Multilingual Music Glossary
E
- early music European music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque.
- easy listening A genre of popular music that is meant to be soothing and relaxing to the listener.
- echo A repetition or mimicking of a certain passage, usually with less force and volume than the original statement.
- eclogue A rustic poem usually having to do with shepherds, springtime and love. In Romantic piano music, a light, lyrical, uncomplicated composition.
- eight note A note having the time duration of one eighth of a whole note.
- eilen
To hasten, to accelerate.
- eilig
Hurried, hasty, speedy.
- einfach
Simple.
- Eingang
An introduction, preface or prelude.
- eingestrichenes C
See middle C.
- einschlafen
Literally, “falling asleep”. A directive to slacken the time and diminish the tempo and the tone.
- elegante
Elegant, graceful.
- elegia
See elegy.
- elegy A funeral song; a mournful or plaintive composition.
- embellishment See ornament.
- embouchure
The placement of the lips, lower facial muscles and jaws in playing a wind instrument.
- emiola
See hemiola.
- emiolia
See hemiola.
- Empfindung
Feeling, sentiment.
- empfindungsvoll
Feelingly.
- en élargissant
See allargando.
- enarmonico
See enharmonic.
- encore
“Again”.
- energico
With energy, vigorous.
- English flute See recorder.
- enharmonic Two notes, intervals, or scales having different names but equal pitch.
- enharmoninen
See enharmonic.
- enharmonique
See enharmonic.
- enharmonisch
See enharmonic.
- enharmonisk
See enharmonic.
- ensemble
A group of musicians that perform as a unit.
- entonación justa
See just intonation.
- envelope An acoustical term referring to the attack, steady state (or duration), and decay of a sound.
- envoi
A short final stanza of a ballade which serves as a summary or dedication.
- envoy See envoi.
- episode Interlude or intermediate section in the baroque fugue, which serves as an area of relaxation between statements of the subject.
- equal temperament Tuning system dividing the octave into 12 equal semitones.
- ernstig
See grave.
- erregt
“Agitated”.
- escala
See scale.
- espressione
“Expression”.
- espressivo
“Expressive”.
- estampie
A type of early instrumental music of the 13th and 14th centuries, consisting of independent sections strung together.
- estinto
Literally, “extinguished”. A directive to perform as soft as possible.
- estribillo
See refrain.
- estro
See verve.
- ettstruket C
See middle C.
- étude
Study piece that focuses on a particular technical problem.
- etuhele
See appoggiatura.
- etwas
“Somewhat”.
- exposition The first statement of a theme.
- expression The blend of feeling and intellect brought to a performance by the performer.