137 Pure Counterpoint

Glossary Alphabetical list of terms with short definitions and cross-references

A cappella. Literally, the chapel style of choral Authentic cadence. The modal *clausula vera (true performance. By the 19th century, it had come to close) cadence that is articulated harmonically by mean unaccompanied choral music such as the a *leading tone. See Dominant function. sacred Renaissance style, but historically instru- ments were often used to accompany and double Authentic mode. A modal scale beginning and vocal parts. ending on its final. See Mode; Plagal mode.

Accidental. A sharp or flat appended to alter a Baroque era or period. In music history, 1600- note. See Musica ficta; Signature. 1750.

Adjacent voices. Different voices with the closest Boundary interval. The intervallic distance be- ranges. For example, Alto and Tenor, but not So- tween the lowest and highest notes of a melodic prano and Tenor. See Voice types. passage.

Alternatim. Textural alternation between chant Breve. See Duration. and polyphony, a technique derived from 1*antiphonal *psalmody. Cadence (cadenza, clausula). The musical gesture of a point of arrival and often, repose. It occurs at Ambitus (Ambit). The overall range of a voice or a the end of a phrase or larger section, marking clo- mode, typically an octave. sure. In polyphony, most cadences are preceded by a *suspension. A cadence pattern could be as Answer. The restatement of a *subject in another short as two notes or quite elongated. See Har- voice or voices, confirming *imitation. In strict monic Cadence. imitation between *equal voices, an answer would come at a unison or octave. Between *unequal Cadence elision. An overlap at the point of a voices the answer would come at a fourth or fifth. *cadence. One voice states a new *subject begin- There are four types of answers: real or exact, ning on the cadence tone. See Dovetail. modal, tonal, and free. Cadence note or tone. The main note of termina- Antiphonal. Alternations between groups of sing- tion and repose for any cadence, acting as a tem- ers, similar to the responsorial format in *chant. porary final. It may be any note except B.

Appoggiatura. An uncommon accented disso- Cadenza sfuggita. Interrupted cadence. See Hock- nance, in quarters and occasionally, half notes. It is et cadence. always resolved by stepwise motion, often down- ward. It may be approached by repetition, step, Cambiata (nota cambiata). A distinct three-note skip, or occasional leap. melodic pattern beginning on a dotted note, fol- lowed by a descending step to a short dissonance, Ars Nova era or period. A sub-period at the end of followed by a descending skip to a consonance. the *Medieval era in music history, c. 1300-1430. A The short dissonance is an *échappée or *escape transition into the *Renaissance era. tone. Two more short notes are often found. Fol- lowing the escape tone, the descending skip and Augmentation. A systematic and proportional an ascending step (all short) move upward again increase in the durations of a musical segment. to a longer note. Opposite of *Diminution. Canticle (canticum). A song from a book of the Bible other than the Psalms. Of many such texts,

1 Cross-reference to topics contained in the Glossary.