language_of_work_or_name wachet auf
Spinto ( from ___MASK65___ , " pushed ") is a vocal term used to characterize a soprano or tenor voice of a weight between lyric and dramatic that is capable of handling large musical climaxes in opera at moderate intervals . ( Sometimes the terms " lirico - spinto " or " jugendlich - dramatisch " are used to denote this category of voice .) The Old Testament is the first section of the Christian Bible , based primarily upon the ___MASK84___ Bible ( or Tanakh ), a collection of religious writings by ancient Israelites believed by most Christians and religious Jews to be the sacred Word of God . It is the counterpart to the New Testament , the second portion of the Christian Bible . The Old Testament canon varies between Christian Churches . Protestants have a version with 39 books . Catholics have a version with 46 books , and Eastern Orthodox , and Oriental Orthodox Churches choose the Old Testament version with 49 books . The Bible ( from ___MASK95___   , " tà biblía ", " the books ") is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that Jews and Christians consider to be a product of divine inspiration and a record of the relationship between God and humans . The Song of Songs ( ___MASK84___ : , " Šr HašŠrm " ; ___MASK9___ : , " Âisma Aismátn "), also known as the Song of Solomon , Canticles , or the Canticle of Canticles , is one of the " scrolls " (" megillot ") of the Writings (" Ketuvim "), the last section of the Tanakh or ___MASK84___ Bible . It is also the fifth book of Wisdom in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible . The Song of Songs is read on the Sabbath during the Passover , marking the beginning of the grain harvest and commemorating the Exodus from Egypt . Chorale fantasia is a type of large composition based on a chorale melody , both works for organ , and vocal settings , for example the opening movements of Bach ' s chorale cantatas , with the chorale melody as a cantus firmus . A chorale is a melody to which a hymn is sung by a congregation in a ___MASK77___ Protestant Church service . The typical four - part setting of a chorale , in which the sopranos ( and the congregation ) sing the melody along with three lower voices , is known as a " chorale harmonization ". Recitative ( also known by its ___MASK65___ name " recitativo ") is a style of delivery ( much used in operas , oratorios , and cantatas ) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech . Recitative does not repeat lines as formally composed songs do . It resembles sung ordinary speech more than a formal musical composition . The Parable of the Ten Virgins , also known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins , is one of the well known parables of Jesus . According to the Gospel of Matthew , the five virgins who are prepared for the bridegroom ' s arrival are rewarded , while the five who are not prepared are disowned . The parable has a clear eschatological theme : be prepared for the Day of Judgment . It was one of the most popular parables in the Middle Ages , with enormous influence on Gothic art , sculpture and the architecture of ___MASK77___ and French cathedrals . A cantata ( literally " sung ", past participle feminine singular of the ___MASK65___ verb " cantare ", " to sing ") is a vocal composition with an ___MASK86___ accompaniment , typically in several movements , often involving a choir . A hymn is a type of song , usually religious , specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer , and typically addressed to a deity or deities , or to a prominent figure or personification . The word " hymn " derives from ___MASK9___ (" hymnos "), which means " a song of praise ". A writer of hymns is known as a hymnodist . The singing of hymns is called hymnody . Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymn books . Hymns may or may not include instrumental accompaniment . A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece . It is often used to describe a composition involving two singers . It differs from a harmony , as the performers take turns performing a solo section rather than performing simultaneously . In classical music , the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists . A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as " piano duet " or " piano four hands ". A piece for two pianists performing together on separate pianos is referred to as a " piano duo ". A voice type is a particular human singing voice identified as having certain qualities or characteristics of vocal range , vocal weight , tessitura , vocal timbre , and vocal transition points (" passaggio "), such as breaks and lifts within the voice . Other considerations are physical characteristics , speech level , scientific testing , and vocal register . A singer ' s voice type is identified by a process known as voice classification , by which the human voice is evaluated and thereby designated into a particular voice type . The discipline of voice classification developed within European classical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing . Voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices . Several different voice classification systems are available to identify voice types , including the ___MASK77___ " Fach " system and the choral music system among many others ; no system is universally applied or accepted . Johann Sebastian Bach ( 28 July 1750 ) was a ___MASK77___ composer and musician of the Baroque period . He enriched established ___MASK77___ styles through his skill in counterpoint , harmonic and motivic organisation , and the adaptation of rhythms , forms , and textures from abroad , particularly from Italy and France . Bach ' s compositions include the " Brandenburg Concertos ", the " Goldberg Variations ", the Mass in B minor , two Passions , and over three hundred cantatas of which around two hundred survive . His music is revered for its technical command , artistic beauty , and intellectual depth . A soubrette is a type of operatic soprano voice often cast as a female stock character in opera and theatre . The term arrived in ___MASK66___ from Provençal via French , and means " conceited " or " coy ". Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music , either a song or an ___MASK86___ music piece , the structure of a musical piece , or the process of creating or writing a new song or piece of music . People who create new compositions are called composers in classical music . In popular music and traditional music , the creators of new songs are usually called songwriters ; with songs , the person who writes new words for a song is the lyricist . " Composition " is the act or practice of creating a song or other piece of music . In many cultures , including Western classical music , the act of composing typically includes the creation of music notation , such as a sheet music " score ", which is then performed by the composer or by other ___MASK86___ musicians or singers . In popular music and traditional music , songwriting may involve the creation of a basic outline of the song , called the lead sheet , which sets out the melody , lyrics and chord progression . In classical music , orchestration ( choosing the instruments of a large music ensemble such as an orchestra which will play the different parts of music , such as the melody , accompaniment , countermelody , bassline and so on ) is typically done by the composer , but in musical theatre and in pop music , songwriters may hire an arranger to do the orchestration . In some cases , a pop or traditional songwriter may not use written notation at all , and instead compose the song in her mind and then play , sing and / or record it from memory . In jazz and popular music , notable sound recordings by influential performers are given the weight that written or printed scores play in classical music . Philipp Nicolai ( 10 August 1556  26 October 1608 ) was a ___MASK77___ Lutheran pastor , poet , and composer . He is most widely recognized as a hymnodist . The violino piccolo ( also called the " Diskantgeige ", " Terzgeige ", " Quartgeige " or " Violino alla francese ") is a stringed instrument of the baroque period . Most examples are similar to a child ' s size violin in size , and are tuned a third or a fourth higher . Probably the most famous work featuring violino piccolo is the first Brandenburg Concerto of Johann Sebastian Bach . The Exodus ( from ___MASK9___  " exodos ", " going out ") is the founding , or etiological , myth of Israel ; its message is that the Israelites were delivered from slavery by Yahweh and therefore belong to him through the Mosaic covenant . It tells of the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt following the death of Joseph , their departure under the leadership of Moses , the revelations at Sinai ( including the Ten Commandments ), and their wanderings in the wilderness up to the borders of Canaan . The exodus story is told in the books of Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers , and Deuteronomy , and their overall intent was to demonstrate God ' s actions in history , to recall Israel ' s bondage and salvation , and to demonstrate the fulfillment of Israel ' s covenant . Passover or Pesach ( from ___MASK84___ " Pesah , Pesakh ", Assyrian ;      " piskha "), is an important , biblically derived Jewish holiday . The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses . It commemorates the story of the Exodus as described in the ___MASK84___ Bible especially in the Book of Exodus , in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt . According to standard biblical chronology , this event would have taken place at about 1300 BCE ( AM 2450 ). Wachet auf , ruft uns die Stimme ( Awake , calls the voice to us ) , BWV 140 , also known as Sleepers Wake , is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach , regarded as one of his most mature and popular sacred cantatas . He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the 27th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 25 November 1731 . Bach composed this cantata to complete his second annual cycle of chorale cantatas , begun in 1724 . The cantata is based on the hymn in three stanzas `` Wachet auf , ruft uns die Stimme '' ( 1599 ) by Philipp Nicolai , which covers the prescribed reading for the Sunday , the parable of the Ten Virgins . The text and tune of the hymn appears unchanged in movements 1 , 4 and 7 . An unknown author supplied poetry for the inner movements as sequences of recitative and duet , based on the love poetry of the Song of Songs . Bach structured the cantata in seven movements , setting the first stanza as a chorale fantasia , the second ( movement 4 ) in the style of a chorale prelude , and the third as a four - part chorale . He set the new texts as dramatic recitatives and love - duets , similar to contemporary opera . Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists ( soprano , tenor , bass ) , a four - part choir and a Baroque ___MASK86___ ensemble of horn ( to enforce the soprano ) , two oboes , taille , violino piccolo , strings and basso continuo including bassoon . Bach used movement 4 of the cantata as the basis for the first of his Schübler Chorales , BWV 645 . Bach scholar Alfred Dürr notes that the cantata is an expression of Christian mysticism in art , while William G . Whittaker calls it `` a cantata without weakness , without a dull bar , technically , emotionally and spiritually of the highest order '' . The violin is a wooden string instrument in the violin family . It is the smallest and highest - pitched instrument in the family in regular use . Smaller violin - type instruments are known , including the violino piccolo and the kit violin , but these are virtually unused in the 2010s . The violin typically has four strings tuned in perfect fifths , and is most commonly played by drawing a bow across its strings , though it can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers ( pizzicato ). Violins are important instruments in a wide variety of musical genres . They are most prominent in the Western classical tradition and in many varieties of folk music . They are also frequently used in genres of folk including country music and bluegrass music and in jazz . Electric violins are used in some forms of rock music ; further , the