musica ficta

views updated

musica ficta (Lat.). Feigned music. musica falsa (It.). False music. In early mus., the sharpening or flattening of certain notes, conventionally prescribed or permitted in modal mus. (see modes) to avoid certain awkward intervals, etc. Its prevalence in mus. up to and incl. that of the 16th cent. requires considerable knowledge of performing practice of the period on the part of modern eds. In most modern edns. the necessary alterations are written in.

More From encyclopedia.com