music dictionary : He - Hn 
 



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He(Chinese) old Chinese name for the sheng
Heada tight membrane, originally of animal skin but now of a plastic material, stretched across the end of a drum that is struck by a stick to create sounds. When made of natural materials, the tension of the head is sensitive to changes in humidity, for example, damp conditions may cause the pitch to fall which the heat generated by television lights may cause the head to 'dry out' and pitch to rise. Plastic heads can reduce these problems and many timpanists have switched to them
the carved elements at the top of the neck of a string instrument including the scroll and pegbox, which is where the tuning pegs are inserted
the tip of sticks used to strike drums with
point of a bow
abbreviation of 'notehead', that part of a note, black or white, that is placed on a line or space to denote its pitch
in jazz, the composed melody and changes of a tune
in jazz, a tune composed by a jazz musician based on the changes to a standard
in jazz, the first time through the melody of a tune, before the solos begin
Head arrangementin jazz, when a band plays an arrangement, worked out during rehearsal but never written down, that is, from memory
Headbanginga type of dance which involves violently shaking the head in time with music, most commonly heavy metal music
Headlineror 'headline act', the top act or performer on a vaudeville or revue bill
Head-motivsee 'motto theme'
Head of bellthe top of the bell proper and the main node of its vibrations. In England, it is known as the crown
Headphonesalso known as earphones, stereophones, headsets, or the slang term 'cans', a pair of transducers that receive an electrical signal from a media player or receiver and use speakers placed in close proximity to the ears (hence the name earphone) to convert the signal into audible sound waves
Head registersee 'head voice'
Headroom(electronics) the difference between the average operating power level of a circuit and the point at which distortion occurs
Head rhymeanother term for alliteration - especially alliteration of consonants at the beginning of words, rather than alliteration of internal consonants within the bodies of words. The name is something of a misnomer, since "head rhymes" usually involve no rhyme at all!
Headstockor 'peg head', on a guitar, that part of the neck where the tuning pegs or machine heads (called 'tuners') are attached
Head tonesee 'head voice'
Head voice'head tone' or 'head register', the highest register of the voice, producing light, flute-like tones, conducive to soft and high singing, so named because when sung the singer feels that the vibrations are being produced in the head
may also be referred to as 'light register'
see also 'chest voice'
the term is used as an alternative to falsetto
Hearingor 'audition', one of the traditional five senses and refers to the ability to detect sound. In human beings, hearing is performed by the ears, which also perform the function of balance, a sense in itself but not one of the traditional list (due to Aristotle). This is in common with most mammals. Many other organisms also have some form of hearing, either by some sort of ear, or by other structures, or by a combination
see 'auditory apparatus' and 'auditory system'
  • Hearing from which this extract has been taken
Hearing impairmenta hearing impairment is a decrease in one's ability to hear (i.e. perceive auditory information). It is important to note that the term "hearing-impaired" is considered offensive by many Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, who prefer the two latter terms
Hearpere(Anglo-Saxon, literally 'harper') a poet or storyteller who, we may imply from this word, used the instrument or the lyre from which it developed
Heartland rockin the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was heartland rock. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average American life, and a conviction that rock music had a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment
Heat-set dryingin printing, drying a web or sheet of paper or board by passing it through a drying unit which forms part of the machine. Special heat-setting inks have to be used
Heavenssometimes used synonymously with "the aloft" and "the above," the term refers more specifically to the canopy over the stage in open-air theatres to protect actors and their costumes from the elements
Heavy, Heavilypesante (Italian), schwer (German), gewichtig (German), lourd (French)
Heavy jiga jig danced in an aggressive manner in heavy shoes, which produce a stamping sound. The heavy jig, Saint Patrick's Day, is the only dance all Irish dancing schools have in common. It is a traditional set dance, with eight people in jig time
Heavy metal(English, Heavymetal (German n.)) genre developed from late-1960s blues progressions played by 'power trios' like Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. According to Allmusic.com, "Of all rock & roll's myriad forms, heavy metal is the most extreme in terms of volume, machismo, and theatricality. There are numerous stylistic variations on heavy metal's core sound, but they're all tied together by a reliance on loud, distorted guitars (usually playing repeated riffs) and simple, pounding rhythms."
Heavy-stress rhymeanother term for a masculine ending in a rhyme
Heb.abbreviation of 'Hebrew'
Hebdomadaire(French m.) weekly
hebdomadaire(French) weekly
Hebei bang zisee 'clapper opera'
Heber, Reginald (1783-1826)Bishop of Calcutta (1822-26), writer of hymns including From Greenland's icy Mountains, Brightest and Best and Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
hebr.abbreviation of hebräisch (German - hébraïque (French)), Hebrew (English)
hebräisch(German) Hebrew, hébraïque (French)
hebräische Sprache(German f.) Hebrew (language)
hébraïque(French) Hebrew, hebräisch (German)
Hebu mataro(Warao, literally 'spirit calabash') the sacred rattle of the wisiratu, the shaman of the Warao of Venezuela, also called the hebu-arotu (the keeper of the hebu)
Hebung(German f.) lifting, arsis
as a result of a misunderstanding of the context of the original Greek writings on this subject, Roman and medieval writers reversed the original meaning of arsis and thesis so that for a considerably time Hebung was taken to be the strong beat and Senkung to be the weak beat
hecho un basiliscos(Spanish) furious
Heckelfon(German n.) Heckelphone
Heckelklarina(German f.) or Klarina (German f.), alternative name for Heckel's clarina (see 'clarina')
Heckelphon(Italian m. from German n.) Heckelphone
Heckelphone(English, French m.) Heckelphon (Italian m., from German n.)