violin has come to be played in many non - Western music cultures , including Indian music and Iranian music . The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle , particularly in ___MASK39___ traditional music and bluegrass , but this nickname is also used regardless of the type of music played on it . Classical music is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western music , including both liturgical ( religious ) and secular music . While a more accurate term is also used to refer to the period from 1750 to 1820 ( the Classical period ), this article is about the broad span of time from roughly the 11th century to the present day , which includes the Classical period and various other periods . The central norms of this tradition became codified between 1550 and 1900 , which is known as the common - practice period . The major time divisions of Western art music are as follows : European art music is largely distinguished from many other non - European and some popular musical forms by its system of staff notation , in use since about the 16th century . Western staff notation is used by composers to indicate to the performer the pitches ( e . g ., melodies , basslines , chords ), tempo , meter and rhythms for a piece of music . This can leave less room for practices such as improvisation and " ad libitum " ornamentation , which are frequently heard in non - European art music and in popular - music styles such as jazz and blues . Another difference is that whereas most popular styles adopt the song ( strophic ) form , classical music has been noted for its development of highly sophisticated forms of ___MASK86___ music such as the concerto , symphony , sonata , and mixed vocal and ___MASK86___ styles such as opera which , since they are written down , can sustain larger forms and attain a high level of complexity . In music , a chorale prelude is a short liturgical composition for organ using a chorale tune as its basis . It was a predominant style of the ___MASK77___ Baroque era and reached its culmination in the works of J . S . Bach , who wrote 46 ( with a 47th unfinished ) examples of the form in his Orgelbüchlein . Prayer ( from the ___MASK6___ " precari " " to ask earnestly , beg , entreat ") is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication . The Tanakh ( or ; also " Tenakh ", " Tenak ", " Tanach ") or Mikra or ___MASK84___ Bible is the canonical collection of Jewish texts , which is also a textual source for the Christian Old Testament . These texts are composed mainly in ___MASK31___ , with some passages in Biblical Aramaic ( in the books of Daniel , Ezra and a few others ). The traditional ___MASK84___ text is known as the Masoretic Text . The Tanakh consists of twenty - four books . Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice , and augments regular speech by the use of sustained tonality , rhythm , and a variety of vocal techniques . A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist . Singers perform music ( arias , recitatives , songs , etc .) that can be sung with or without accompaniment by musical instruments . Singing is often done in an ensemble of musicians , such as a choir of singers or a band of instrumentalists . Singers may perform as soloists , or accompanied by anything from a single instrument ( as in art song or some jazz styles ) up to a symphony orchestra or big band . Different singing styles include art music such as opera and ___MASK17___ opera , religious music styles such as gospel , traditional music styles , world music , jazz , blues and popular music styles such as pop and rock . Coloratura has several meanings : The word is originally from ___MASK65___ , literally meaning " coloring ", and derives from the ___MASK6___ word " colorare " (" to color "). When used in ___MASK66___ , the term specifically refers to elaborate melody , particularly in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and 19th centuries , with runs , trills , wide leaps , or similar virtuoso - like material . Its instrumental equivalent is ornamentation . It is also now widely used to refer to passages of such music , operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part , and singers of these roles . ( See also bel canto .) A soprano is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types . The soprano ' s vocal range ( using scientific pitch notation ) is from approximately middle C ( C ) = 261 Hz to " high A " ( A ) = 880 Hz in choral music , or to " soprano C " ( C , two octaves above middle C ) = 1046 Hz or higher in operatic music . In four - part chorale style harmony , the soprano takes the highest part , which usually encompasses the melody . The soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura , soubrette , lyric , spinto , and dramatic soprano . The lyric soprano is the most common female singing voice . A Christian ( or ) is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity , an Abrahamic , monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ . " Christian " derives from the ___MASK95___ word " Christós " (  ), a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term " mashiach ". Opera ( ___MASK66___ plural : " operas "; Italian plural : " opere " ) is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text ( libretto ) and musical score , usually in a theatrical setting . In traditional opera , singers do two types of singing : recitative , a speech - inflected style and arias , a more melodic style . Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre , such as acting , scenery , and costumes and sometimes includes dance . The performance is typically given in an opera house , accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble , which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor . ___MASK84___ Bible or ___MASK84___ Scriptures is the term used by biblical scholars to refer to the " Tanakh ", the canonical collection of Jewish texts , which is the common textual source of several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament . They are composed mainly in ___MASK31___ , with some passages in Biblical Aramaic ( in the books of Daniel , Ezra and a few others ).