Musical Terminology
A cappella
Two p's, two l's, in italics. Means "without instrumental accompaniment;
said of choral singing."
"Conductor" vs. "director"
A "conductor" is "a director of an orchestra, choir, etc.," according
to Webster's New World Dictionary, while a "director" is one "who directs
a play, motion picture, etc." Refer to the leader of a musical ensemble
as "conductor" and to the person who oversees the production of a play
— or the annual Christmas Festival — as a "director."
Musical keys
Capitalize letters standing for musical keys.
| Right: | Middle C, the key of G, the key of F sharp |
"Premier" and "premiere"
"Premier" (adj. or noun) means first in importance or rank, chief, foremost;
any chief official. "Premier" (verb) means to exhibit or perform for
the first time. "Premiere" is a first performance or showing of a play,
movie, or musical work.
| Right: | The premier collegiate choral ensemble/band/orchestra in America; the premier of British Columbia |
| Right: | The ensemble will premier the piece in Oslo. |
| Right: | The premiere of "Sonata for Sirens" was scheduled for late December. |
Titles and subtitles
Italicize titles and subtitles of:
Operas: The Marriage of Figaro
Full titles of long musical compositions: The Messiah
Use quotation marks around the titles of:
Songs: "Moon River"
Short musical compositions: Pachabel's "Canon in D"
Title vs. entitle
"Title" means the name of a book, poem, musical composition, etc. "Entitled"
means having the right to do or have something.
| Right: | His opera, which was titled Giants in the Earth, received critical acclaim. |
| Right: | She was entitled to the promotion. |