(English, French m.) a double-reed woodwind instrument with the fingering of an oboe, pitched an octave lower (it is about 4 feet long), descending to the bottom of the bass clef (low A). It is similar to a bass oboe (also called 'baritone oboe' or 'baryton oboe'), but has a wider bore. The "general rule" for increasing the bore width when making a bass version of an instrument is to double the cross-sectional area of the bore for each octave down. The Heckelphone has a bore twice the diameter of an oboe bore. The instruments were created after composer Richard Wagner visited the Heckel factory in the 1880s and asked for an instrument that was in the range of a bass oboe and that had some of the qualities of an alphorn. By the time the instrument had been completed Wagner was dead. Fortunately, Richard Strauss 'fell under it's spell' and used it in his operas Salome and Elektra, as well as in his Alpine Symphony. Paul Hindemith wrote a trio for Heckelphone, Viola and Piano
Heelthe end of the violin bow at which it is held
on a guitar, that part of the neck where it curves or is reduced to join the body
Heerdenglocken(German f. pl.) cow bells
Heer-horn(German) a military trumpet
Heer-pauke(German) kettle-drum, tymbal
Heer-pauker(German m.) kettle-drum player, military drummer
Heft(German n.) an issue, a number, a part (a single number of a volume issued in parts)
(German n.) a book, a booklet, a pamphlet, a fascicle, an exercise book
Hefte(Danish, Norwegian) part
heftig(German, Dutch) violent, impetuous, passionate, boisterous, fervent, vehement
heftig drängend(German) violently pressing forward
heftige Kritik (an)(German f.) diatribe (on)
heftiger(German) violent, more passionate
Heftigkeit(German f.) intensity, impetuosity, vehemence
Heftzwecke(German f.) drawing-pin
HegedüHungarian violin
Hegira(Latin, from the Arabic) or Hijra (the withdrawal), is the emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word in the Latin alphabet is Hijrah
Heightened neumesneumes displaced vertically in order to give some indication of relative pitch
heimlich(German) secret, furtive, stealthy, gioioso, secretly, mysteriously
Heimweh(German n.) homesickness
Heinichen's circle of fifthssee 'circle of fifths'
Heirarchyan arrangement of objects, people, elements, values, grades, orders, classes, etc., in a ranked or graduated series/td>
Heirarchy of scalein art, an artistic convention in which greater size indicates greater importance
Heiratsabsichten(German f.) intentions (relating to courtship and marriage)
Heiratsantrag(German m.) suit (of marriage), proposal (of marriage)
Heiratsanzeige(German f.) marriage announcement
heiratsfähig(German) eligible, marriageable, nubile
heiratslustig(German) marrying
Heiratsurkunde(German f.) marriage certificate
Heiratsvermittler(German m.) matchmaker
Heiratsversprechen(German n.) promise of marriage
Heirmologiona codex containing heirmoi (sing. heirmos)
Heirmosthe leading stanza of a kontakion
heiser(German) hoarse
Heiserkeit(German f.) hoarseness
heiß(German) hot, ardent
heiss(German) hot, ardent
heiter(German) calm, serene, cheerful, clear, bright
HejjujArabic word for Gnawan lute, the sintir
Hekt1/13000 part of a pure twelfth. The Hekt was defined by Heinz Bohlen as the hundredth part of a step of the equal tempered version of the Bohlen-Pierce scale: the 13th root of 3/1. Hekt are therefore the BP analogon to cents. See H. Bohlen, 13-Tonstufen in der Duodezime, Acustica vol. 39, 1978. There are 820.2086796 Hekt to the octave
hektisch(German) hasty
Hel
semibreve(Swedish, Danish) whole note, semibreve
Heldtenuto (Italian), ausgehalten (German), tenu (French)
Held backritenuto (Italian), zurückgehalten (German), retenu (French)
Heldenbariton(German m.) or Hoherbass, dramatic or heroic baritone
heldenhaft(German) heroic
Heldenlied(German) heroic song
Heldentenor (s.), Heldentenöre (pl.)(German m.) or Tenorbariton, full dramatic tenor
Hele(Finnish) (musical) ornament
Hele noot
semibreve(Dutch) whole note, semibreve
Hele rust
semibreve rest(Dutch) a semibreve rest, a whole rest
Hele toon(Dutch) whole tone, the interval of a major second
Hele toonsafstand(Dutch) whole step, tone
Hele-toons toonladder(Dutch) whole note scale
Heliconelicon (Italian m.), Helikon (German n.), hélicon (French m.), helicón (Spanish m.), a type of tuba, invented in Vienna in 1845, that coils around the players body, the precursor of the sousaphone
a mountain in central Greece, on which was situated a spring and a sanctuary sacred to the Muses
(ancient Greek) or Helikon, an ancient instrument or construction invented by Ptolemy, for demonstrating, or measuring, consonances, or sounds
Helicón(Spanish m.) helicon, elicon (Italian m.), Helikon (German n.), hélicon (French m.)
Hélicon(French m.) helicon, elicon (Italian m.), Helikon (German n.), helicón (Spanish m.)
Helikon(German n.) helicon, elicon (Italian m.), hélicon (French m.), helicón (Spanish m.)
(ancient Greek) or Helicon, an ancient instrument or construction invented by Ptolemy, for demonstrating, or measuring, consonances, or sounds
Heliogabalusor Elagabalus, a Syro-Roman sun god
Heliographor heliogravure, a process invented by Nicephore Niepce in which a metal plate is coated with photosensitive bitumen and exposed to light, either through a positive transparency, or directly by placing the plate in a camera. Light makes bitumen insoluble so the image areas can be washed out with solvent that exposes the plate. The plate can now be etched and printed in the intaglio method resulting in a gravure-like continuous toned print. The process was mostly used for commercial printing between 1870 and 1914, though it is occasionally still used today
Heliotypea variant of the collotype process developed by the London photographer Ernest Edwards in 1869 (patented 1870)
Helium voiceWARNING - Breathing helium can be very dangerous
many people, on hearing the voice of someone who has breathed helium, believe wrongly that the person's speech pitch has increased
a cavity will have certain resonant frequencies. These frequencies depend on the shape and size of the cavity and on the velocity of sound within the cavity. Human vocal cords vibrate non-sinusoidally in the vocal tract, giving rise to a range of frequencies above the fundamental. The vocal tract mainly enhances lower frequency components imparting the recognizable voice spectrum
the velocity of sound in helium is much greater than in air, so breathing helium will raise the vocal tract's resonant frequencies. Although the vocal cords' vibrational frequencies are little affected by helium, the effect of higher cavity resonances is to alter substantially the relative amplitudes of the voice spectrum components thus leading to apparent pitch change
Helix (s.), Helices (pl.)(Latin from Greek) anything have the shape of the thread of a screw
hell(German) clear, bright
Helladica modern archaeological term meant to identify a sequence of periods characterising the culture of mainland ancient Greece during the Bronze Age
Hellenicin linguistics, the branch of Indo-European including classical and modern Greek
helle Stimme(German f.) clear voice
hellhörig(German) poorly soundproofed
Hell mouthwhen medieval theatre developed, it was common to paint the entry onto a stage so the entry would resemble a gaping demon's mouth. This "hell mouth" would either be located on one side of the stage or it would be a trap-door in the floor. During morality plays and mystery plays, actors playing demons would enter through the hell mouth in order to dramatically grab sinners and drag them off to hell. By the time of the Renaissance, the term 'hell mouth' was used to refer to any trap-door in the bottom of the stage. At Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, for instance, the cellerage, or the entire area under the stage was referred to as "hell," and the area above the stage, where musicians played, was often referred to as "the heavens"
Helmholtz pitch notation
Helmholtz resonatorsresonance in acoustics occurs when some mass-spring combination is supplied with energy. Many musical instruments rely on air resonance to improve their sonority. If you blow across the mouth of a bottle you can often get a note. The bottle behaves as a Helmholtz resonator. The main volume of air inside the bottle is analogous to a spring, whilst the "plug" of air in the neck acts as an attached mass
the resonant frequency of a Helmholtz resonator is roughly given by
 
f = { c (S/LV) } / 2π
 
c is velocity of sound
S is the surface area of the neck opening
V is bottle volume
L is the effective length of the neck, i.e. the actual length plus end correction
End correction ~ 1.5 times radius of neck opening
Example: A 75 cl (7.5E-4 m3) wine bottle with neck diameter 19 mm, bottle neck length 8 cm, air temp = 20 deg C
calculated resonance = 109 Hz (actual resonance was 105 Hz)
Helmholtz resonators are sometimes employed as a means of passive noise control in air conditioning ducts. They may also be hidden in the wall design of auditoria and offices in order to improve the acoustics
Helmholtz temperamentsee 'schismatic temperament'
Helnode
semibreve(Danish) whole note, semibreve
Helnodespause
semibreve rest(Danish) a semibreve rest, a whole rest
Helnot
semibreve(Swedish) whole note, semibreve
Helpaus
semibreve rest(Swedish) a semibreve rest, a whole rest
Helper accidentalson an accordion, buttons with assigned notes which fall outside the diatonic system, notes often needed by players but which either do not appear in the diatonic system, or appear only in one bellows direction
Helper rowon an accordion, the row closest to the bellows on the 'Club System' instrument, the helper row contains only helper accidentals
Helton(Swedish) whole tone, the interval of a major second
Heltone(Danish) whole tone, the interval of a major second
Helvetia Figuresone of the big circle figures danced by all couples in one large circle facing the centre which are traditionally associated with square dancing
Hembrathe larger of any two paired percussive instruments (e.g. bongos, clave, timbales) generally considered to be the 'female' element
Hemidemisemiquaver
hemisemidemisemiquavera sixty-fourth note, a note one sixty-fourth the time value of a whole note or semibreve, Vierundsechzigstelnote (German), quadruple croche (French f.)
