of a storm. one of two readings
66Oratorio, a species of musical drama consisting of arias, recitatives, choruses, orchestral accompaniment, etc., performed without dramatic action or scenery. O. was originally performed as a religious service. See Chapter XLI.
68Orchestra, a full combination of stringed and wind instruments. A full orchestra should consist of not less than eighty to one hundred men, disposed as follows: 1st violins 20, 2d violins 18, violas 10, 'cellos 10, basses 10, oboes 2, clarinets 4, flutes 2, piccolo 1, bassoons 2, horns 8, trumpets 4, trombones 3, tuba 1, kettle-drums 2, snare drum, bass drum, triangle and cymbal. In reducing this the horns would be reduced to 4, and as a last resort to 2; the trumpets to 2, and the clarinets to 2. Other reduction would be made in the strings. The smallest number of strings compatible with blending is 5 1st violins, etc.
70Orchestra, that part of a theatre occupied by the orchestra. The chairs adjacent to it.
72Orchestrion, an instrument of the organ kind, arranged to be played by means of a tune-cylinder, or barrel, so as to imitate the sound of an orchestra. Large instruments of this class cost as high as $5,000.
74Organ, a wind instrument the sounds of which are produced by pipes either flue or reed, and played by means of a key-board like the piano-forte. It was invented from A D. 800 to 1400. The essential parts of an organ are a bellows to collect air and force it out through the pipes, wind-ways, a sound-board or wind-chest containing the valves and supporting the pipes, keys for opening the valves, and pipes for making the sound. Large organs contain one large bellows with several feeders, as many wind-chests as there are keyboards, and as many valves as there are keys. Concerning pipes see Organ Stop.
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