| aquatint | a type of print produced by an engraving method similar to etching but involving finely granulated tonal areas rather than line alone
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| arabesque | in ballet, a position in which the dancer stands on one leg with the other extended behind and one or both arms held to create the longest line possible from one extremity of the body to the other
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| arpeggio | the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession
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| dynamics | the gradations of loudness or softness with which music is performed
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| étude (French, "study") | an instrumental study designed to improve a player's performance technique
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| idée fixe (French, "fixed idea") | a term used by Berlioz for a recurring theme in his symphonic works
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| impromptu (French, "improvised") | a short keyboard composition that sounds as if it were improvised
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| leitmotif (German, "leading motif") | a short musical theme that designates a person, object, place, or idea and that reappears throughout a musical composition
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| lied (German, "song," pl. lieder ) | an independent song for solo voice and piano; also known as "art song"
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| music-drama | a unique synthesis of sound and story in which both are developed simultaneously and continuously; a term used to describe Wagner's later operas
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| nocturne | a slow, songlike piece, usually written for piano; the melody is played by the right hand, and a steady, soft accompaniment is played by the left
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| opus (Latin, "work") | a musical composition; followed by a number, it designates either the chronological place of a musical composition in the composer's total musical output or the order of its publication; often abbreviated "op."
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| prima ballerina | the first, or leading, female dancer in a ballet company
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| program music | instrumental music endowed with specific literary or pictorial content that is indicated by the composer
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| scherzo (Italian, "joke") | in Beethoven's music, a sprightly, lively movement
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| tremolo | in music, the rapid repetition of a single pitch or two pitches alternately, producing a trembling effect
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| virtuoso | one who exhibits great technical ability, especially in musical performance; also used to describe a musical composition demanding (or a performance demonstrating) great technical skill
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