M
Madrigal
A word of uncertain origin. A name given to contrapuntal compositions in any number of parts. They differ from the motet only in being…
Maestro (It.) (mah-es-tro)
Maestro al cembalo. Old term for conductor of orchestra, so called because he conducted seated at the cembalo, or harpsichord. Maestro del…
Maitrise (Fr.) (meh-trees)
MacDowell, Ed. A. Composer, pianist; U. S. A. B. 1861; d. 1908. Macfarren, Sir G. A. Composer, theorist; London. B. 1813; d. 1887.
Major Scale
One in which the third of the scale is a major third above the keynote. Major Key, or Mode, or Tonality, has the same meaning.
Malinconicamente
Melancholy; in sad, melancholy manner. a Mancando (It.) [from mancare, to want; fail]. Decreasing; dying away in loudness and speed. Manche…
Mano (It.)
Hand. D. or destra, right hand; S. or sinistra, left hand. Manual [from Lat., manus, hand]. An organ keyboard.
Marcatissimo
Maelzel, J. N. (male-tsel). Inventor of the metronome; France. B. 1772; d. 1838. Maggini, G. P. (mad - jee'-nee). Violinmaker; Italy. B…
Marseillaise (Fr.) (mar-sel-yase)
The French national song, composed by Rouget di Lisle. Martelé (Fr.) (mar-tel-leh'), Martellato (It.) (mar-tel-lah'-to). Hammered. In piano…
Ma (It.) – Maschera (It.) (mas-kay'-ra)
A string instrument tuned in octaves.
Masque
Mask. A species of musical and dramatic entertainment founded on mythical or allegorical themes. Mass, Missa (Lat.), Messa (It.), Messe…
Mean
Old name for an inner part in music for voices; also for inner strings of viol, lute, etc. The C clef was also called the mean clef.
Measure
(I) Old name for any slow dance. (2) The portion of music enclosed between two bars. (3) Rhythm. (4) Tempo. Mechanism, Mecanisme (Fr.)…
Meistersänger (Ger.)
Master-singers, the successors of the minnesingers or Troubadours; the most renowned was Hans Sachs, of Nuremberg, the hero of Wagner's…
Melismatic
Florid vocalization. A melismatic song is one in which a number of notes are sung to one syllable, as in the florid passages in Händel's…
Melodrama
A play abounding in romantic and dramatic situations, with or without musical accompaniment. Melodramatic music is music used to accompany…
Melody
An agreeable succession of single sounds, in conformity with the laws of rhythm and tonality. In music for voices the melody is generally…
Melopiano
A piano-forte in which a continuous tone was produced by a series of small hammers which struck rapidly repeated blows on the strings…
Mascherata (It.) (mas-kay'-ra-ta) – Même (Fr.) (mame)
The third degree of the scale.
Ménétrier (Fr.) (meh-neh'-tree-eh)
Mehul, E. N. (may-ool). Composer; France. Mendelssohn, J. L. Felix B. Composer, pianist; Germany. B. 1809; d. 1847.
Minuetto (It.)
Minuet; a slow, stately dance in time, retained as one of the members of the sonata, quartet, symphony, etc., until Beethoven changed it…
Metallo (It.)
Metal; a metallic quality of tone. Bel metallo di voce, fine, "ringing" quality of voice. Method, Méthode (Fr.) (meh-tode), Metodo (It.)…
Mi (It.) (mee)
The name of E in French, Italian, and Spanish. Mi contra fa (mi against fa), the interval from F to B; the tritone; three whole tones.
Middle C
The C half way between the fifth line of the bass staff and first line of the treble staff; the C always indicated by the C clef: ΠOΣ LIO…
Military Band
Consists of (1) brass instruments only; (2) saxophones; (3) brass instruments and clarionets; (4) brass, wood, and saxophones. Minaccivole…
Minim
Merkel, Gustav. Organist, composer; Germany. B. 1827; d. 1885. Merz, Carl (merts). Composer, writer; Germany. B. 1834; d. 1893. Meyer…
Menestral (Fr.) – Minor (Lat.)
Measure. A la mesure, in time. Organ-pipes made of tin, zinc, etc.
Minstrel
See Troubadour. Minstrel has been adopted as the name of the imitation Ethiopians who sing songs supposed to be illustrative of the manners…
Minuet
Mise de voix (Fr.) (meese de vo-a). See Messa di voce. دو Mise en scene (Fr.) (meese ong scayne). The "getting up; putting on the stage of…
Mixed Cadence
A close, consisting of subdominant, dominant, and tonic chords, so called because it includes the characteristic chords of both the plagal…
Mixture
An organ-stop with from three to six small pipes to each note, tuned to certain of the overtones of the fundamental (diapason) used in full…
Mobile (It.) (mo'-bee-leh)
Mode [Lat., modus, manner, way]. (1) A scale in Greek and ecclesiastical music. (2) In modern music used only in conjunction with the terms…
Modulation
(1) Gradation of sound in intensity. (2) Change of key or tonality. Diatonic modulation moves from one key to another by means of chords…
Modus (Lat.)
Moll (Ger.) [Lat., mollis, soft]. Minor. Molique, B. (mo-leek). Composer, violinist; Bavaria. B. 1803; d. 1869.
Minor Chord – Moll-Akkord
The third above the root minor.
Molle (Lat.)
Soft; mediæval name for B2, B being called B durum (hard). The German words for minor and major (moll, dur) are derived from these terms…
Monferina (It.) (mon-feh-ree'-nah)
Monochord [Gr., monos, one; chorda, string]. An instrument consisting of a single string stretched over a sound-board, on which is a…
Monody
(I) A song for a single voice unaccompanied. (2) In modern usage it denotes a composition in which the melody is all-important, the…
Morceau (Fr.) (mor-so)
A "morsel;" a short piece; an extract. A sign indicating a single rapid stroke of the auxiliary note below the principal followed by a…
Moteggiando (It.) (mo-ted-jan'-do)
Motett, Motetto (It.). A vocal composition to sacred words, written in strict contrapuntal style. The madrigal differs only in being set to…
Motive
(I) A short, marked musical phrase. (2) A theme for development. Motion, Moto (It.). Conjunct Motion, movement by degrees. Disjunct Motion…
Mouth-piece
In brass instruments the cupshaped part applied to the lips; in oboe, clarionet, etc., the part held between the lips. [Fr., embouchure…
Movimento (It.)
Movement; tempo. Doppio movimento, double movement; when a change of time signature from 1 to occurs, and it is desired to preserve the…
Musette (Fr.)
(I) A bagpipe. (2) An old dance. (3) In the suite the second part or "trio" of the gavotte, etc., is frequently so called, and is written…
Musician
(I) One who makes a livelihood by playing, singing, or teaching music. (2) A member of a regimental or naval band. (3) A composer of music…
Mutation Stop
Any organ-stop not tuned to the diapason or any of its octaves, as the tierce, quint, twelfth, larigot, etc. Stops of this kind (also…
Mutig (Ger.) (moo-tig)
Mozart, W. A. (son of preceding). Composer, pianist. B. 1791; d. 1844. Murska, Ilma de. Soprano; Croatia. B. 1835; d. 1889. Mysleweczek, J…
Mollemente (It.) (mol-leh-men-teh) – Musars
A rustic dance of Moorish origin.