Classical music terms- What do they mean?

[situhill]

I'm really getting into my classical music, but am a total novice really. I want to know what all the names for the types of classical mean:

Sonata, Concerto, Requiem, overture, symphony, rhapsody.. What do they mean?

I obviously know pieces that fit into each category, but what is each defined as?

Ta!

[HAnn521]

Sonata: an instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys.

Concerto: a piece for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements.

Requiem: a musical setting of the mass for the dead OR a musical composition in honor of the dead.

Overture: the orchestral introduction to a musical dramatic work or an orchestral concert piece written especially as a single movement in sonata form.

Symphony: consonance of sounds; a usually long and complex sonata for symphony orchestra or a musical composition (as for organ) resembling such a symphony in complexity or variety.

Rhapsody: a musical composition of irregular form having an improvisatory character.

Hope this helps a bit...

[kev100]

I would recommend buying a book entitled GCSE Music Dictionary by Roy Bennett.

The ISBN number is O-582-33173-O

It will cost you precious little and help you a lot.

If you don't want to buy without trying it the above info is all your local library needs to get it for you.

It's 400 pages of every phrase you can think of in music explained so that anyone can follow it.