K-

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K. (after a Mozart title) -
Stands for Ludwig Köchel, who first catalogued Mozart's works in chronological order in 1862. In 1937 Alfred Einstein published his thorough reworking and renumbering, which often led to two sets of numbers! Further scholarship has brought about much tinkering with Einstein's numbering. Even Wolferl himself couldn't keep track of it all in his own catalog.
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K. (after a Scarlatti title) -
Means 'Kirkpatrick', the modern scholar who catalogued Scarlatti's works.
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Kalimba -
The so-called 'thumb piano' from Africa. A series of tuned metal or flexible wooden bars are set on or in a *resonator and played by depressing them and allowing them to spring back so fast that they vibrate. The sound can be both joyful and hypnotic.
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Kanon, "The" -
The Kanon by Johann Pachelbel. Three parts copy each other in turn every two measures, while underneath a steady eight-note pattern repeats. The piece is a real baroque war-horse, which is, nevertheless, quite skillfully composed. It is far too often played in a filmy, lugubrious manner.
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"Kegelstatt" -
Bowling place. A location where Mozart enjoyed composing between frames. Not only the trio for clarinet, viola, and piano bears that nickname, but a host of duos for horns was also written while "Wolfi" was hanging out with the guys at the "bowling place."
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Key feelings -
Many composers and listeners perceive different feelings in the various keys. E-flat is often considered to be noble, while a half-step up in E major happiness and spring are not unusual descriptions. E minor was often associated by J. S. Bach with crucifixion.
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Keyboard -
Not just the electronic keyboard of today, it is any instrument which uses the standard arrangement of keys with alternating two and three keys sticking up about half way back. Not only piano, but harpsichord, fortepiano, organ, and the accordion are keyboards.
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Keys (two or three at once) -
See *Polytonality.
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Kit -
See *Trap-set.
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Koto -
A Japanese plucked wooden instrument of the zither family. Silk strings are tuned by placing moveable bridges under the strings. The Chinese version, the zheng, uses metal strings.
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Krumhorn -
A medieval and renaissance double-reed instrument , a forbear of the oboe. The double-reed in enclosed in a box, so the player blows into the box but does not touch the reeds with the lips. The sound is penetrating and amusingly raucous at times. The idea of a "sweet krummhorn" is oxymoronic to most ears.