Music Terms and Styles

Canon - A melody played by different groups of instruments throughout a piece of music.
Cantata - A piece of vocal music for solo or Choir
Chamber Music - one person playing each part (like a trio or octet)
Concerto - A soloist (or small group) accompanied by an orchestra
Fugue - Two or more parts playing a melody. they mimic (or answer) each other.
Lieder - Soloist with piano accompaniment (Mainly songs of the 1800's)
Madrigal - Song for two to six singers without accompaniment,
Opera - A drama, either comic or tragic, that is sung throughout. The Arias in an opera are the vocal solos )or, the "main" songs), the recitatives are the songs where the story continues, designed to accentuate inflections of speech.
Overture - A piece that opens an opera, oratorio, play, etc.
Passion - A musical setting using the text of Matthew, Mark Luke or John
Serenade - Evening music, (vocal serenade is used in opera and the instrumental is a piece like a sonata or Symphony.
Sonata - Three or four movements put together. Most Sonatas are for a small group of instruments.
Suite - A group of movements played in sequence, often used in ballet.
Symphony - A sonata for a big group of instruments.
Toccata - A keyboard composition (organ, piano, harpsichord)