Hemidemisemiquaver rest
hemidemisemiquaver resta sixty-fourth rest, a rest one sixty-fourth the time value of a whole note rest or semibreve rest, Vierundsechzigstelpause (German), seizième de soupir (French)
Hemidiapente(Greek) an imperfect or diminished fifth
Hemiditonea minor third
Hemiditonos(Greek) a lesser, or minor, third
Hemiola(Greek hemiolios, literally 'the whole and a half') also called 'cross-rhythm', a rhythmic pattern where two notes are played in the time allotted to three or where three notes are played in the time allotted to two (the latter is also called a 'triplet')
an interval of a fifth, so called because expressed in string-lengths the interval represents two sounding strings of identical gauge and under identical tension the ratio of whose lengths is 3:2
Hemiole(German f.) hemiola
Hemiolia(English) hemiola
Hemiope(Greek) a small ancient fife or flute with three holes
Hemitonea semitone (half-step)
Hemitonic scalea term describing a scale that includes, between successive notes, one or more intervals of a semitone (half step)
Hemitoniuma semitone, a half-step
hemos tenido una charla muy amena(Spanish) we had a very pleasant chat
Henan operacommonly called Henan bangzi, the name 'Henan Opera' began to be used after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Henan Opera is popular among the provinces or regions of Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Hubei, Ningxia, Xinjing, and so on, making it one of the most influential operas in China
Hendiadys(Latin from Greek) in linguistics, a figure of speech in which a concept normally expressed by adjective and noun is expressed by two nouns joined by 'and'
  • Hendiadys from which this extract has been taken
Hendrix chordHendrix chord
in music, the dominant 7#9 chord, now known among guitarists as the Hendrix chord, or the Purple Haze chord, is an extended dominant chord using the sharpened or augmented ninth, named for guitarist Jimi Hendrix. The notes of the chord are G B D F A#
  • Hendrix chord from which this information and image have been taken
Hengchui(Chinese, literally 'blowing horizontally') the name given to flutes during the the reign of the second emperor of the Han Dynasty, first century BC
Hengitysmerkki(Finnish) breath mark
Henotheistthe worship of one god without denying the existence of other gods or spiritual powers, as opposed to monotheism (the belief in and worship of one god), dualism (the belief that one good and one evil deity of equal power exists, often with one associated with the spiritual world and the other associated with the material world), or polytheism (the belief in and worship of multiple gods)
Heortologarionin the Orthodox rite, a codex containing all the chants to be sung on the Great Feasts of the Church
Heptachordthe interval of a seventh, a collection of seven diatonic notes, an instrument having seven strings
Heptachordon(Greek) the major seventh
Heptacorde(French m.) heptachord
Heptacordo(Spanish m.) heptachord
Heptamérideor eptaméride, 1/301 part of an octave. Both spellings are used by Sauveur (see méride and savart). Sauveur's rule to find the number of heptamérides of intervals smaller than 7/6 is as follows: multiply the difference of numerator and denominator with 875 and divide by the sum of numerator and denominator and round the result to the nearest integer. This is known as the bimodular method of approximating logarithms and can be used for other measures as well
Heptameteralso called 'septenary', a line consisting of seven metrical feet
Heptanesian cantatha(Greek) or Eptanissian song', an urban popular song usually sung by three male voices in chorus, it is characterized by simple harmonic improvisations and accompanied by guitar, mandolin or other similar instruments. Although Italian music greatly influenced this serenading type of music with its sweet, nostalgic melody and romantic words based primarily on love, it originated in Kephalonia. at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Due to its popularity, it spread rapidly to other Ionian islands, especially Zakynthos and Kerkyra before eventually reaching the mainland of Greece
Heptarchythe seven territories or kingdoms making up Anglo-Saxon England, namely, Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, Essex, Sussex, and Wessex
Heptatonia secondaascending melodic minor scale
Heptatonic scalea scale of seven notes
Heptatonik(German f.) heptatonic
heptatonisch(German) heptatonic
herabstrich(German) down-bow on a violin or viola
Heraldic compositionin art, a composition that is symmetrical on either side of a central figure
Heraldrythe study of coats-of-arms and aristocratic insignia, or the creation of such items according to medieval custom
heraufgehen(German) to ascend
heraufstrich(German) up-bow on a violin or viola
heraufziehen(German) to pull up
[entry provided by Michael Zapf]
herausgeben(German) to edit, to publish
(German) to hand over
Herausgeber(German) editor, publisher
[corrected by Brian A. Jefferies]
see Redakteur
herausgegeben(German) edited, published, published by
[corrected by Brian A. Jefferies]
see publiziert
herausgegeben von ...(German) edited by ....
