C2 · 50 words
Musicology in Spanish
Form, counterpoint, performance practice, analysis — how music is written about.
Two entries in this list are la cadencia, and English needs two words for them. La cadencia perfecta is the cadence, the chords that close a phrase. La cadencia solista is the cadenza, the stretch where the orchestra stops and the soloist is alone. We took the second from Italian precisely so as to keep the two apart; Spanish left them in one word and lets the sentence sort it out. And there is a third sense that is neither: la cadencia of a runner or of a speaker is the rate at which the steps or the syllables fall — habla con una cadencia lenta.
The words
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Phrase (41)
la partitura generalthe score that shows every voice at oncePhraseC2
La partitura general muestra todas las voces a la vez.The full score shows all the voices at once.
el manuscrito musicalthe hand-written source, corrections and allPhraseC2
El manuscrito musical revela correcciones del propio compositor.The musical manuscript reveals the composer's own corrections.
la edición urtextthe edition that keeps the author apart from the editorPhraseC2
La edición urtext distingue lo del autor de lo del editor.The urtext edition separates the author's from the editor's.
el catálogo temáticothe numbered list of a composer's worksPhraseC2
El catálogo temático numera las obras de un compositor.The thematic catalogue numbers a composer's works.
la obra atribuidathe work given to a composer on evidence that is still thinPhraseC2
La obra atribuida espera una prueba mejor.The attributed work is waiting for better evidence.
la forma sonatathe shape that states, works and states againPhraseC2
La forma sonata expone, desarrolla y recapitula.Sonata form states, develops and restates.
la exposición temáticathe first part, which sets two contrasting groups side by sidePhraseC2
La exposición temática presenta dos grupos contrastantes.The exposition presents two contrasting groups.
el desarrollo temáticothe middle part, which takes the material apartPhraseC2
El desarrollo temático rompe y recombina el material.The development breaks up and recombines the material.
el retorno a la tónicathe coming home to the key it started inPhraseC2
El retorno a la tónica cierra el arco de la forma.The return to the tonic closes the arc of the form.
la sección conclusivathe closing stretch that goes on past the expected endPhraseC2
La sección conclusiva cierra más allá de lo esperado.The closing section closes beyond what was expected.
el tema con variacionesthe form that changes everything except the framePhraseC2
El tema con variaciones cambia todo menos la estructura.Theme and variations changes everything but the structure.
la escritura fugadathe writing that puts one subject through every voicePhraseC2
La escritura fugada presenta el sujeto en todas las voces.Fugal writing presents the subject in every voice.
el sujeto de la fugathe theme that decides everything that follows itPhraseC2
El sujeto de la fuga determina todo lo que sigue.The subject of a fugue determines everything that follows.
la respuesta tonalthe entry adjusted by an interval so as to stay in the keyPhraseC2
La respuesta tonal ajusta un intervalo para no salirse.The tonal answer adjusts an interval so as not to stray.
el contrapunto imitativothe writing in which the voices imitate and stay independentPhraseC2
El contrapunto imitativo hace independientes a las voces.Imitative counterpoint makes the voices independent.
la conducción de vocesthe moving of the parts, which avoids running in parallelPhraseC2
La conducción de voces evita movimientos paralelos.Voice leading avoids parallel movement.
la armonía funcionalthe theory of why one chord asks for anotherPhraseC2
La armonía funcional explica por qué un acorde pide otro.Functional harmony explains why one chord asks for another.
la cadencia perfectathe cadence that closes without ambiguityPhraseC2
La cadencia perfecta cierra sin ambigüedad.The perfect cadence closes without ambiguity.
la modulación armónicathe change of key made without a joltPhraseC2
La modulación armónica cambia de tonalidad sin sobresalto.Modulation changes key without a jolt.
el acorde de séptima disminuidathe chord that opens a door in any directionPhraseC2
El acorde de séptima disminuida sirve de puerta a cualquier parte.The diminished seventh chord is a door to anywhere.
el bajo cifradothe bass line with numbers, leaving the chords to the playerPhraseC2
El bajo cifrado deja al intérprete completar la armonía.Figured bass leaves the player to complete the harmony.
la realización del continuothe filling out of those chords, different in every pair of handsPhraseC2
La realización del continuo cambia con cada intérprete.The realisation of the continuo changes with every performer.
el temperamento igualthe tuning that spreads the error over every keyPhraseC2
El temperamento igual reparte el error entre todas las tonalidades.Equal temperament spreads the error across all the keys.
la afinación históricathe tuning that gives each key a colour of its ownPhraseC2
La afinación histórica cambia el color de cada tonalidad.Historical tuning changes the colour of each key.
