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Music Terms Glossary - V
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variation (1) Generally, an altered version of a rhythm, motive, or theme; (2) in theme and variations, each regular section following the theme, in which the phrase lengths and harmonization remain true (or close) to the theme while the rhythms, melodies, and textures change.

verismo A descriptive term for a realistic, often sensational, type of late-Romantic Italian opera, whose disreputable characters are caught up in lust, greed, betrayal, or revenge.

vernacular dramas A sung monophonic play presented in the Middle Ages by roving minstrels, who freely mixed secular texts, instrumental music, and plainchant.

verse One of two sections (verse and bridge) of many American popular songs, especially common in the sequence verse-verse-bridge-verse.

vibrato On string instruments, small but rapid fluctuations in pitch used to intensify a sound.

virtuosity In a composition, a focus on exceptional technical demands; in a performance, a focus on exceptional technical display.

virtuoso A performer with exceptional technical skills.

voice (1) The human voice; (2) an independent line in any polyphonic piece.

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