galant (French, "elegant") Eighteenth-century musical style that featured songlike MELODIES, short PHRASES, frequent CADENCES, and light accompaniment.
galliard Sixteenth-century dance in fast triple METER, often paired with the PAVANE and in the same FORM (AABBCC).
gamut The entire range of pitches normally written in the Middle Ages (see p. 47).
gavotte BAROQUE duple-time dance in BINARY FORM, with a half-measure upbeat and a characteristic rhythm of short-short-long.
Gebrauchsmusik (German "utilitarian music" or "music for use") Term from the 1920s to describe music that was socially relevant and useful, especially music for amateurs, children, or workers to play or sing.
genre Type or category of musical COMPOSITION, such as SONATA or SYMPHONY.
genus (Latin, "class"; pronounced GHEH-noos; pl. genera) In ancient Greek music, one of three forms of TETRACHORD: DIATONIC, CHROMATIC, and ENHARMONIC.
Gesamtkunstwerk (German, "total artwork" or "collective artwork") Term coined by Richard Wagner for a dramatic work in which poetry, scenic design, staging, action, and music all work together toward one artistic expression.
gigue (French for "jig") Stylized DANCE movement of a standard BAROQUE SUITE, in BINARY FORM, marked by fast compound METER such as 6/4 or 12/8 with wide MELODIC leaps and continuous triplets. The two sections usually both begin with IMITATION.
Gloria (Latin, "Glory") Second of the five major musical items in the MASS ORDINARY, a praise formula also known as the Greater DOXOLOGY.
goliard songs Medieval Latin songs associated with the goliards, who were wandering students and clerics.
Gradual (from Latin gradus, "stairstep") Item in the MASS PROPER, sung after the Epistle reading, comprising a RESPOND and VERSE. CHANT graduals are normally MELISMATIC in style and sung in a RESPONSORIAL manner, one or more soloists alternating with the CHOIR.
grand motet French version of the large-scale SACRED CONCERTO, for soloists, double CHORUS, and ORCHESTRA.
grand opera A serious form of OPERA, popular during the ROMANTIC era, that was sung throughout and included BALLETS, CHORUSES and spectacular staging.
Greater Perfect System In ancient Greek music, a system of TETRACHORDS spanning two octaves.
Gregorian chant The repertory of ecclesiastical CHANT used in the Roman Catholic Church.
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