An étude (pronounced /ˈeɪtjuːd/) is a short musical piece created to help musicians practice and improve specific skills. The tradition of writing études began in the early 1800s as the piano became more popular. Many études from that time are still used in music lessons, especially those written by Carl Czerny and Muzio Clementi.
The word nocturne comes from the French word nocturne, meaning “of the night.” It was first used to describe music in the 18th century. At that time, a nocturne was a musical piece played by a group of musicians in several parts, often performed at evening parties and then stored away. Sometimes, the Italian word notturno was used instead, such as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Notturno in D, K.286, which was written for four groups of paired horns with strings, and his Serenata Notturna, K.239.
A symphonic poem, also called a tone poem, is a type of orchestral music that usually has one long section. It shows or describes the story or idea from a poem, story, painting, or other non-musical work. The German word Tondichtung, which means “tone poem,” was first used by composer Carl Loewe in 1828.
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a type of music played by an orchestra. It is usually written as one long piece without breaks and shows or describes the story of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other non-music idea. The German word Tondichtung, which means “tone poem,” was first used by composer Carl Loewe in 1828.
In music, variation is a method where a musical idea is repeated in a changed version. The changes can affect the melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration, or any mix of these elements. Variation is often compared to musical development, which is a different approach to achieving a similar goal.
A chaconne is a type of musical piece that uses a short, repeated harmonic pattern, often with a repeating bass line called a ground bass. This bass line provides a structure for musicians to create variations, add decorations, and develop melodies. It is similar to another musical form called the passacaglia.
The passacaglia ( / p æ s ə ˈ k ɑː l i ə / ; Italian: [passaˈkaʎʎa] ) is a type of music that began in Spain in the early 1600s. Composers still use it today. It is usually serious in tone and is based on a repeating bass line.
• Canon (fiction), the written works officially recognized as created by an author or credited to an author • Western canon, the collection of important works in literature, music, philosophy, and art that are widely respected in Western countries • Canon of proportions, officially established rules that are required for a specific style of figurative art • Canon (music), a type of musical composition • Canon (hymnography), a type of hymn used in Eastern Orthodox Christianity • Canon (album), a 2007 music album by Ani DiFranco • Canon (film), a 1964 Canadian animated short film • Canon (manga), a work of manga by Nikki • Canonical plays of William Shakespeare, the plays officially recognized as authored by Shakespeare • The Canon (Natalie Angier book), a 2007 science book written by Natalie Angier • The Canon (podcast), a podcast about movies
In classical music, a fugue (pronounced /fjuːɡ/, from the Latin word fuga, meaning “flight” or “escape”) is a type of composition that uses multiple voices or parts. It is built around a main musical theme called the subject, which is introduced at the beginning and repeated throughout the piece in different pitches. A fugue is not the same as a fuguing tune, a style of song found in early American music, such as shape note or “Sacred Harp” music, and West Gallery music.
A toccata is a musical piece that highlights the skill of a performer, usually played on a keyboard or plucked string instrument. It includes fast, intricate passages that show the performer’s ability to move their fingers quickly and precisely. These pieces may also have sections where different parts of the music copy or imitate each other.