herausklatschen(German) curtain call
herausnehmen(German) to take out, to gut (fish), to draw (chicken, etc.), to fleece (familiar)
[clarified by Michael Zapf]
herausplatzen(German) to burst out laughing
herauswachsen(German) to outgrow
Herbarium (s.), Herbaria (pl.)(Latin) a collection of dried plants systematically arranged
Herb salta salt flavoured with herbs
Herbst(German m.) autumn
Herbstlied(German n.) autumn song
hercio (s.), hercios (pl.)(Spanish m.) hertz, Hz (unit of frequency = 1 cycle per second)
Herdringen manuscripts 9820/9821copied by a German speaker probably in the 1540s, the Herdringen manuscripts 9820 and 9821 contain some sixty works presented in score. The selection of pieces is rather different from that of most other retrospective collections of these years, such as those of the Glareanus circle or the printers in Nuremberg and Frankfurt. The works of Josquin chosen include otherwise unknown or obscure chansons and the motet Misericordias Domini as well as his four-voice En l'ombre d'ung buissonet ascribed to Ockeghem. And they appear alongside a surprising group of works by Agricola, Brumel, Antoine de Févin and others, including many apparently unknown pieces. The books represent what is, in the context of other known collections, a fresh and original view of the years around 1500. In addition, the copyist plainly looked at the works with an analytical intent. Marks on the scores draw attention to parallel movement, difficult suspensions, odd simultaneities, and so on
Herdruk(Dutch) reprint
Hereditythe process by which characteristics are transmitted from parent to child by genes
Heresy(from Greek, 'choice') the formal denial or doubt of any defined doctrine of the church
Hereticperson who has expressed formal denial or doubt of any defined doctrine of the church
Herhaal(Dutch) repeat
Herhaling(Dutch) repetition, reprise
Heriot(Anglo-Saxon here + geatwe, "army-gear") Heriot has two different meanings, depending upon whether we speak of the early Anglo-Saxon period or the later part of the medieval period. In its earliest sense, heriot was the gift of arms and armour an Anglo-Saxon chieftain or hlaford would give to his thegn, a warrior who vowed to serve him, to fight for him, and to avenge his master's death. Upon the thegn's death, the heriot would return to the hlaford. This gift of weaponry was a essential part of Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. In later historical periods, when the custom of direct military service became less vital, heriot degenerated into a tribute or service given to a lord on the death of his tenant, in which the eldest son of the tenant would provide the service much like the eldest son of the ancient thegn might return the arms and armour to the chieftain who originally gave it to the thegn
Heritage Craft Schoolestablished in Chailey, Sussex, in 1903 as a spin off from the Bermondsey Settlement, set up by Grace Kimmins under the banner of the "Guild of the Brave Poor Things". The Heritage Craft Schools and Hospitals for Cripples believed that disabled children could not be trained to their full capacity in city slums and so set up residential schools in the country. The Guild motto was "Happy in My Lot"
Herkunftskennzeichnung(German f.) mark of origin
Herleving(Dutch) revival
Herm (s.), Herma (pl.), Hermai (pl.)in Greco-Roman archeology, a herm is a stone, bronze, or terracotta marker - originally placed at cross-roads or at estate and territorial boundaries, though in classical Athens, homeowners would erect herma outside the entrances of their houses for good luck
Hermana(Spanish f.) sister
Hermanastro(Spanish m.) stepbrother
Hermanastra(Spanish f.) stepsister
Hermannor HV (Herrman-Verzeichnis), reference to Hildegard Hermann's Thematisches Verzeignis der Werke von Joseph Eybler (pub. Munich, 1976)
Hermano(Spanish m.) brother
Hermeneuticsthe development and study of theories of the interpretation and understanding of texts
hernach(German) hereafter
Heroicof, fit for, or like a hero, very brave, eroico (Italian), heroisch (German), héroïque (French)
Heroic Age of Greecealso known as the Homeric Age, the period between 1200-800 BC
Heroic couplettwo successive rhyming lines of iambic pentameter. The second line is usually end-stopped. It was common practice to string long sequences of heroic couplets together in a pattern of aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff, and so on. Because this practice was especially popular in the Neoclassic Period between 1660 and 1790, the heroic couplet is often called the neoclassic couplet if the poem originates during this time period
Heroicomicala humorous poem taking the conventions of heroic Greek literature and using them to comic effect
Heroicshigh-flown language or sentiments, unduly bold behaviour
Héroïque(French) heroic
heroisch(German) heroic
Heroísmo(Spanish m.) heroism
Herramienta artística(Spanish f.) artistic device, artistic tool
Herrenvolk(German n.) the master-race, a race predestined to rule the world
hersingen(German) to sing, to recite in a singing manner
Herstellingsteken
natural(Dutch) the sign placed before a note that is neither sharpened or flattened
Herstrich(German m.) the stroke of the bow from heel to point on the cello or double-bass, which corresponds to the down stroke on a violin or viola
Hertz (German), hertz (English)(English, German n.) the unit in which the frequency of a note is measured where one hertz is one cycle per second (cps), named for Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1857-1894) a German physicist who was the first to produce radio waves artificially - the frequency range of human hearing is from 20 Hz to 20 kHz (20,000 Hz). It is abbreviated using an upper-case initial letter (Hz) and is written in full using an lower-case initial letter (hertz)
one kHz = 103 Hz = 1000 Hz; one MHz = 106 (one million) Hz; one GHz = 109 Hz
hertzio(Spanish) hertz (unit of frequency, cycles per second)
Heruli(spelled variously in Latin and Greek) a nomadic Germanic people, who were subjugated by the Ostrogoths, Huns, and Byzantines in the 3rd to 5th centuries. The name is related to earl and was probably an honorific military title. One of the Heruli, Odoacer, deposed the last Western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus
herunterstimmen(German) to tune a string down to a specified note
Herunterstrich(German m.) Herabstrich, down-bow on the violin or viola
hervor(German) out
hervor aus(German) out of
hervorbringen(German) to produce, to utter (word)
hervorgehen(German) to come, to emerge, to follow
hervorgehen aus(German) to follow from
hervorgehoben(German) to emphasise a melody, emphasised, risaltato (Italian), mis en relief (French)
hervorheben(German) to stress, to emphasise
Hervorhebung(German f.) stress, emphasise
see Betonung
hervorquellen(German) to stream out, to bulge
hervorragen(German) to jut out, to stand out (figurative)
hervorragend(German) underlined, prominent, emphasised (for example, a melody)
(German) superb, outstanding (for example, when describing a performance)
[corrected by Brian A. Jefferies]
Hervorruf(German m.) curtain call
hervorrufen(German) to cause (figurative)
hervorstehen(German) to protrude
hervortr.abbreviation of hervortretend
hervortreten(German) to protrude, to bulge, to stand out (figurative)
hervortretend(German) prominently, emphasised
Herzenwunsch(German m.) heart's desire
herzhaft(German) hearty, charming
herzien(Dutch) revised
Herzig(German) hearty, heartily, tenderly
herzlich(German) heartfelt, affectionate, tenderly, delicate emotion
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!(German) Happy Birthday!
Herztöne(German m. pl.) cardiac sounds
Hes
note B flat
(German n.) the note 'B flat' (which in German is called 'B')
Heses, heses
note B double flat
(German n.) the note 'B double-flat' (written in Germany as Bb)
we have also included Bes as a translation for the note B double flat, although Michael Zapf confirms that, in Germany today, Bes is considered incorrect. The correct German word is Heses
hésitant(French) hesitating
Hesitationsmomentary stoppages of flow
in regard to speech, pauses in speech flow
Hesitation stepsimilar to a step used in the pavane, the 'hesitation step' survives today in weddings
Hesitation waltzsee 'Boston'
a variety of the true Valse that can very easily be performed once the Valse is known. Defined in a nutshell, the "Hesitation" is a halt on one foot (with the other foot suspended in the air) during the whole "1-2.3" of the beat of the music, or during the "2.3" only of every alternate "1-2.3." The ways of performing the "hesitation" are many and varied, and no way can be said to be more orthodox or correct than any other
hésiter à(French) to hesitate to
Hetaera (s.), Hetaerae (pl.)(Latin from the Greek, hetaira (s.), hetairai (pl.)) a mistress, a prostitute
the Greek hetaira was often a very highly-educated woman
he tenido alguno que otro(Spanish) I've had one or two
heterocl.abbreviation of 'heteroclite' (an irregularly declined or inflected word)
Heteroclitesomething or someone that deviates from the ordinary rule, an anomaly
Heterofonie(German f.) heterophony
heterofonisch(Dutch) heterophony
Heterogeneousmade up of dissimilar components, a large degree of variation within a population
Heteroglot reeda reed that is separate to the instrument, and which might be tied to the upper side of the mouthpiece and therefore vibrates between the mouthpiece and the player's upper lip
see 'idioglot reed'
Heterophonie(German f.) heterophony
Hétérophonie(French) heterophony
Heterophonytwo or more lines performing the same melody, maybe anticipating it or following it a beat or more behind, or applying different embellishments, a conjectural way of performing medieval repertoire, for example, songs of the troubadour and trouvère tradition, although similar traditions continue even today
the term heterophony was coined by Plato (c.428-c.347 BC)
Heterotopiain medicine, displaced or abnormally places organ, tissue, etc.
