Dictionary: U - V

U
@856 uber (Ger.)\Over, above.

@857 ubung (Ger.)\Exercise.

@858 umkehrung (Ger.)\Inversion, reversal.

@859 umore (It.)\Humour. Con umore, with humour.

@860 una corda (It.)\Indication to pianists to use the left (soft) pedal to reduce

the volume.

@861 unlson\ The sound of two or more voices singing simultaneously at the

same pitch. Unison song, a song for several people all singing the same tune.

@862 unruhig (Ger.)\Restless.

@863 unter (Ger.)\Under, lower.

@864 upbeat\The upward movement of a conductor's hand or baton, especially

indicating the beat before the main accent in a bar of music.

@865 up-bow\A bow stroke on stringed instruments from point to heel. See

bowing and down-bow.

@866 utility music or gebrauchmusik (Ger.)\Hindemith's term for works (mainly

in the 1920s) intended to be closer to the public and directed to a social or

educational purpose, utilising idioms in everyday use. Gebrauchmusik was

represented in many forms, including music written to be played by anyone.

V
@867 valse (Fr.)\Waltz.

@868 vamp\Generally this means to improvise a song accompaniment.

@869 variation\The modification or development of a theme, passage or figure

with the theme always remaining recognizable.

@870 vc\Abbreviation for cello.

@871 verismo (It.)\Realism. Particularly applied to Italian opera around 1900

with its violent and contemporary leanings.

@872 verschiebung (Ger.)\Indication to pianists to use the soft (left) pedal.

@873 vibrato\A rapid but minute fluctuation in pitch to give an expressive quality

to a note (e.g. by a violinist's oscillations of the left hand). The degree and

style is related to the intensity of feeling in the music.

@874 vide (Fr.)\Empty. Cordc a vide, open string.

@875 vif (Fr.)\Lively.

@876 virtuoso\A performer with brilliant technique and exceptional skill.

@877 vite (Fr.)\Fast.

@878 vivace (It.)\Lively .

@879 vivo (It.)\Lively.

@880 vla\Abbreviation for viola.

@881 vocalise (Fr.)\A wordless composition for performance (e.g. in an opera or

as an exercise for solo voice).

@882 voce (It.)\Voice.

@883 volante (It.)\Fast and light.

@884 volta (It.)\Time. (1) The terms prima volta (first time) and seconda volta

(second time) are used when a section of a composition, or the composition, is

to be repeated with some change in the final bar(s) indicated by these words

and horizontal brackets; (2) A lively dance in 6/8 time popular in the late 16th

and early 17th centuries in which men swing women high in the air.

@885 volti (It.)\Turn over (the page) quickly. Volti subito, turn quickly.

@886 voluntary\(1) Generally a free style keyboard piece; (2) An organ solo

played before and after an Anglican service.

@887 vorschlag (Ger.)\An appoggiatura.

@888 vorspiel (Ger.)\A prelude.