W o W - Week of Words - February 2009

The “W o W” word Rhythm (rith-uhm) noun: The general term used to describe how music moves through time. Encompasses terms such as beat, meter, and tempo. The study of rhythm, stress, and pitch in speech is called prosody; it is a topic in linguistics. Narmour (1980, p.147-53) describes three categories of prosodic rules which create rhythmic successions which are additive (same duration repeated), cumulative (short-long), or counter cumulative (long-short). Cumulation is associated with closure or relaxation, counter cumulation with openness or tension, while additive rhythms are open-ended and repetitive. Richard Middleton points out this method cannot account for syncopation and suggests the concept of transformation.
The “W o W” word Libretto (li-bret-oh) noun: The text or words of an opera or similar extended musical composition; a book or booklet containing such a text. A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, ballet etc. A libretto is distinct from a synopsis or scenario of the plot, in that the libretto contains all the words and stage directions, while a synopsis summarizes the plot. The relationship of the librettist (that is, the writer of a libretto) to the composer in the creation of a musical work has varied over the centuries, as have the sources and the writing techniques employed. Libretti for operas, oratorios, etc in the 17th and 18th centuries generally were written by someone other than the composer, often a well-known poet. Metastasio (real name Pietro Trapassi) was one of the most highly regarded librettists in Europe. His libretti were set many times by many different composers. Another noted 18th century librettist was Lorenzo da Ponte, who wrote the libretti for three of Mozart's greatest operas, as well as for many other composers. The libretto is not always written before the music. Some composers wrote passages of music without text and subsequently had the librettist add words to the vocal melody lines.
The “W o W” word Tempo (tem-POH) noun: the speed at which a piece of music is played. In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time, movement) is the speed or pace of a given piece. It is an extremely crucial element of composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece. The tempo of a piece will typically be written at the start of a piece of music, and in modern music is usually indicated in beats per minute (BPM). The greater the tempo, the larger the number of beats that must be played in a minute is, and, therefore, the faster a piece must be played. Whether a music piece has a mathematical time indication or not, in classical music it is customary to describe the tempo of a piece by one or more words. Some of them are: · Prestissimo — extremely fast (more than 200bpm) · Vivace — lively and fast (≈140 bpm) · Allegro — fast and bright or "march tempo" (120–168 bpm) · Moderato — moderately (108–120 bpm) · Andante — at a walking pace (76–108 bpm) · Adagio — slow and stately (literally, "at ease") (66–76 bpm) · Larghissimo — very very slow (20 bpm and below)

The “W o W” word Leitmotif (lahyt-moh-teef) noun: A motif or theme associated throughout a music drama with a particular person, situation, or idea. It is a frequently recurring bit of melody, usually in opera, associated with a person, thing, or emotion. Leitmotiv is German for “leading theme.” A term associated with Wagnerian musical drama, though the thing itself is at least as old as Mozart. The leitmotif may be heard in the instrumental or the vocal part. The leitmotif must be characteristic of the person or thing it is intended to represent. In the movie, the Slumdog millionaire, “Latika’s theme” echoed through the movie to underscore the love story unfolding between Jamal and Latika.