The title of a musical composition can be descriptive and refer to the music’s extramusical influences, like the title of a symphonic poem by Liszt which tells us basically what the music is about, or that we should keep in mind a certain programme.
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More often, a composition‘s title denotes form, like with the sonata or rondo, or implies a certain character without presenting an explicit programme.
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Other times still, the title refers to the instrumental forces for which the piece is arranged (a symphony being, almost invariably, a work for orchestra, while a piano sonata speaks of both the form and the instrument employed).
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𝐀𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐞
A piece for equal voices or instruments. Most often scored for trombones, as their sound was deemed solemn and noble—a desirable quality for, in Austria, aequales were commonly played to commemorate the dead.
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Bruckner, two aequali
A piece for equal voices or instruments. Most often scored for trombones, as their sound was deemed solemn and noble—a desirable quality for, in Austria, aequales were commonly played to commemorate the dead.
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Bruckner, two aequali
𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞
A piece of music composed in the style of the barcarola, a traditional folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers. The rhythm of such a piece is reminiscent of the gondolier‘s stroke.
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Chopin, Barcarolle
A piece of music composed in the style of the barcarola, a traditional folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers. The rhythm of such a piece is reminiscent of the gondolier‘s stroke.
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Chopin, Barcarolle
𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞
Typically fast and of a lively or intensely energetic character. The makeup of its components often does not match that of such forms as sonata or rondo. It is, however, by no means formless.
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Mendelssohn, Capriccio Op. 5
Typically fast and of a lively or intensely energetic character. The makeup of its components often does not match that of such forms as sonata or rondo. It is, however, by no means formless.
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Mendelssohn, Capriccio Op. 5
𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐞
A slow, solemn and mournful piece of music; the word “dirge” originates from the Latin “dirige” which is the first word of the antiphon sung for the dead.
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Beethoven, funeral march from Sonata no. 12
A slow, solemn and mournful piece of music; the word “dirge” originates from the Latin “dirige” which is the first word of the antiphon sung for the dead.
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Beethoven, funeral march from Sonata no. 12
𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐲
A piece of a character expressing sorrow or mourning. The term originates from Romantic poetry, where it conveys a similar affect.
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Fauré, Élégie Op. 24
Credits to @StevenIsserlis
A piece of a character expressing sorrow or mourning. The term originates from Romantic poetry, where it conveys a similar affect.
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Fauré, Élégie Op. 24
Credits to @StevenIsserlis
𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲
A fantasy, like a capricio, is of a rather fanciful character. Fantasies are often marked by parts whose moods and tempi sharply contrast with one another.
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Beethoven, Fantasie Op. 77
A fantasy, like a capricio, is of a rather fanciful character. Fantasies are often marked by parts whose moods and tempi sharply contrast with one another.
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Beethoven, Fantasie Op. 77
𝐆𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞
A French dance, usually in 4/4 or 2/2 time. It became very popular during the renaissance and entered into the court of king Louis XIV in the Baroque era.
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Lully, Gavotte (arranged for violoncello and piano)
A French dance, usually in 4/4 or 2/2 time. It became very popular during the renaissance and entered into the court of king Louis XIV in the Baroque era.
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Lully, Gavotte (arranged for violoncello and piano)
𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞
A piece of an eccentric or humorous character. The “humour” in a humoresque usually consists of a pleasant mood in the music rather than that the music should be taken as witty.
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Schumann, Humoreske Op. 20
A piece of an eccentric or humorous character. The “humour” in a humoresque usually consists of a pleasant mood in the music rather than that the music should be taken as witty.
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Schumann, Humoreske Op. 20
𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐮
An piece which has the character of an improvisation. Works bearing this title often sound as if the performer’s playing is prompted by the spirit of the moment.
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Schubert, Impromptu
An piece which has the character of an improvisation. Works bearing this title often sound as if the performer’s playing is prompted by the spirit of the moment.
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Schubert, Impromptu
𝐉𝐨𝐭𝐚
A number of regional varieties of this Spanish dance exist, it used to be frequently sung, as well as danced.
One of the most famous variants of this dance hails from Aragon is accordingly named the “Aragonaise”.
