Books › Pronouncing dictionary of musical terms, giving the meaning, derivation, and pronunciation … of Italian, German, French, and other words; the names with date of birth and death and nationality of the leading musicians of the last two centuries; English vocabulary, with equivalents in Italian, Germ, 1896 › scan 92
Scan 92
Pronouncing dictionary of musical terms, giving the meaning, derivation, and pronunciation … of Italian, German, French, and other words; the names with date of birth and death and nationality of the leading musicians of the last two centuries; English vocabulary, with equivalents in Italian, Germ, 1896
58 lines. Read by computer on 24 September 2026. Printed page 88. See the scan on archive.org.
1Sonatilla (It.) (so-na-till'-la), Sonatina (It.) (so-na-tee'-na), Sonatine (Fr.) (so-na-teen). A short, easy, undeveloped sonata.
3Song, Gesang, Lied (Ger.), Chant (Fr.), Canto (It.). (1) Originally a poem. (2) A musical setting of a poem, especially for one voice. (3) Folk-song (Ger., Volkslied). A simple air containing but one member, the words lyrical or narrative (if the poem is a lengthy narrative it is generally called a ballad). (4) Art songs contain several members, and in many cases, as in the songs of Schubert, Franz, Schumann, and others, rise to the highest plane of art expression. The Germans have a word, durchkomponiert, which is applied to songs every stanza of which has a separate musical setting, so designed as to exalt and emphasize the expression of the words.
5Songs without words, Lieder ohne Worte (Ger.), Chants sans paroles (Fr.). A title invented by Mendelssohn and given by him to a set of pianoforte compositions. Songs for several voices are called part songs, q. v.
7Sonoramente (It.). Sonorously.
9Sonore (It.), Sonoro [from Lat., sonus, sound]. Sonorous; sounding.
11Sonorita (It.) (so-no'-ree-ta), con. With resonance.
13Sopra (It.). On; above; upon.
15Soprano (It.), Sopran (Ger.), Dessus (Fr.) (des-soo). The female or boy's voice of the highest range.
17Soprano Clef. C clef on the 1st line.
19Soprano Sfogato (sfo-gah'-to). An unusually high light soprano.
21Sordamente (It.). Veiled, dampened, muffled tone.
23Sordino (It.) (sor-deel'-no). A mute; small instruments of metal, wood, etc., put on the bridge of the violin, etc., to deaden the tone. Pear- or cylinder-shaped mutes of wood, cardboard, or leather are put in the bell of the horn or trumpet with the same object. The use of sordino is indicated by Con S., their removal by Senza S.
25Sordo (It.). Mute; muffled. Clarinetto sordo, muted clarionet.
27Sortita (It.) (sor-tee'-ta). "Going out." Concluding voluntary; first appearance of any character in an operatic performance.
29Sospirando (It.) (sos-pee-ran'-do), Sospiroso (sos-pee-ro'-so), Sospirante (sos-pee-ran'-teh), Sospirevole (sos-pee-reh'-vo-leh) [from sospiro, a sigh]. Sighing; sobbing; mournful.
31Sostenuto (It.) (sos-teh-noo'-to), Sostenendo (sos-teh-nen'-do). Sustained; without haste.
33Sotto (It.). Below. Sotto voce, in an undertone.
35Soubasse (Fr.) (soo-bass). A 32-foot organ pedal-stop.
37Soubrette (Fr.) (soo-bret). A waiting maid; a minor female rôle in comic or comedy opera.
39Sound-board. A thin sheet of spruce-pine, or fir, upon which the bridge that supports the strings of the pianoforte rests. The function of the sound-board is to increase the volume of the tone, which it does by taking up the vibration of the string. There are many unsolved problems in the relation which subsists between the string and the sound-board, as to the manner in which this amplification of the sound takes place. It is impossible to form a conception of the complications in the mode of vibration of the sound-board that must take place when, for example, a full chord is struck. Yet all these complications are not only simultaneous, but they obey the changing conditions of the most rapid execution with such swiftness and certainty that not a note is lost or a tone quality obscured.
41Sound-box. The body of the violin, guitar, etc. The problems as to the function of the sound-box are even more complicated than those connected with the sound-board, as a sound-box is a combination of a sound-board and an enclosed mass of air the vibrations of which have an important bearing on the quality and intensity of the tone.
43Sound-hole. The orifice or orifices in the upper part, called technically the "belly," of the violin, guitar, etc. In the violin family they are called F-holes, from their resemblance to the letter f.
45Sound-post. A slender, cylindrical, wooden prop between the belly and the back in instruments of the violin family, placed under the foot of the bridge on the side of the highest string.
47Sourdine (Fr.) (soor-deen). See Sordinio.
49Spaces. The intervals between the lines of the staff or between the leger lines.
51Spalla (It.). The shoulder. Used in the sentence, Viola da spalla, one of the viols in a "chest."
53Spanischer Reiter (Ger.). See Spanisches Kreuz.
55Spanisches Kreuz (Ger.) (spah-nish-es kroits). Spanish cross; German name for double sharp ✳.
57Sontag, Henrietta G. W. Soprano; Germany. B. 1806; d. 1854.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.