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measure: a rhythmic grouping, set off in written music by a vertical barline
Medieval: a term used to describe things related to the Middle Ages (c450-1450)
melisma: a succession of many pitches sung while sustaining one syllable of text
melody: the musical element that deals with the horizontal presentation of pitch
meter: beats organized into recurring and recognizable accent patterns (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, etc.)
metronome: a mechanical (or electric) device that precisely measures tempo
measure: a rhythmic grouping, set off in written music by a vertical barline
mezzo-: an Italian prefix that means "medium"
mezzo-forte: (F) a medium loud dynamic marking
mezzo-piano: (f) a medium quiet dynamic marking
mezzo-soprano: a dramatic woman's voice that combines the power of an alto with the primary high
range of a soprano
microtone: a non-Western musical interval that is smaller than a Western half-step
Middle Ages: c450-1450; an era dominated by Catholic sacred music, which began as simple chant but
grew in complexity in the 13
th
to 15
th
centuries by experiments in harmony and rhythm.
(Anonymous monks, Pérotin, Machaut)
MIDI: an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface; a protocol established in the 1970s that allows
digital synthesizers to communicate with computers
minimalism: a modern compositional approach promoted by Glass, Reich, etc., in which a short melodic/
rhythmic/harmonic idea is repeated and gradually transformed as the basis of an extended work
minor key: music based on a minor scale (traditionally considered "sad" sounding)
minor scale: a family of seven alphabetically-ordered pitches within the distance of an octave, following
an intervalic pattern matching the white keys from "A" to "A" on a piano).
minuet: an aristocratic dance in 3/4 meter
minuet and trio form: the traditional third-movement form of the Classic 4-movement design, based on
an aristocratic dance in 3/4 meter
mode: a scale or key used in a musical composition (major and minor are modes, as are ancient modal
scales found in Western music before c.1680
moderato: a moderate tempo
Modern Era: c1890-present; a musical era impacted by daring experimentation, advances in musical
technology, and popular/non-Western influences. (Debussy, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Copland, Cage)
modulation: the process of changing from one musical key to another
monophonic texture: a single-line texture with no harmony
motet: a polyphonic vocal piece set to a sacred Latin text that is NOT from the Roman Catholic Mass
motive: a small musical fragment ("Lego" block) used to build a larger musical idea; can be reworked in
the course of a composition (as in the 4-note motive in Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor)
movement: a complete, independent division of a larger work
mp3: a modern technology that allows digital CD-quality sound to be compressed into files that are
approximately 8 times smaller than the original, with no loss of quality
Musikdrama: (genre) a type of ultra-dramatic German operatic theatre developed by Richard Wagner in
the mid-/late- Romantic era
musique concréte: (genre) music comprised of natural sounds that are recorded and/or manipulated
electronically or via magnetic tape; a compositional approach promoted by Varése in the 1950s
mute: a device used to muffle the tone and volume of an instrument