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Bizet, Aragonaise
A number of regional varieties of this Spanish dance exist, it used to be frequently sung, as well as danced.
One of the most famous variants of this dance hails from Aragon is accordingly named the “Aragonaise”.
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Bizet, Aragonaise
𝐊𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐚𝐤
A fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in a duple metre. Together with the Polonaise and the Mazurka, this traditional dance invaded the salons and ballrooms of Vienna and Paris in the 19th century.
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Chopin, Rondo à la Krakowiak
A fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in a duple metre. Together with the Polonaise and the Mazurka, this traditional dance invaded the salons and ballrooms of Vienna and Paris in the 19th century.
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Chopin, Rondo à la Krakowiak
𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨
A piece characterised by slowness and great breadth in phrasing. The appellation was borrowed from the tempo indication “Largo”.
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Beethoven, Largo from Piano Sonata no. 4
A piece characterised by slowness and great breadth in phrasing. The appellation was borrowed from the tempo indication “Largo”.
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Beethoven, Largo from Piano Sonata no. 4
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐭
A piece in 3/4 time based on a stately ballroom dance. Usually part of a multi-movement composition. Together with the peasant dance known as the Ländler, it is one of the precursors of the waltz.
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Haydn, String quartet Op. 76 No. 5
A piece in 3/4 time based on a stately ballroom dance. Usually part of a multi-movement composition. Together with the peasant dance known as the Ländler, it is one of the precursors of the waltz.
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Haydn, String quartet Op. 76 No. 5
𝐍𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞
A piece evocative of nighttime.
It evolved from the notturno, which was played at night, into a piece in which the composer actively seeks to describe the various feelings and atmospheres of night-time.
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Debussy, Nuages & Fêtes
A piece evocative of nighttime.
It evolved from the notturno, which was played at night, into a piece in which the composer actively seeks to describe the various feelings and atmospheres of night-time.
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Debussy, Nuages & Fêtes
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
Originally an opening piece to a dramatic work, it developed from a relatively insignificant introductory passage into an elaborate form and eventually became separated from the dramatic work altogether.
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Mayer, Faust Overture
Originally an opening piece to a dramatic work, it developed from a relatively insignificant introductory passage into an elaborate form and eventually became separated from the dramatic work altogether.
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Mayer, Faust Overture
𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐚
A variations form over a ground bass, consisting of a phrase (usually 8 bars in length) which is subsequently varied. It is usually in a measured 3/4 time.
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Webern, Passacaglia
A variations form over a ground bass, consisting of a phrase (usually 8 bars in length) which is subsequently varied. It is usually in a measured 3/4 time.
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Webern, Passacaglia
𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐭
A piece for five voices.
Schumann's great piano quintet, which combines the classical string quartet of Haydn and Beethoven with a piano, is a most phenomenal example of an instrumental quintet.
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Schumann, piano quintet
A piece for five voices.
Schumann's great piano quintet, which combines the classical string quartet of Haydn and Beethoven with a piano, is a most phenomenal example of an instrumental quintet.
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Schumann, piano quintet
𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
A composition of a sweetly lyrical and mellow character, it often features a simple, dulcet melody and has a quality of intimacy about it.
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Saint-Säens, Romance in F
A composition of a sweetly lyrical and mellow character, it often features a simple, dulcet melody and has a quality of intimacy about it.
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Saint-Säens, Romance in F
𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞
Of the original dance, Cervantes wrote that “hell was its birthplace”. In the 17th century, its reputation improved as it became a slow court dance in France and Italy.
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Grieg, Sarabande from the Holberg Suite
Of the original dance, Cervantes wrote that “hell was its birthplace”. In the 17th century, its reputation improved as it became a slow court dance in France and Italy.
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Grieg, Sarabande from the Holberg Suite
𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚
An Italian dance, usually in 6/8 or 2/4 and proceeding in rapid triplets. Legend has it that dancing a tarantella would cure one of the bite of the Lycosa Tarantula spider.
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Franz Liszt, Tarantella
An Italian dance, usually in 6/8 or 2/4 and proceeding in rapid triplets. Legend has it that dancing a tarantella would cure one of the bite of the Lycosa Tarantula spider.
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Franz Liszt, Tarantella
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