Music and Performance Vocabulary in Catalan

Música – Music, in the general sense referring to the art of arranging sounds in time through the elements of harmony, melody, rhythm, and timbre.
La música catalana té una història molt rica.

Cançó – Song, generally a musical composition with vocals.
Aquesta cançó és la meva preferida de l’àlbum.

Concert – Concert, a live music performance in front of an audience.
El concert d’ahir a la nit va ser increïble!

Instruments – Instruments, devices used to produce music.
Sé tocar diversos instruments de corda.

Orquestra – Orchestra, a large group of musicians who play together with various instruments.
L’orquestra simfònica va interpretar una obra magnífica.

Cor – Choir or chorus, a group of singers who perform together.
El cor va cantar amb una harmonia perfecta.

Director/a – Conductor (male/female), the person who directs the performance of the orchestra or choir.
La directora va moure la batuta amb gran passió.

Partitura – Score, the written form of a piece of music with all the parts and instructions for the performers.
He estat estudiant la partitura tota la setmana.

Melodia – Melody, a sequence of notes that are perceived as a single entity.
La melodia d’aquesta peça em captiva cada vegada que l’escolto.

Harmonia – Harmony, the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions.
L’harmonia d’aquesta cançó és complexa i preciosa.

Ritme – Rhythm, the pattern of sounds and silences in music.
El ritme d’aquesta peça fa que sigui impossible no ballar.

Veu – Voice, the sound produced by a singer or speaker.
La seva veu té una qualitat molt especial i emotiva.

Actuació – Performance, the act of performing a show or piece of music.
L’actuació del solista va ser aclamada per tot el públic.

Assaig – Rehearsal, a session of practice for a performance.
Hem d’anar a l’assaig per preparar el concert de demà.

Aplaudiments – Applause, the clapping of hands to show appreciation.
Els aplaudiments van ressonar durant minuts després de l’actuació.

Nota – Note, a sign used in music to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound.
Pots llegir la nota al pentagrama?

Compositor/a – Composer (male/female), a person who creates music.
El compositor va presentar la seva última obra a l’auditori.

By broadening your Catalan vocabulary in the realm of music and performance, not only will you be able to enjoy Catalan music in a more enriched way, but you’ll also be able to communicate your musical experiences and preferences to others with greater precision and flair. Whether you’re an aspiring musician, a passionate listener, or simply looking to immerse yourself further in the Catalan culture, these terms are a harmonious start to your journey.