D
D is a note of the scale (= Italian, French: re).
Da capoDa capo (Italian: from the beginning), abbreviated to the letters
D.C. at the end of a piece of music or a section of it, means that it should
be played or sung again from the beginning (De capo al fine) or from the
beginning up to the sign (Da capo al segno). A da capo aria, often found
in the later baroque period, is an aria in three sections, the third an
ornamented repetition of the first.
Decrescendo
Decrescendo (Italian: growing less) is used as a
direction to performers, meaning becoming softer.
Diabolus in musica
("The Devil in music") Late medieval nickname for
the tritone, which in musical theory was regarded as the "most dangerous"
interval.
Diapason
1) In greek and medieval theory, the interval
that includes "all the tones," i.e., the octave
2) Derived meanings, chiefly used in French
terminology
a) range of voice
b) concert pitch (usually "diapason normal")
3) The main foundation stop of the organ, also
called principal
Diapente
Ancient Greek and Medieval name for the fifth;
"Epidiapente," fifth above; "subdiapente" or "hypodiapente," fifth
below; "canon in epidiapente," canon at the fifth above.
Diatessaron
Greek and medieval name for the interval of the fourth;
"epidiatessaron," fourth above; "subdiatessaron" or "hypodiatessaron,"
fourth below. (see also Diapente above)
Dies Irae
(Lat., "Day of Wrath") A rhymed sequence, the
text of which is attributed to Thomas of Celano (d. ca. 1250). One
of four sequences retained
by the Council of Trent, it was
officially made part of the Requiem
Mass in the 16th century, but had been incorporated into the Requiem
in some localities from as early as the 14th century. Its origin
may lie in a trope to the responsory
"Libera me," of which the verse "Dies illa, dies irae" begins with a similar
melody. From the early 16th century, composers have often set it
polyphonically,
sometimes in strikingly dramatic ways, It has also been used in works
such as Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique,"
Liszt's
"Totentanz" and "Dante Symphony," and Saint-Saens'
"Danse macabre."
Diminuendo
Diminuendo (Italian: becoming less) is used as a
direction to performers to play softer.
Divertimento
A divertimento is an instrumental composition intended
for entertainment, usually in a number of movements. The term is used particularly
in the second half of the 18th century. Haydn described his first string
quartets as Divertimenti and the title is also used by Mozart and other
composers of the period.
Divertissement
The French word divertissement (= Italian: divertimento)
is used in English principally to indicate the additional dance entertainment
that is often a part of classical ballet. A well known example would be
the series of characteristic dances that entertain the heroine towards
the end of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
Dodecaphonic
(see Twelve-Tone)
Double bass
The double bass is the largest and lowest of the
instruments of the string section of the orchestra. It has generally four
or five strings and its music sounds an octave (eight notes) lower than
it is written. If, as often in music before 1800, the double bass plays
the same music as the cello, the sound will be an octave lower.
Double bassoon
A double bassoon plays an octave lower than the bassoon.
Drum
The form of drum generally found in the orchestra
is the kettledrum or, in incorrect Italian, timpani, since the Italian
singular timpano seldom appears in English usage. Other smaller and larger
drums may also be used, including the snare-drum, a smaller instrument
with a vibrating strip that can be switched on or off, and the bass drum.
Timpani are tunable, nowadays usually by means of pedals that loosen or
tighten the drum-skin.
Duet
A duet is a piece of music written for two performers.
On the piano such a piece would involve two players on one instrument.
Duo
A duo is a piece of music for two performers. Written
for the piano such a piece would need two performers and two pianos.
Dynamics
Dynamics are the levels of sound, loud or soft, in
a piece of music.