in general, occuring or appearing in different habitats
heterotopias: "[r]eal places ... which are something like counter-sites, a kind of utopia in which all of the real sites that can be found within a culture are simultaneously represented, contested and inverted. Places of this kind are outside of all places ..." [Michel Foucault (1926-1984), French historian and philosopher]
het stemmen(Dutch) accordance (in an instrument)
het van het blad lezen(Dutch) sight-reading
het van het blad zingen(Dutch) sight-singing
het Volkslied(Dutch) national anthem
heures de grande écoute(French) peak time
Heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour.(French) Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.
Heuriers-matiniers(French) or heuriers et matiniers, officials who were required to sing the Office and the Mass on a regular basis at Chartres Cathedral. It is reported that they were expected to be able to sing Matins in the dark and were liable to pay a fine if unable to sing the Psalter from memory
heute in acht Tagen(German) a week today
he visto algunas(Spanish) I've seen some
Hexachord(English, German n./m., Latin, hexachordum) esacordo (Italian m.), hexacorde (French m.), hexacordo (Spanish m.), a group of six consecutive notes separated by a tone (whole-step) or semitone (half-step), in particular with reference to the solmization syllables proposed by Guido d'Arezzo
there are three hexachords
hard or durumfrom G (i.e. G, A, B natural, C, D, E), i.e. hexachordum durum
natural or naturalefrom C (i.e. C, D, E, F, G, A), i.e. hexachordum naturale
soft or mollefrom F but using B flat (i.e. F, G, A, B flat, C, D), i.e. hexachordum molle
Hexachordon(Greek) a major sixth
Hexacorde(French m.) hexachord
Hexacordo(Spanish m.) hexachord
Hexameron(Greek) a set of six musical pieces or songs
Hexametervery common in Greek and Latin literature, less common in English, a line consisting of six metrical feet
Hexatonicof or using only six notes
Hexatônica(Portuguese) hexatonic
Hexatonic scalea scale with six notes
Hexentanz(German m.) witches' dance, a witches' sabbath (especially as represented in art or music)
Heysee 'haye'
Heyesee 'haye'
Hfeabbreviation of Harfe (German: harp - harpe (French))
HFPAHollywood Foreign Press Association - they present the Golden Globes
HHAabbreviation of Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (German: Halle Edition of music by Handel)
Hialemos(Greek) an elegy, a lament
Hiatus (s.), Hiatus (pl.)(Latin) a gap (for example, in some logical or continuous sequence), a lacuna
in linguistics, the juxtaposition of two vowels (not forming a dipthong) with no intervening consonant
Hichirikia Japanese double-reed wind instrument similar to the oboe
Hic jacet(Latin, literally 'here lies') an epitaph, an inscription on a tomb, etc.
Hick rocksee 'alternative country'
Hidalgo(Spansh m.) a gentleman by birth
Hidalguense, elthe state of Hidalgo, named after Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, is located in the mid-eastern Mexico. It is rich with important mineral deposits of gold, silver and zinc. El Hidalguense one of the many Huasteco musical pieces used in dancing
hidastaen(Finnish) ritenuto, reduce tempo immediately
hidastuen(Finnish) ritardando, reduce tempo gradually
Hidden consecutiveshidden consecutives occur when two independent parts approach a single perfect fifth or an octave by similar motion instead of oblique or contrary motion. Conventional style dictates that such an interval, often called an exposed fifth or exposed octave, be avoided. But this is sometimes permitted under certain conditions, such as the following: the interval does not involve either the highest or the lowest part, the interval does not occur between both of those extreme parts, the interval is approached in one part by a semitone step, or the interval is approached in the higher part by step. The details differ considerably from period to period, and even among composers writing in the same period
Hidden fifthsapproaching fifths by similar motion can produce the same effect as approaching fifths by parallel motion. Adding a passing tone to a hidden fifth produces a parallel fifth, for example. Since the parallel fifth is implied by a missing note, approaching fifths by similar motion are called hidden fifths
Hidden octavesapproaching octaves by similar motion can produce the same effect as approaching octaves by parallel motion. Adding a passing tone to a hidden octave produces a parallel octave, for example. Since the parallel octave is implied by a missing note, approaching octaves by similar motion are called hidden octaves
Hief(German) sound given by a bugle or hunting horn
Hief-horn(German) bugle-horn, hunting horn
Hief-stoss(German) sound given by a bugle or hunting horn
hier(German) here
Hierophon(German) a singer of sacred music
Hierro(Spanish m.) iron
Hierroa term used to describe the guataca (the hoe blade) or other metal sound used as the cowbell accompaniment to the rumba Columbia and other folkloric Afro 6/8 styles
Hierro forjado(Spanish m.) wrought iron
hier unten(German) down here
Highalta (Italian), hoch (German), haut (French)
High archedhoch gewölbt (German), bombé (French), voûté (French), molto bombata (Italian), bombatura alta (Italian)
High comedyelegant comedies characterized by witty banter and sophisticated dialogue rather than the slapstick physicality and blundering common to low comedy
High Energya mix of 'Breakbeat' rhythm and 'German Techo' sound
Highest partparte superiore (Italian), höchste Stimme (German), dessus (French)
High, extremelyaltissimo (Italian), ausserordentlich hoch (German), très élève (French)
High fidelity(English, Highfidelity (German f.)) or 'hi-fi' reproduction, a quality standard in which the reproduction of sound or images is very faithful to the original
High frequency limit of hearingthe upper extent to which a particular animal can perceive sound
Highland dancingthe term 'Highland dancing' is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which evolved into its current form during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the context of competitions at public events (namely, Highland games), where it is typically performed to the accompaniment of bagpipe music. In some regions of the Scottish Highlands, Highland dancing formed the main part of social entertainment
the term is somewhat misleading, however, in that it is only one form of dancing to have been done in the Scottish Highlands and, in addition, it has been subject to many influences from outside the Scottish Highlands. For example, it has been heavily influenced by the urban aesthetics of the patrons and judges of dance competitions since the nineteenth century
Highland pipesScottish bagpipes that are played standing, usually in pipe bands. The chanter has eight holes. There are two tenor drones, tuned an octave below the chanter and a bass drone a further octave down
Highlandsa 4/4 tune based on Scottish strathspeys, which are played in Donegal, a remote, partly Irish-speaking county in northwestern Ireland, and are one of the most commonly played types of tune in the county
Highlifeor 'Hi-life', music that conjures up images of African nightclubs, shiny dance-floors, champagne, fine clothes and the spirit of hope and expectation that marked the end of the colonial era. Based on the kpanlogo rhythm, that originated in Ghana in the 1920s and became popular in neighboring Nigeria, it is a combination of tribal rhythms with various European, American-style big band sounds, and even Caribbean influences. Calypso, jazz, waltz and merengue were cross-pollinated with indigenous styles such as osibisiba and gome to form an infectious dance music. It reached its maximum popularity in the 1950s and 1960s in dance clubs throughout West Africa, the name mocking the high living lifestyle of its patrons
