Glossary

Baumkuchen:

“Tree cake”; German Advent cake made to look like the cross-section of a tree trunk.

Cartwright:

A person who repairs carts.

Christstollen:

German Advent sweet yeast bread, coated with icing sugar and made to resemble the Christ child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Clavier:

Any musical instrument having a keyboard, especially a stringed keyboard instrument such as
a harpsichord or clavichord.

Concertmaster:

The leader of the first violins in an orchestra,
who is usually the assistant to the conductor.

Concerto:

A composition for one or more solo instruments, with orchestral accompaniment.

Forte:

A direction in music which means “loud.”

Gugelhupf:

A fancy cake mold with a swirled or fluted pattern.

Kapellmeister:

Director of music.

Marzipan:

A candy made of almond paste with sugar that is molded into various shapes.

Minuet:

A piece of music written for the minuet, which is a slow, stately dance popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Motet:

A vocal composition with many voices, intended for use in a church service.

Parallel Fifths:

Two voice parts progressing, so that the interval (fifth) between them stays the same.

Pfeffernüsse:

A German Christmas cookie with a gingerbread taste, made by rolling dough into strips and cutting it into small pieces.

Score:

A piece of music with all the instrumental or vocal parts written on each page.

Sight-read:

To play or sing a piece of music without previous practice.

Snuffbox:

A small fancy box for holding ground tobacco.

Sonata:

An extended instrumental composition, usually
in several movements.

Sou:

Either of two bronze coins of France.

Stops:

Knobs which are drawn out or pushed back to control various parts of an organ.

Symphony:

An instrumental composition in three or more movements, similar in form to a sonata but written for an orchestra.

Trill:

A fast alteration of two notes which are very close.

Wunderkind:

“Wonder child.”

Zwölfjahrekerze:

“Twelve-year candle.”