Glossary

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a deux
for or between two

a tempo
(music)in the previous tempo

abele spelen
Dutch plays in the 13th and 14th centuries

accordion
A portable musical instrument having bellows, metal reeds and keyboard

acoustic
relating to sound

acoustics
quality of sound e.g. in a building


acrobat
a performer of spectacular gymnastic feats


acrostic
a poem where initial, middle and /or final letters of the lines make words


act-tune
A piece of music played between the acts of a play.

acting
performing of a role before an audience


actor
a performer in a dramatic entertainment such as a play


actor-manager
an actor who runs the company in which he appears

actress
a female performer in a dramatic entertainment usually a play

ad lib
(speak) without preparation, improvise


aesthete
professed admirer of the beautiful


aesthetic
appreciation of beauty

afterpeice
short play, usually a comedy presented as light relief after a full-length tragedy.

agent
an intermediary who performs various matters of business connected with the theatre.

agile
quick nimble moving

agon
 the fundmental conflict essential to classical tragedy

alienation effect
 the emotional detachment from the drama to emphasise the intellectual significance of what is happening

alternative theatre
see collective creation; community theatre; fringe theatre

amateur
an unpaid playeror someone  who performs as a hobby

amateur theatre
any form of drama where  those involved do not expect payment for their work

anticlimax
an ineffective end to anything that suggested a climax 

antiphony
response, echo 

appoggiatura
(music) the grace-note just above or below primary note


arabesque
(music) passage or composition suggesting fanciful decoration; ballet posture in which body is bent forwards and supported on one leg with the other leg extended horizontally backwards, and where arms are extended one forwards and one backwards


aria
(opera) long accompanied song for one voice

art
skill as opposed to nature

artiste
professional singer, dancer

arty
pretentiously or quaintly artistic

audience
spectators, listeners

audition
trial hearing or seeing of applicant for employment as a performer

auditorium
building or part of building occupied by audience

aural
linked to hearing or the ear

autoharp
zither with mechanical device to play chords

avantgarde
pioneers or innovators of any art

balalaika
A triangular-bodied guitar-like musical instrument with 2-4 strings popular in Slav countries 

ballad
A simple song especially sentimental or romantic

ballade
A poem of one or more triplets of stanzas

ballerina
 female ballet dancer

ballerino
dancing master 

ballet
A theatrical performance of dancing and mime to music 

balletomane
an enthusbiast of ballet

band
group of musicians, especially of wind-instruments

bandmaster
conductor

bandstand
Covered outdoor platform for band 

banjo
A stringed musical instrument with neck and head like guitar and body made like tambourine, played with fingers or plectrum 

baritone
From Greek Barys "Low"
 The male voice between bass and tenor: combining the strength and virility of the bass with the lightness of a tenor; In instruments, the size above the bass.


bass
From Greek basis "foundation"
The lowest male voice; In Instruments, the lowest and largest type of the family; deep sounding in harmonised music
1. Bass profundo ("deep bass"): suitable for expressing such feelings as loneliness, longing, grief and so on;
2. Stronbase:, a typical deep toned Russian bass, produced by special adjustment of the vocal chords;
3. Basso Cantante, a light cantabile bass.



bassoon
A bass musical instrument of oboe family

bel canto
singing with full rich broad tone

bohemian
unconventional person, especially an artist or writer of free-and-easy habits 

bouzouki
Greek form of mandoline 

bunkum
nonsense; ostentatious talking 

burlesque
 variety show frequently featuring strip tease


busker
musician or actor especially performing in street


cabaret
entertainment provided in a restaurant


cachucha
Spanish solo dance 

cacophony
discordant sound

cadence
ryhthm

cadenza
musical passage for solo instrument or voice

cantabile
musical piece in smooth flowing style 

cantata
choral work, short oratorio, or lyric drama set to music but n ot intended for acting 

Cantate
canticle consisting of psalm 98, Latin = sing ye its first word 

cante hondo
mournful Spanish song 

canticle
hymn

cantilena
simple or sustained melody

cantillate
chant, recite with musical tones

canto
division of long poem


cantor
leader of singing in church,

cantorial
of the precentor; of north side of choir


cantoris
music to be sung by canatorial side in antiphonal singing


canzonetta
short light song; kind of madrigal


carillion
tune played on bells; instrument (or part of organ) imitating peal of bells

carol
joyous song especially a Christmas hymn

cha-cha
a ballroom dance with Latin-American rhythm

charleston
American dance with side-kicks from the knee

choir
band of singers performing or leading in musical parts of church service


choir boy
boy who sings in the choir

choir master
conductor of choir


choir school
school maintained by cathedral etc for choirboys and other pupils

choral
sung by choir


choral service
service with canticles, anthems etc 

choral society
people interested in choral music

chorale
metrical hymn to simple tune usually sung in unison

chord
musical group of notes sounded usually together

choreographic
choral dancing to music


choreography
arranging or designing of ballet or stage dance

choric
chorus in Greek play

chorine
chorus girl


chorister
member of choir, choirboy; leader of choir

chorus
group of singers and dancers in musical comedy etc; refrain or main part of popular song; jazz improvision 

chorusgirl
young woman who sings or dances in chorus of musical comedy

chorusmaster
conductor

circus
travelling show of horses, riders, acrobats, clowns, performing animals etc;

clarabella
organ stop of flute quality

clarinet
wood-wind instrument with single reed mouthpiece, holes, keys

classical
a long-established style of music serious or conventional, opposite of romantic or folk, modern, popular

clown
jester esp. in pantomime or circus


collective creation
The development of a new production through the collaboration of a whole company.