High Massa celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass where the prayers are sung, distinguishing it from a low Mass where all the prayers are read or recited without music
High modernisma belief that society is in a state of crisis and that mass culture is modernism's other, the spectre that haunts it, the threat against which high art has to shore up its terrain. The modernist aesthetic, so prominent this century in literature, music, architecture, the visual arts, so influential in cultural criticism and theory, should be seeb as a reaction formation. The modernist aesthetic defines itself by its opposition not only to bourgeois culture, but to the mass culture and entertainment which it sees not as a manifestation of the culture of the lower classes themselves but as the primary forms of bourgeois cultural articulation: the "essential enemy", the "bourgeois norm", as Barthes says in the 1970 preface to Mythologies. The modernist aesthetic must work by permanent contrast, it must never be contaminated by mass culture, nor should it be realist, that is, try and reflect everyday life. It must be self-referential, separate, pure
High vowelany vowel sound made with the jaw almost shut and the tongue elevated near the roof of the oral cavity
Hi-hat(English, Hi-Hat (German n.)) or sock cymbal, a pair of matched cymbals of the same diameter mounted horizontally (the bottom cymbal fixed, the top cymbal is moved up and down via a pedal action). They are an essential part of a drum kit
Hi-Hat-Maschine(German f.) hi-hat, sock cymbal
Hi-hat sock jinglesee 'ching ring'
Hija(Spanish f.) daughter
Hijackingin social dancing, that strongly relies on 'leading' and 'following', this term means the temporary assuming of the leading role by the follower, and is known also as 'stealing the lead'
Hija política(Spanish f.) daughter-in-law
Hijastra(Spanish f.) stepdaughter
Hijastro(Spanish m.) stepson
Hijo político(Spanish m.) son-in-law
Hiketo increase or raise prices (ratings, etc.) or, less commonly, to promote
Hilfe(German f.) help, aid
hilflos(German) helpless
Hilflosigkeit(German f.) helplessness
Hilfreich(German) helpful
Hilfsarbeiter(German m.) unskilled labourer
hilfsbedürftig(German) needy
hilfsbedürftig sein(German) be in need of help
hilfsbereit(German) helpful
Hilfsgriffe(German m.) alternative fingerings
Hilfskraft(German f.) helper
Hilfslinie(German f.) ledger line, leger line
Hilfsmittel(German n.) aid
Hilfsnote(German f.) an auxiliary note
[corrected by Brian A. Jefferies]
hilfsverb(German) auxiliary verb
Hilfszeitwort(German) auxiliary verb
Hi-lifesee Highlife
hiljaa(Finnish) piano (dynamic marking)
hiljentyen(Finnish) diminuendo, decrescendo
Hillbilly musica term used to describe Appalachian and Southern fiddle-based and religious music, a sub-genre of 'old-time music'
Hilltop Writers Colony
(c.1860-1914)
a writers colony among the Surrey Hills, in and around Haslemere where some 65 Victorian writers came to make a permanent home, rent lodgings or stay with friends, while writing their books during the fifty years or more following the arrival of the railway in 1859. Amoung them; Alfred Tennyson, Christina Rossetti and William Allingham; the novelists George Eliot, Conan Doyle, Grant Allen, Richard Le Gallienne, Margaret Oliphant, Mrs Humphry Ward and H.G. Wells; playwrights Bernard Shaw and Arthur Pinero; the essayist, Logan Pearsall Smith and Flora Thompson
Himene taravaa form of singing common in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, unaccompanied vocal Christian music that is distinguished by a unique drop in pitch at the end of the phrases, which is a characteristic formed by several different voices; it is also accompanied by steady grunting of staccato, nonsensical syllables
Himmelfahrts-OratoriumJ. S. Bach's Ascension Oratorio (Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen) BWV 11
Himno(Spanish m.) hymn, anthem, inno (Italian m.), Hymne (German f.), cantique (French m.), hymne (French m.)
Himno a San Juan Bautista(Spanish m.) the chant, Ut queant laxis, from which the Aretinian syllables were originally drawn
Himno nacional(Spanish m.) national anthem, inno nazionale (Italian m.), Nationalhymne (German f.), hymne national (French m.)
Himnos délficos(Spanish m.) Delphic hymns (of ancient Greece)
Hinaufstrich(German m.) an upbow on the violin or viola
Hind.abbreviation of Hindi
Hindustani classical music
there are five significant stages in the evolution of the melodic experience in Hindustani music:
until the early nineteenth centurythe era dominated by dhrupad as a vocal art form
mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries defined by the khayal as the dominant interface between musicians and their audiences
late nineteenth century onwardsdefined by the emergence of the fretted lute, sitar, as the major force in Hindustani music
from the 1950scharacterised by the influence of the semi-polychord, sarod
from the mid-1970sthe rise of the santoor, a polychord
Hindustani classical songHindustani, or Northern Indian, classical song has many genres, including dadra, kajri, chaiti, hori and khyal. Thumri was the pre-eminent song genre of Punjabi tawaif (female courtesan) performers. With their honed performance skills, renowned tawaif vocalists such as Gauhar Jan and Jankibai were among the Indian subcontinent's first recording stars. The twist was that it became born-again high art, though not necessarily as an exclusively female preserve - the walrus-moustached Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was renowned for his authoritative damsel roles. Female vocalists such as Begum Akhtar and Siddheshwari Devi assisted its passage into modern times. Shobha Gurtu was their natural successor, the quintessence of thumri
hingebungsvoll(German) freely, unrestrained, abbandonamente (Italian), abbandonatamente (Italian), con abbandone (Italian), mit Hingabe (German), avec adandon (French)
hinken(German) to limp, zoppicare (Italian), boiter (French)
hinkend(German) limping, alla zoppo (Italian), alla zoppa (Italian), boiteux (French)
Hi-NRGsee 'High Energy'
hinsterbend(German) dying away, fading away, spirando, en expirant
Hinstrich(German m.) the stroke of the bow from the point to the heel on a cello or double-bass, which corresponds to the up-stroke on a violin or viola
hinten im Buch(German) at the back of the book
Hinterbühne(German f.) backstage
hinter der Scene(German) behind the scene
Hintereingang(German m.) rear entrance
Hintergrundmusik(German f.) background music
Hinterland(German n.) the district lying behind a coastal district, which has become a term used also for a sphere of activity on the fringe of law-abiding society
hinterlassen(German) posthumous
HIPacronym for 'historically-informed performance'
see 'authenticity'
Hip hop (music)
(English, Hip-Hop (German m.)) from the 1970s, a cultural movement and a music genre (a subgenre of R & B tradition) that grew out of 'rap' which exists in a number of forms:
old school hip hopfrom the late-1970s and early 1980s
East Coast hip hopbased out of New York City, the most successful of the region styles
West Coast hip hopbased out of Los Angeles
G funkin 1992, Dr. Dre's The Chronic revolutionized the West Coast sound, using slow, stoned, lazy beats
Southern rapbased out of Atlanta and New Orleans
Dirty Southa distinctive sound characterised by Atlanta-based performers like OutKast and Goodie Mob
alternative hip hopin the mid 1990s, popular among critics and long-time fans of the music
jazz rapfor example, De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), making use of live instrumentation and/or jazz samples
reggaetona South American variant, based out of Puerto Rico
electro hip hopinvented in the 1980s, but is distinctly different from most old school hip hop
go goanother old style of hip hop
trip hopcreated by fusing hip hop with techno
rapcorecreated by fusing hip hop with heavy metal
Miami bass musicfrom the late 1980s, characterised by bass-heavy grooves designed for dancing
