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Technical & Musical Terms & Abbreviations
Part 3: Voices & Instruments |
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Abbreviation |
Full Words |
Explanation |
Source |
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S |
Soprano |
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A |
Alto |
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T |
Tenor |
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B |
Bass |
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Hp |
Cembalo |
The Harpsichord, very rarely used by Bach in the Church Cantatas |
Robertson |
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Clar / Cla |
Clarino |
A High-pitched trumpet |
Robertson |
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Cor / Cor da cacc / Cdc |
Corno, corno da caccia |
There is no consensus of opinion as to whether Bach used both these terms indifferently to indicate the Waldhorn, or French horn. C.S. Terry, in his book Bach's Orchestra, gives some evidence to the contrary, believing that at one time Bach in his use of these two terms distinguished the mellow tone associated with the Waldhorn from the more trident tone of the Jagdhorn. |
Robertson |
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Cor da tirassi / Cdt |
Corno sa tirassi |
Terry suggests that this was not a particular instrument but tromba da tirassi (q.v.) with an adapted mouthpiece which produced horn tone |
Robertson |
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Cnt |
Cornetto |
An antique curved wooden wind instrument with tone which has been likened to that of a well-trained choirster |
Robertson |
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Fag |
Fagotto. Bassoon |
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Robertson |
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Fl |
Flute |
In Bach’s scores this always indicated the flute à bec or Blockflöte, known in English as the recorder. The fact is often ignored in performance today (non-HIP performances) |
Robertson |
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Fl à bec |
Flute à bec |
See flute |
Robertson |
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Fl trav / Flt |
Transverse flute |
This is transverse or horizontal flute we have in modern orchestras |
Robertson |
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Ob d’am / Oda |
Oboe d’amore |
An instrument with a pitch between the oboe and the oboe da caccia (q.v.) |
Robertson |
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Ob da cacc / Odc |
Oboe da caccia |
An alto oboe, in tone similar to the so-called cor anglais, the latter word being a corruption of anglé |
Robertson |
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Org |
Organ |
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Robertson |
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Te / Tle |
Taille |
A tenor oboe |
Robertson |
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Timp |
Timpani |
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Robertson |
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Tr |
Tromba (Trumpet) |
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Robertson |
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Tr da tirassi / Tdt |
Tromba da tirassi |
A slide trumpet with a mechanizm of a trombone |
Robertson |
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Trb |
Trombone |
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Robertson |
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Vlt |
Violetta |
Another term for viola |
Robertson |
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Vno |
Violone |
An octave lower than the viol da gamba. Similar to the double bass |
Robertson |
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Vla / Va |
Viola |
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Robertson |
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Vla d’am / Vda |
Viola d’amore |
An instrument with six or seven strings an a number of wire strings beneath the fingerboard which vibrate in sympathy |
Robertson |
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Vdg, VdG |
Viola da gamba, gamba, or viol |
Any of a family of fretted, bowed, stringed instruments in use from the 16th through much of the 18th century. Possessing a clear, cutting and incisive voice (cf. the rich, thick, powerful tone of the cello), the viol (bass) was emplyed by Bach as as an obbligato instrument in a number of works, including arias in the Passions and several cantatas. Some consider the bass aria 'Komm, Seusses Kreuz' (SMP) to be Bach's most idiomatic writing for the bass viol, with the cello providing a poor substitute |
Harvard / Fogliati / Oron
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Vln / Vn |
Violin |
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Robertson |
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Vln picc / Vnp |
Violino piccolo |
Smaller and higher in pitch than the violin |
Robertson |
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V’cello /Vc |
Violoncello |
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Robertson |
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V’cello picc / Vcp |
Violoncello piccolo |
A five-stringed instrument with a compass between the viola and the violoncello |
Robertson |
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The technical terms & abbreviations in this page are mostly compiled from the following sources:
Common – Common use, especially in e-mail correspondence
Alec Robertson's book 'The Church Cantatas of J.S. Bach' (Cassell - London, 1972)
New Harvard Dictionary of Music
Thomas Braatz - Member of the BCML
Frank Fogliati - Member of the BCML
Aryeh Oron - Moderator of the BCML
Johan van Veen - Member of the BCML |
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Prepared by Aryeh Oron (December 2000 - March 2005) |
