| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| E |
E is a note of the scale (= Italian, French: mi). |
| Elegy |
An elegy (= French: élégie) is a lament, either vocal or instrumental. |
| English horn |
The English horn is more generally known in England as the cor anglais. It is the tenor oboe. |
| Ensemble |
The word ensemble is used in three senses. It may refer to the togetherness of a group of performers: if ensemble is poor, the players are not together. It may indicate part of an opera that involves a group of singers. It can also mean a group of performers. |
| Entr'acte |
As the word suggests, an entr'acte (= German: Zwischenspiel) is music between the acts of a play or opera. |
| Etude |
An tude is a study, intended originally for the technical practice of the player. Chopin, Liszt and later composers elevated the tude into a significant piece of music, no mere exercise. |
| Exposition |
The exposition in sonata-allegro form is the first section of the movement, in which the principal thematic material is announced. In the exposition of a fugue (a fugal exposition) the voices (= parts) enter one by one with the same subject: the exposition ends when all the voices have entered. |