Christian hip hophip hop with Christian themes in the lyrics
hip hop dance elements include:
Breakdancingalso known as 'B-boying' or 'B-girling' by its practitioners and followers, is a dynamic style of dance. The term 'breakdancer' originates from the dancers at DJ Kool Herc's parties, who saved their best dance moves for the 'break' section of the song
Hip-Hopa form of dance that is becoming more popular. Hip hop dance comes from breakdancing, but does not consist wholly of breakdancing moves. Unlike most other forms of dance, which are often at least moderately structured, hip hop dance has few (if any) limitations on positions or steps
Hip-hoperasee 'rap opera'
Hip hop portuguêsliterally 'Portuguese hip hop' which is also known as 'Hip Hop Tuga', the Portuguese variety of hip hop music, although distinct because it has mixed African music from Lusophone Africa with reggae. It is often performed by African-Portuguese, descendants of African immigrants that came to Portugal after the independence of the former African colonies
  • Hippie from which this information has been taken
Hip hop tugasee 'Hip hop português'
Hip housealso known as house rap, a mixture of house music and hip hop which arose during the 1980s in New York and Chicago
  • Hip house from which this information has been taken
Hippieor 'hippy', a term originally used to describe some of the rebellious youth of the 1960s and 1970s among whose characterists was listening to psychedelic rock, blues, traditional Eastern music, rock music with eastern influences, soulful funk, jam bands and folk music. Neo-hippies (twenty-first-century people who still believe in the hippy philosophy) frequently participate in the bluegrass music scene. In addition they would perform music casually, often with guitars, in friends' homes, or for free at outdoor fairs and festivals
  • Hippie from which this information has been taken
Hippocampusa part of the brain, in the medial area of the cerebral cortex, that is thought to be critical for storing memories
Hipsterstyle for skirts and trousers where the waist band fits low on the hip rather than the waist, made popular in the 1960s when they were often worn with a large belt
Hipsterssee 'detuners'
in the 1940s and 1950s the term hipster came into usage by the American Beat generation to describe jazz and swing music performers, and evolved to also describe the bohemian-like counterculture that formed around the art of the time
Hira-daiko(Japanese) flat taiko drum
a general term for a drum that is wider than it is deep
Hiratsuri-daiko(Japanese) a double headed frame-drum suspended vertically from a wooden frame by means of three rings on the body, or suspended horizontaiiy from a tripod
Hirmológicas(Spanish f. pl. from the Greek Heirmoi) melodies from the Byzantine rite, usually quick (120-180 bpm) and syllabic
Hirt(German m.) herd, herdsman
Hirte(German m.) shepherd
Hirtenflöte(German) shepherd's flute
Hirtengedicht(German) pastoral peom, ecologue, idyl
Hirtenlied(German n.) herdsman song, pastoral song
Hirtenpfeife(German f.) Hirtenschalmei. rustic pipe, pastoral pipe
(German f.) or shawm, ciaramella (Italian f.), cennamella (Italian f.), Schalmei (German f.) , chalumeau (French m.), pipeau (French m.), simple rustic reed pipe, ancestor of clarinet, with 6 to 8 finger holes
Hirtenschalmei(German) a capped double-reed shepherd's shawm
His, his
note B sharp
(German n.) the note 'B sharp'
His-Dur(German n.) the key of 'B sharp major', enharmonically equivalent to the key of 'C major'
His-genitivean unusual use of his, her, and their as the sign of the genitive by attaching them to the end of a word or locating them immediately after a word
Hishigi(Japanese) the highest note on the bamboo transverse flute, nohkan
Hisis, hisis
note B double sharp
(German n.) the note 'B double sharp'
his-Moll(German n.) the key of 'B sharp minor', enharmonically equivalent to the key of 'C minor'
Hispanic chantsee 'Mozarabic chant'
Hispanic neumessee 'Mozarabic neumes'
Hissa category of noise, more properly called 'white noise'
Histoire(French f.) story, history
Histoire à dormir debout(French f.) cock-and-bull story
Histoire de la musique(French f.) music history, history of music
histoire de voir(French) just to see
Histoire sans queue ni tête(French f.) cock-and-bull story
Historia (s.), Historiae (pl.)in ancient times, the word historia meant roughly the same thing as the modern English word "story" (i.e., any narrative whether factual or fictional). Latin writers, especially in medieval times, might on occasion use the word historia refer to history, to legends, to vitae (lives), mythology, folklore, hearsay, gossip, and rumouin ancient times, the word historia meant roughly the same thing as the modern English word "story" (i.e., any narrative whether factual or fictional). Latin writers, especially in medieval times, might on occasion use the word historia refer to history, to legends, to vitae, mythology, folklore, hearsay, gossip, and rumorsrs
musical setting of a biblical story, associated with Protestant, particularly Lutheran communities
Historia(Spanish f.) history
Historiador(Spanish m.) historian
Historia europea(Spanish f.) European history
Historia sacra (s.), Historiae sacrae (pl.)(Latin) one of the early forms of oratorio, a combination of dialoghi (drama-narrative) and laudi spirituali (songs of praise), similar to the 'recitative' and 'aria' forms in oratorio
Historiated (initial)see 'decorated initial'
Historia von D. Johann Faustenthe first "Faust book", a chapbook of stories concerning the life of Johann Georg Faust, written by an anonymous German author. It was published by Johann Spies (1540-1623) in Frankfurt am Main in 1587. This book became the main source for the play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Goethe's play Faust, and also served as the libretto of the opera by Alfred Schnittke, also entitled Historia von D. Johann Fausten
Historical albuma collection of songs around a unified theme with a basis in the documented history of a person or place. This differs from a concept album, which may have a unified theme, but is usually comprised of fictional stories not linked with actual historical facts even though the subject could be a real person or place. Historical albums are often considered concept albums due to the broad nature of that more recognizable category
Historical dancealso called 'early dance', a collective term covering a wide variety of dance types from the past as they are danced in the present
Historical dictionarya dictionary that traces the changes in a word's meaning by listing its entries chronologically and providing quotations using the word in that particular sense as illustrative examples
Historical editionworks of the past published in collections prepared from studies of the original sources or manuscripts. Historical editions are usually published to preserve a musical heritage (Musica Britannica, for example, focuses on English music), disseminate repertory, and make authentic editions available for study and performance. They can be the complete works of a composer, "monuments" of a specific type of music, or a series of performing editions
Historical instrumentmany writers distinguish the terms 'historic instrument' and 'historical instrument'. The former refers to an original, the latter to a later reconstruction or 'copy'. The term 'copy', when applied to musical instruments raise,s its own problems as the examination of modern copies quickly demonstrates. Invariably, the 'copies' differ not only from the original but even from one another. In many cases, this is easy to understand. What makes a musical instrument is much more than the material from which it has been made or the sum of the skills used to fashion it. The important relationship between instrument and player too is very important and generally must be highly personal. In a similar way, every maker of a copy is drawn too into the complexities of that association so that the modern instrument is a reflection of the modern maker as much, if not more so, as that of the original maker