el diapasón de referenciathe pitch everyone tunes to, which has crept upwardPhraseC2
El diapasón de referencia ha subido con los siglos.The reference pitch has risen over the centuries.
el modo eclesiásticothe scale in use before major and minorPhraseC2
El modo eclesiástico precede al sistema mayor y menor.The church mode comes before the major and minor system.
la polifonía renacentistathe many-voiced writing that prefers the line to the chordPhraseC2
La polifonía renacentista prefiere la línea al acorde.Renaissance polyphony prefers the line to the chord.
la monodia acompañadathe single voice with support, out of which opera camePhraseC2
La monodia acompañada abrió el camino a la ópera.Accompanied monody opened the way to opera.
el aria da capothe aria whose first part comes back, decoratedPhraseC2
El aria da capo repite la primera parte con adornos.The da capo aria repeats the first part with ornaments.
la ornamentación improvisadathe decoration the player adds, which is not on the pagePhraseC2
La ornamentación improvisada no aparece en el papel.Improvised ornamentation does not appear on the page.
la cadencia solistathe cadenza the soloist plays alone, once improvisedPhraseC2
La cadencia solista era improvisada y hoy suele escribirse.The solo cadenza was improvised and is now usually written out.
el timbre instrumentalthe quality that tells two identical notes apartPhraseC2
El timbre instrumental distingue dos notas iguales.Instrumental timbre tells two identical notes apart.
la textura musicalthe weave of the parts, thick or transparentPhraseC2
La textura musical puede ser densa o transparente.Musical texture can be dense or transparent.
la serie dodecafónicathe row itself, transformed but never brokenPhraseC2
La serie dodecafónica se transforma pero no se rompe.The tone row is transformed but not broken.
la música concretathe music composed out of recorded soundPhraseC2
La música concreta compone con sonidos grabados.Musique concrète composes with recorded sounds.
la interpretación históricamente informadathe playing that reconstructs the conditions it was written forPhraseC2
La interpretación históricamente informada reconstruye el contexto sonoro.Historically informed performance reconstructs the sound world.
la copia de instrumento históricothe modern instrument built to an old plan, lighter in soundPhraseC2
La copia de instrumento histórico suena más ligera.A copy of a historical instrument sounds lighter.
la práctica de ejecuciónthe habits that were never written down because everyone knew themPhraseC2
La práctica de ejecución no se escribía porque todos la sabían.Performance practice was not written down because everybody knew it.
el análisis schenkerianothe analysis that looks for one underlying structurePhraseC2
El análisis schenkeriano busca una estructura de fondo.Schenkerian analysis looks for an underlying structure.
la transcripción musicalthe writing down of music in a system foreign to itPhraseC2
La transcripción musical impone un sistema ajeno al original.Musical transcription imposes a system foreign to the original.
la recepción de la obra musicalthe history of how a work has been heard, which explains why it is playedPhraseC2
La recepción de la obra musical explica por qué se toca hoy.The reception of a musical work explains why it is played today.
Noun (f) (4)
la musicologíathe study of music as a documentNoun (f)C2
La musicología estudia la música como documento.Musicology studies music as a document.
la particelathe sheet that shows one instrument's part onlyNoun (f)C2
La particela solo contiene lo que toca un instrumento.The part contains only what one instrument plays.
la orquestaciónthe deciding of who plays what, a choice of colourNoun (f)C2
La orquestación es una decisión de color, no de notas.Orchestration is a decision about colour, not about notes.
la etnomusicologíathe study of music inside the community that makes itNoun (f)C2
La etnomusicología estudia la música en su comunidad.Ethnomusicology studies music inside its community.
Noun (m) (5)
el rondóthe form in which a fixed theme keeps coming backNoun (m)C2
El rondó alterna un tema fijo con episodios.The rondo alternates a fixed theme with episodes.
el recitativothe singing that follows the rhythm of speechNoun (m)C2
El recitativo sigue el ritmo del habla.Recitative follows the rhythm of speech.
el leitmotivthe motif that stands for a person or an ideaNoun (m)C2
El leitmotiv identifica a un personaje o a una idea.The leitmotif identifies a character or an idea.
el atonalismothe writing that gives up a tonal centreNoun (m)C2
El atonalismo renuncia al centro tonal.Atonality gives up the tonal centre.
el dodecafonismothe method that orders all twelve notes into a rowNoun (m)C2
El dodecafonismo ordena las doce notas en una serie.Twelve-tone technique orders the twelve notes into a row.
This list belongs to Art and culture — 29 lists and 1450 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.