| A | B |
|---|
| Aria | song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment |
| Basso Continuo | bass part together with numbers (figures) specifying the chords to be played above it |
| Cantata | sung piece; choral work with or without vocal soloists; usually with orchestral accompaniment |
| Chorale | hymn tune for congregational use |
| Chorale Prelude | instrumental composition based on a chorale |
| Concerto Grosso | instrumental composition in which a small group of soloists is pitted against a larger group |
| Fugue | polyphonic composition based on one main theme |
| Libretto | text, or boo, of a musical dramatic work |
| Movement | section of a musical work that sounds fairly complete and independent, but is part of a larger composition |
| Opera | play, set to music and sung to orchestral accompaniment with scenery, costumes, and action |
| Oratorio | large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra, usually set to a narrative biblical text |
| Overture | orchestral composition performed before the curtain rises on a dramatic work |
| Pedal Point | single note, usually in the bass, that is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it |
| Recitative | vocal line that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech |
| Sonata | instrumental composition in several movements |
| Stretto | imitation of a fugue subject before it is completed |
| Suite | set of dance-inspired movements |
| Trill | ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart |
