A glossary of musical genres and styles of the twentieth century

Abstract

The main aim of this glossary is to compile a list of 150 terms related to musical genres and styles of the twentieth century, including definitions and uses of each term in a musical context. Up to this day most of these terms and a large number of musical technical terms are referred to in the English language. Due to the increasing awareness of Maltese being used in a wide array of fields which are dominated by other languages, the need of a standardised glossary is an asset to the development of our language, especially in this case, where musical terminology in Maltese is still quite minimal. The terms have been chosen through research in specialised books, the use of the internet and in particular through hands on research in musical environments of various genres of twentieth century music. These terms cover most of the main genres emerging from all parts of the world, with particular emphasis on Western music. In addition to these there are also musical styles of writing and performing closely associated with certain genres.