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7 Responses to “Can Someone Describe To Me What These Classical Music Terms Mean?”

1. Irwin_19 says:

   January 3, 2010 at 12:03 AM

   Here’s a simple answer to part of your question!
   A Symphony is a showpiece for Orchestra.
   A Concerto is a work for one solo instrument plus Orchestra.
   i.e. a Violin Concerto is for one solo (usually virtuosic) Violinist plus a whole Orchestra as well (playing the backing or accompanying music).
   A Piano Concerto is for One Solo Pianist plus an Orchestra.
2. Mitch says:

   January 3, 2010 at 6:58 AM

   Canon: A song that repeats themes in different voices (an example is Pachelbel’s Canon in D)
   Concerto: a song written for a specific instrument(s), or a specific instrument(s) & orchestra. piano & violin concertos are most popular.
   Fugue: a song with a theme introduced by one voice/instrument, and is taken up by another later, and so on. sort of like a canon, but with changes. sometimes instead of repeating the theme, it is answered in a different way.
   preludes are basically the start of a collection of songs
3. mephisto says:

   January 3, 2010 at 1:41 PM

   Ok I’m not really doing much at work so very briefly.
   Canon
   A composition or passage in which a melody is imitated by one or more voices at fixed intervals of pitch and time.
   It is called imitative counterpoint,
   a fugue uses counterpoint likewise – whats the difference?
   Well, in a fugue, an entire musical theme is stated (or mostly stated) before the next one starts in.
   Whereas in a canon, the first one just gets going when the next one starts.
   Concerto
   A piece of music that contrasts the forces of an orchestra with a soloist or a small ensemble. Most concertos are three movements in length. The first one is usually fast; the second is usually slow; and the third one is usually fast. Most concertos also feature passages that showcase the soloist’s virtuosity.
   Fugue
   A musical form based on principles of imitation, whereby a theme is played successively by different instruments or voices.
   (see Canon above)
   Prelude
   It could either refer to:
   A – a short piece of music that acts as an introduction to a longer piece or
   B – a short piece of music for piano or organ,such as those by Chopin and Bach
   Symphony
   A large orchestral work(sometimes with a choir as well) that is usually in four movements(not always though) each with its own tempo and mood.
   Mass and Requiem are forms of liturgical or church music,especially related to the Roman Catholic Church.
   A Requiem is a mass for the dead.
4. bulbmusi says:

   January 3, 2010 at 7:00 PM

   Canon – basically a round; the voices repeat each other at different times
   Concerto – a piece written for a soloist (often a violin or piano, but could be just about anything), accompanied by a full orchestra, usually with 3 contrasting movements. Piano concertos are one of my favorite classical genres.
   Fugue – a piece that is built from a particular musical phrase, called a subject, repeated throughout different voices. There’s also usually a counter-subject, a different melody that accompanies the main melody. Bach wrote a bunch of them.
   Prelude – basically, any sort of introduction to anything. Bach wrote preludes attached to fugues, but they evolved to be just about anything.
   Symphony – a work, usually 5 movements, written for a full orchestra, and occasionally choir. Often the largest-scale works out there.
   Mass – a musical setting of the words used in the Catholic Mass service, specifically the ones that stay constant every week. One of the oldest genres still alive.
   Requiem – although it could be pretty much anything composed for the death of someone, usually it’s a musical setting of the words used in the Catholic Requiem Mass, plus assorted added stuff.
   Glad you’re another fan of classical music.
5. Tiffany says:

   January 3, 2010 at 8:36 PM

   I’m young and trying to learn as much as I can about the genre. This is what I know:
   Canon- Right here you’re probably thinking of Pachabel’s Canon. Honestly, I have studied most of the major compoers and their works, and this is the only canon I have come across. So this is probably just in reference to the Canon in D by Pachabel.
   Concerto- this is a piece of music for orchestra that features a certian instrument.
   Fugue-Not really too fluent on fuges. I know a lot of famous ones were written for organ, and Bach wrote a bunch of these.
   Prelude- Honestly I don’t know. I’m guessing it has to do with the opening of a certian piece.
   Symphony- A work of music, usually in three movements, for the orchestra.
   Mass (in D for example)- Music for the celebration of mass in the Catholic Church.
   Requiem- a funeral mass in the Catholic Church which all the parts of the mass are sung/played in honor of the dead.
   Hope this helped you out. Good luck.
6. eaglesco says:

   January 3, 2010 at 9:05 PM

   Canon – Canon means “rule” in Latin. The little rule that composers follow is a short melody that begins the piece. A second instrument, or voice, will enter and repeat that melody verbatim. The second line continues to follow the original line.
   Here’s a graphical example:
   1st line: AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE
   2nd line: AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDD
   Check out Bach’s “Musical Offering” for some great examples of canon.
   Concerto – A piece for a solo instrument and orchestra. The solo instrument usually gets to show off and has a more difficult part than the orchestra. A “concerto grosso” is for two ore more solo instruments and orchestra.
   Brahms’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major” is one of my favorite.
   Fugue – Very similar to a canon, except not as strict. A fugue begins with a short melody, or “subject.” A second voice, or instrument, will enter and imitate the subject. After stating the subject, the voices may go into free counterpoint and there may be episodes composed completely of material that is unrelated to the subject. There might even be counter-subjects present to make it even more complex!
   1st voice: AAAAABBBBBCCCCCDDDDDEEEEE
   2nd voice: AAAAAFFFFFGGGGGHHHHH
   Listen to any of the organ fugues by Bach.
   Prelude – A piece that comes before another piece. Preludes are also called overtures or introductions.
   Symphony – A multi-movement piece, usually for orchestra, that follows a strict, traditional structure. The first movement is in sonata form. The second is usually slower and more lyrical. The third movement is often a dance (ex., a Minuet) with a contrasting middle section, and the last movement is usually a Rondo.
   Mass – A Mass follows the structure of the Catholic Latin Mass:
   Kyrie
   Gloria
   Credo
   Sanctus and Benedictus
   Agnus Dei
   Requiem – Mass for the Dead. There are some added and perscribed
7. Alan L says:

   January 3, 2010 at 11:13 PM

   for future reference, wikipedia is a great resource, though I’m sure people here are happy to answer all your questions. You might also try buying a book such as classical music for dummies (not to imply that you’re a dummy, I think those titles are meant to be tounge in cheek).