A Conversation for The Post Quiz: Coming to Terms with Music - Answers

All 10 guessed!

Post 1

Icy North

Well, not all of them were guesses.

So why do we have to talk musical directions in Italian?


All 10 guessed!

Post 2

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Congrats! smiley - applause

Great question, that. Why do we use Italian? Actually, there are terms in other languages, but the Italian ones seem to be the lingua franca these days...

When I was learning to play 19th-century Romantics on the piano, all the musical directions were in German...you'd get really weird instructions for playing, like 'innig'. Fortunately, my Swedish teacher knew German, and could wax quite enthusiastic explaining these musical 'feelings'. smiley - laugh

Here's a short glossary: http://www.boosey.com/community/musicalterms.asp?GL=GR

Just think: if you said, 'Play staccato', most musicians around the world would know what you meant. But if you said 'abgestossen', even a German speaker might look at you oddly. smiley - rofl

Here's a list from Mahler's works:

http://www.orchestralibrary.com/reftables/mahler2gloss.html


All 10 guessed!

Post 3

Icy North

And now I had to read up why we use the term 'lingua franca' smiley - laugh

Apparently this was the agreed way of referring to this common language of commerce and diplomacy. Except by the British, who called it Bastard Spanish. smiley - smiley


All 10 guessed!

Post 4

Icy North

And - without looking it up - can you name the plural of 'lingua franca'?


All 10 guessed!

Post 5

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Wow, wild guess...linguae francae?


All 10 guessed!

Post 6

Icy North

Linguas franca, apparently, but I'll have to check the OED to be sure.


All 10 guessed!

Post 7

Icy North

Well, I'm glad I did check, as you're right and I'm wrong.

The alternatives are lingua francas, linguae francae, and lingue franche.


All 10 guessed!

Post 8

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Ooh, I like lingue franche...smiley - rofl


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