banda

A shape that represents a functional unit, such as a department, in which process steps occur. You use either horizontal or vertical functional band shapes depending on the ...

bel canto

Drame; Opéra

“Beautiful song.” The art of Italian singing that emphasizes beautiful tone, masterful vocal technique, elegant phrasing. Bel canto flourished in the early 19th c. in the works of ...

bravo

Drame; Opéra

Literally, “brave, courageous.” A form of applause when shouted by members of the audience at the end of an especially pleasing performance. Strictly speaking, bravo is for a ...

cadencia

Drame; Opéra

An ornamental passage in which the flow of the piece has been stopped while the singer makes up or improvises flashy vocal aerobics.

camerata

Drame; Opéra

A group of Florentine writers and one musician who regularly met in the late 1600s to discuss art and experiment with art form. The ‘Camerata Fiorentina’ created opera by ...

cantabile

Drame; Opéra

“singable”; a term that asks the performer to sing or play in a gentle singing manner.

cantata

Drame; Opéra

A musical form usually encompassing chorus and soloists or a solo voice and instrument based on a narrative text. The most well-known cantatas are by J. S. Bach who set scriptural ...