O
Oblique Motion
When one part is stationary while the other ascends or descends. Oboe (It.) (o-bo-eh), plural, oboi (o-bo-ee); (Fr.) Hautbois (ho-boa)…
Oboe
A reed-stop in the organ, of 8-ft. pitch, voiced to resemble the oboe. Oboe d'amore (It.) (dah-mo-reh). "of love;" a small soft-toned oboe.
Octave Flute
Ottava bassa. An octave lower than written; the sign: 8va Ba... Ottava alta (It.). At the octave above; indicates that the passage is to be…
Octette (Fr.)
A composition for eight solo voices or instruments. Oakeley, Sir H. S. Composer, organist; Oberthür, Ch. (o'-behr-teer). Harpist, composer…
Ode Symphonie (Fr.)
Odeon (Gr.), Odeum (Lat.). A building in which public contests in music and poetry were held. In modern use as a name for a concert-hall or…
Offen (Ger.)
Offertory, Offertorio (It.), Offertoire (Fr.) (of-fer-twar), Offertorium (Ger. and Lat.). (I) The collection of the alms of the…
Ohne (Ger.) (o'-neh)
Without, as ohne Ped., without pedal. A Olio [Sp., olio, from Lat., olla, pot. mixture of meat, vegetables, etc., stewed together]. Hence…
Omnes or Omnia (Lat.)
Omnitonic, Omnitonique (Fr.). All sounding, i.e., chromatic; applied to brass instruments. Ondeggiamento (It.) (on-ded-ja-men'-to)…
Open Notes
(I) The sounds produced by the strings of a violin, etc., when not pressed by the finger. (2) The natural sounds of horn, trumpet, etc…
Open Strings
Oesten, Theodor. Composer, pianist; Germany. B. 1813; d. 1870. Offenbach, Jacques. Composer, conductor, violoncellist; Germany. B. 1819; d…
Opera Comique (Fr.)
In modern German usage the term " Musikdrama" has been adopted to distinguish the modern from the old form of opera.
Operetta (It.)
Ophicleide, Oficleide (It.) [from Gr., ophis, snake, and kleis, key. Lit., "keyed snake," in allusion to its contorted shape]. A large…
Opus (Lat.)
Work; used by composers to indicate the order in which their works were written. Oratorio (It.) [from Lat., oratorius, pertaining or…
Ob – Orchestration
The uppermost manual of an organ. Grand opera; serious opera; tragic opera.
Orchestrion
A mechanical organ designed to imitate, by means of various stops, the instruments of the orchestra. Usual; ordinary; as tempo ordinario…
Ostinato (It.) (os-tee-na-to)
Basso ostinato is a name given to a frequently repeated bass with a constantly varied counterpoint, called also ground bass; frequently…
Overblow
To blow a wind instrument in such a manner as to make it sound any of its harmonics. In the organ a pipe is overblown when the air-pressure…
Overtone
The sounds produced by the division of a vibrating body into equal parts. Overture, Overtura (It.), Ouverture (Fr.), Ouverture (Ger.). A…