Historically awaresee 'authenticity'
Historically informedsee 'authenticity'
Historical novela novel in which fictional characters take part in, influence, or witness real historical events and interact with historical figures from the past
Historical romancesee 'romance, historical'
Historic instrumentmany writers distinguish the terms 'historic instrument' and 'historical instrument'. The former refers to an original, the latter to a later reconstruction or 'copy'. The term 'copy', when applied to musical instruments raise,s its own problems as the examination of modern copies quickly demonstrates. Invariably, the 'copies' differ not only from the original but even from one another. In many cases, this is easy to understand. What makes a musical instrument is much more than the material from which it has been made or the sum of the skills used to fashion it. The important relationship between instrument and player too is very important and generally must be highly personal. In a similar way, every maker of a copy is drawn too into the complexities of that association so that the modern instrument is a reflection of the modern maker as much, if not more so, as that of the original maker
HistoricismHerder in his philosophy of history presented the first extensive formulation of historicist principles, and rejected the Enlightenment conception of a unilinear development of human civilization. Mankind was indeed one but, he maintained, this mankind can only be understood in its historical manifestations in diverse national cultures. Religion, philosophy, science, and art thus do not exist in any absolute sense; there are only the religions, philosophies, sciences, and arts of specific cultures at specific stages in their development. All cultures, Herder held, European and non-European, primitive and civilized are thus equally worthy of study, in a sense the primitive more so insofar as they are closer to the original genius of a people. Any attempts to use abstract tools of analysis to understand national cultures were mechanistic and unhistorical. History as life can only be grasped through empathy (Mitfühlen)
histórico(Spanish) historic, historical
Historic pitch
Historicus(Latin) or testo (Italian m.), narrator in an oratorio (one of the features that distinguish the oratorio from early opera)
Historien (m.), Historienne (f.)(French) historian
Historien de salon (m.), Historienne de salon (f.)(French) amateur historian, popularizer of history
Historiker(German m.) historian
Historiographyhistoriography has a number of related meanings. It can refer to the history of historical study, its methodology and practices (the history of history). It can also refer to a specific body of historical writing (for example, "medieval historiography during the 1960s" means "medieval history written during the 1960s"). Historiography can also be taken to mean historical theory or the study of historical writing and memory. As a meta-level analysis of descriptions of the past, this third conception can relate to the first two in that the analysis usually focuses on the narratives, interpretations, worldview, use of evidence, or method of presentation of other historians
historique(French) historical
historisch(German) historical
historische Aufführungspraxis(German f.) historic performance practice
historische Studien(German f. pl.) historical studies
Historismus(German m.) historism
History of musicthe history of music has a long and complex history. It may predate language (and certainly predates the written word) and is found in every known culture, past and present, varying wildly between times and places. A culture's music is influenced by all other aspects of that culture, including social and economic organization, climate, and access to technology. The emotions and ideas that music expresses, the situations that music is played and listened to in, and the attitudes toward music players and composers all vary between regions and periods. "Music history" is the distinct subfield of musicology and history which studies music (particularly Western art music) from a chronological perspective
History playplay dealing with a historical subject, for example, Shakespeare's Henry V
Histrio(Latin) actor
histrionic(of behaviour) theatrical, dramatic, istrionico (Italian)
Histrionicsinsincere and dramatic behaviour designed to impress, commedia (Italian f.)
Histrionismo(Spanish m.) histrionics
Hit(English, German m.) a commercially successful recording, song, play, etc.
hitaasti(Finnish) largo, adagio
Hitch-pinthe pin which retains the end of a string opposite the wrestpin or tuning pin on a keyboard instrument like a piano or harpsichord. The hitch-pins are driven into the hitch-pin rail
Hitoyogiri(Japan) an end-blown flute
  • Hitoyogiri from which this information has been taken
Hittite cultic musicone main element of Hittite rituals is the musical performances frequently mentioned in ritual literature. The sacred acts were accompanied by sacred words recited in a whispered or murmured tone, in metrical form, in responsorial antiphony of precentor and choir or in archaic foreign languages. Music and singing accompanied ritual acts such as the sacrifice, the libation, and the appearance of the king or the royal couple. The use of or ban on music were regulated by ritual instructions mentioning instruments, singing, recitation, and clapping. Most frequently lyres can be found, more rarely harps and lutes (chordophones), drums, different rattles, cymbals (idiophones, membranophones), double oboes, and horns (aerophones). Songs were performed by individuals or choirs, had diffentiating titles, and were sometimes attributed to particular deities. Music served for calling deities and entertaining them, for communication with them (trance), contact with the deceased, threatening enemies and encouraging fighters. It had an apotropaic, captivating, and erotic effect and was used to entertain feasting parties
Hiva kakala(literally 'fragrant songs') love songs or poems, an important part of semi-traditional Tongan secular music
Hiva usain the smaller Tongan churches and the minority Methodist sects, hymn singing is unaccompanied, hiva usa. A strong singer will sing the first notes alone (a practice called hua or opening) and the rest of the congregation will then join. Church choirs are popular, practice is frequent, and most congregations sing all hymns in harmony
  • Hiva usa from which this information has been taken
Hiver(French m.) winter
hizo ademán de levantarse(Spanish) he made as if to get up
hizo amistad con ella(Spanish) he struck up a friendship with her
hizo un calor achicharrante(Spanish) it was scorching
Hjælpelinie(Danish) ledger line, leger line
Hjälplinje(Swedish) ledger line, leger line
HK-popsee 'Canto pop'
Hlafdigalso called a hlaefdieg, hladig, or cwen, an Anglo-Saxon wife of a warlord
Hlafordan Anglo-Saxon warrior chieftain who was served by a number of loyal warriors called thegns. His wife, called the hlafdig, hlaefdieg, hladig, or cwen may have been responsible for overseeing communal provisions
Hlzbl.abbreviated form of Holxbläser, that is, the woodwind section in an orchestra or band
hmnabbreviation of 'harmonium'
h-Moll
key of B minor(German n.) the key of 'B minor'
h-moll Messe(German f.) see 'B minor Mass'
Hmong harp(Laos) a double-tongued brass Jew's harp
HMVabbreviation of 'His Master's Voice'
Hn, hnabbreviation of Horn (German - cor (French)), 'horn'
Hne(Burmese) a small double-reed instrument, of which a larger version, the hne gyi, is used on ceremonial occasions
Hne-gji(Burmese) or hne gyi, a larger version of the hne
Hne gyisee hne-gji

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