U-
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H-I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P-Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X-Y-Z
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Ulrica -
The one-scene, but major, alto role in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. It is historically notable as the role in which Marian Anderson made her Metropolitan Opera debut.
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Unaltered instruments -
are instruments familiar to us by sight, like the usual strings, but not made to accommodate modern strings and their tension. In the winds it refers to instruments which do not have modern *chromatic fingerings.
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Unanswered Question by Charles Ives -
Ives makes it clear that in The Unanswered Question the strings (preferably off stage) represent the eternal; the trumpet, which plays the same thing each time, represents the implacable question of the meaning of existence; and the four flutes (or optional woodwind combination) is the increasingly confused and desperate response. Few seem to have noted that in Ives' own notes to Central Park In the Dark he suggests that it is the answer to the first piece. Though he does not spell it out, the strings are again present, but now the listener sits in Central Park and allows the world to enter and be accepted for what it is, the mysterious flitterings and the 'Hello My Baby' rag-time. It is a transcendentalist's answer, to be sure, but it is an answer.
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Unison -
Two or more voices or instruments on exactly the same pitch. Sometimes the term is used as a verbal short-hand to include octaves as well. One might speak of a unison passage when in reality it is written as both unison and octaves.
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Unisons and octaves or minor seconds and minor ninths -
Either two tones with the same letter name of pitch (unisons and octaves) or a tone and the very next pitch next to it (minor seconds and minor ninths). What a difference that tiny distance makes, from total consonance to strong dissonance.
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Unnamed soprano (from the American Boychoir) -
Touches on a tradition amongst boychoirs that soloists are chosen competitively from the members of the organization, usually too close to performance to be named in the program. Indeed, boys are sometimes chosen on the spur of the moment by the conductor pointing at the boy who will sing immediately.
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Upbeat -
The last beat of a measure. Since the first beat is always down, the last beat must bring the hand up so it can be ready for the first.
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Upbow -
A string player's bow stroke starting away from the hand and moving toward it. It is typically a weaker sound growing louder.
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Upper neighbor (auxiliary) -
A *non-harmonic tone a step above a harmonic tone which is both preceded and followed by that pitch.
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Upstage -
Toward the back of the stage. In ancient times stages went up the sides of hills for better visibility, or were raked in imitation. Thus the farthest was up hill or upstage.
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Ut -
The original syllable we now call "Do." The *solfeggio syllables were those which were placed on those pitches in a Gregorian chant, and the first word began with "Ut".