Glossary

Madrigal
A secular, unaccompanied polyphonic vocal composition for several voices and set to a poem. Most popular in Italy in the 16th and 17th centuries, Italian composers included Montiverdi and Gabrieli, and English composers included Morley and Weelkes
Maestoso
Italian for 'majestic' or 'dignified'
Maestro
Italian for 'master' a term often used to describe well-known conductors and composers, and still sometimes used today, mostly by orchestral musicians to address a well-respected conductor
Major/Minor
The two types of scale in Western tonal music
Marcato
Italian for 'marked' or 'emphatic'
March
A marching piece in either slow 4/4 time or quick 2/4 or 6/8 time. The French term is 'Marche', and the Italian term is 'Marcia'
Masque
An elaborate form of aristocratic entertainment popular in England in the 17th century, involving music, poetry, dance and costume - similar to Opera and Ballet
Mass
The central part of the service of the Roman Catholic Church, often set to music
Mazurka
A Polish folk dance in a fairly fast 3/4 or 3/8 time, often imitated by Chopin
Measure
See 'Bar'
Melisma
A group of notes sung to a single syllable
Meno Mosso
Italian term meaning 'slower' (literally 'less movement')
Metre
The way music is divided up into 'beats'. These beats are further divided up by 'Bars' (See 'Bar')
Mezzo
Italian for 'half'. Used in conjunction with dynamic markings such as 'Mezzo Forte' - 'fairly loud' or 'Mezzo Piano' - 'fairly soft'
Mezzo Soprano
The female vocal range between that of a Soprano and a Contralto
Minuet
A fairly fast French dance in 3/4 time, with sections appearing in the form A,A,B,A. The Minuet ad Trio (the 'B' section) became the standard format to use in the third movement of a Sonata, Symphony, String Quartet etc. during the Classical period, although it was gradually replaced by the Scherzo
Mode
A type of eight-note scale used before the advent of the modern 'Keys' of tonal harmony. Modes appear in Medieval music such as plainsong and in some folk music
Moderato
Italian for 'at a moderate speed'
Modulate
To shift from one key to another during a piece of music
Molto
Italian for 'very'
Monody
A Greek term meaning 'single song' used to describe music with a single melody line and an accompaniment, as opposed to polyphony in which all the parts are of equal importance
Monophony
From the Greek for 'single sound', and meaning music with a single melodic line and no accompaniment
Monothematic
Music containing only one theme
Mordent
A type of Ornament which can be either normal ('lower Mordent') or upper ('inverted Mordent')
Morendo
Italian for 'dying away'
Motet
Originally a form of song based on a given set of words and themes, but more recently refers to a religious choral composition used in the service of the Roman Catholic Church
Motif
A short melodic or rhythmic feature used throughout a particular piece of music
Movement
A separate section of a larger work such as a Symphony, having its own character and melodies. Often, different movements of a single work are related in some ways, but each stands as a piece of music in its own right
Musical
Correctly a 'Musical Play', a type of modern-day Opera - a light stage entertainment set to music and often including dance sections
Musique Concrete
French term for Concrete Music. See 'Concrete Music'