comedian
actor in comedy; humourous performer

comedienne
woman comedian 

comedy
light, satirical play, film or broadcast representing every day life and with a happy ending


comic
funny, causing or meaning to cause laughter

comical
causing laughter


community theatre
US - amateur theatre; UK professional companies performing in communities that rarely go to the theatre.



compere
person at variety entertainment who introduces the artists, comments on the turns; master of ceremonies

compose
make up, construct in notes , produce in written form 

composer
one who composes especially music 

concert
musical entertainment by two or more performers 

concert grand
grand piano of the largest size for concerts 

concert overture
musical piece like overture for independent performance 

concert pitch
pitch normally used for performances 

concertgoer
one who attends concerts 

concertina
portable musical instrument consisting of bellows and reeds with set of finger studs at each end to control valves

concertino
simple or short concerto, solo instruments in concerto

concertmaster
leading first-violin player in some orchestras Concise Oxford Dictionary 1982

concerto
musical composition usually in three movements for solo instrument(s) accompanied by orchestra Concise Oxford Dictionary 1982

conductor
leader, guide, manager, director; director of orchestra, choir etc who indicates rhythm by gestures

conductus
musical composition of 12 - 13 th century with Latin text

conga
Latin-American dance of African origin usually with several persons in a single line 

conga drum
tall narrow low-toned drum beaten with hands 

conjure
perform magical effects by natural means


conjuror
one who performs conjuring tricks 

conservatoire
school of music or other arts 

continuo
figured bass (usually keyboard) accompniment

contortionist
acrobat who adopts unusual postures 

contrabass
double bass 

Contralto
The lowest female singing voice, with a range of about an octave above and below E in the treble clef (singing).


contrapuntal
in counterpoint

cotillian
 French dances with elaborate steps, figures and ceremonial quandrille; formal ball 

counter-tenor
male voice higher than tenor but with quality of tenor.

counterpoint
melody added as an accompaniment to a given melody.

crescendo
musical passage performed with gradual incease of loudness

cue
last words of speech in play, serving as a signal to another actor to enter or speak

culture
 intellectual development or civilisation

culture vulture
person eager to acquire culture 

cummerband
waist sash

cymbal
concave brass or bronze plate, struck with another or stick etc to make a ringing sound 

da capo
(musical) repeated from the beginning 

dalsegno
(music) repeated from point indicated 

dance
move with rhythmical steps, glides, leaps, revolutions, gestures to music, alone or with a partner 

dance drama
expression of dramatic situation in dance

dance hall
public hall for dancing 

Dance of Death
medieval representation of Death leading all to grave 

dancer
one who dances in public for money

dancing girl
female professional dancer of a group 

danse du ventre
belly-dance 

danse macabre
Dance of Death

danseur
male ballet-dancer 

decibel
unit of intensities of sound 

decolletage
low cut neck of woman's garment 

decollete
wearing low-necked garment 

demisemiquaver
musical note with three hooked symbol equal to half a semiquaver 

denouement
final resolution in a play, novel 

dias
low platform

dithyramb
Greek choric hymn, passionate poem, speech or writing 

drama
play for acting on stage, radio

dramatic
theatrical; sudden, striking, impressive 

dramatis personae
characters in a play 

dramatist
writer of dramas 

dramatize
convert novel into a play;

dramaturge
dramatist

drum
musical instrumentof hollow cylinder covered with skin or prachment stretchd over opening; percusssion section in a jazz band;

drum major
leader of a marching band 

drum majorette
female leader of a marching band 

drumstick
stick with knob or pad for beating drum

duet
composition for two voices or performers 

dulcet
sweet smooth sound 

dulcimer
musical instrument with strings struck with hammers, prototype of piano 

dulcitone
musical keyboard instrument with steel tuning forks struck by hammers 

durchkomponiert
song having different music for each verse

eisteddfod
national or local gathering for musical competition


emcee
master of ceremonies, compere of show

encore
spectator's or audience's demand for more song

enharmonic
music having intervals smaller than semitone

ensemble
concerted passage in which all performers unite; group of musicians, dancers in ballet

entertain
amuse,

entertainer
professional provider of amusement

envoy
A short stanza concluding ballade; author's concluding words

etude
short musical composition

fable
myths, legendary tales; short story conveying a moral

facetious
marked by pleasantry or joking 

fah
musical fourth note in doh system or the note F

falsetto
high-pitched artificial voice especially by male singers

Falstaffian
like a character of Falstaff; fat, jovial and humourous 

fame
renown, celebrity;

famous
celebrated, well known;

famulous
magician's assistant

fan
devotee of a performer 

fan club
organised group of person's devotees

fan dance
dance in which dancer is nude but partly concealed by fans 

fan mail
letters from fans 

fanatic
person filled with excessive and mistaked enthusiasm


fandango
lively Spanish dance for two;


fanfare
short showy or ceremonious sounding of trumpets, bugles


fantasia
musical or other composition based on several tunes

fantoccini
mechanically worked puppets; marionette show


fanzine
magazine for fans


farandole
lively Provencal dance


farce
dramatic work meant to merely cause laughter,


farceur
 writer of farces

farcical
extremely ludicrous or futile


farded
painted with cosmetics


farruca
type of flamenco dance


festival
 celebratio; performances of special importance


fete
festival, great entertainment,


fiction
narrative literature especially novels


fiddle
violin


fiddle stick
bow for fiddle


fiddler
player on fiddle


fife
small shrill flute used with drum in military music


figurant
ballet-dancer appearing  in a group


finale
conclusion; closing piece of music; closing act in opera or drama


fingering
(music) using fingers to play an instrument


flageolet
small flute with two thumb holes; organ stop of flute quality


flamenco

Spanish gypsy style of song or dance