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Musical Terms (6)

• bitonality Music Theory
  The simultaneous use of two different keys or tonal centres, producing characteristic harmonic tension. Most famously heard in the Petrushka chord — C major and F-sharp major sounding together.
  When two hands play in clashing keys, resist the urge to blend them: let each layer remain distinct. The dissonance is intentional and structural, not an error to smooth over.
• martellato Italian
  Hammered; each note struck with a sharp, percussive attack, the key released almost immediately.
  Play from a slightly raised hand position and drive each finger firmly into the key with a controlled drop. There is no legato connection between notes — space and decisiveness define the effect.
• ostinato Italian
  A persistently repeated rhythmic or melodic pattern that anchors the texture. A defining feature of Stravinsky's rhythmic language across all periods.
  Maintain the ostinato with absolute regularity and resist letting it drift or diminuendo. In Stravinsky the ostinato is structural, not decorative — it should feel inevitable, not mechanical.
• pesante Italian
  Heavy, weighty; sink into the keys with the full weight of the arm rather than driving from the fingers.
  Transfer arm weight through a relaxed wrist into each note. Avoid percussive hammering — the tone should be full and deep, not hard and bright.
• sans expression French
  Without expression; an instruction to play objectively, without romantic phrasing or personal emotional interpretation.
  Maintain strict rhythmic clarity and resist the impulse to shape phrases with rubato or dynamic swells. The music speaks through rhythm and structure rather than sentiment.
• secco Italian
  Dry; play without sustaining pedal, producing a clean, detached tone.
  Keep the pedal entirely clear or use it sparingly for brief bass resonances only. Secco passages in Stravinsky demand crisp finger articulation to substitute for what the pedal usually provides.