Prinzipal

Definition of the German term Prinzipal in music:

  1. director, chief, master
  2. principal (the leader of a section in an orchestra, excluding the leader of the first violins)
  3. the principal foundation stop of an organ, usually of 8' pitch on the manuals and 16' pitch on the pedals (equivalent to "Diapason" or "Principal" in English, "Principale" in French, and "Principale" in Italian)
  4. trumpet register and a style of playing from the 16th to the 18th century
Language
German
Singular
Prinzipal
Plural
Prinzipale
Variant
Principal

Combinations

German musical terms that include Prinzipal:

  • Aequalprinzipal – generic term for an 8-foot principal organ stop (s...
  • Geigenprinzipal – organ principal stop usually of 8' pitch with a br...
  • Halbprinzipal – organ principal foundation stop sounding an octave...
  • Harfenprinzipal – organ principal–string hybrid stop of 16' or 8' pi...
  • Kleinprinzipal – organ principal stop usually of 4' pitch (one octa...
  • Prinzipalflöte – organ flute stop of 8' or 4' pitch with a loud ton...
  • Prinzipalwerk – (obsolete meaning) great division (the main divisi...
  • Spitzprinzipal – organ foundation stop of 16', 8' or 4' pitch with ...

Musical examples

Music scores that include Prinzipal:

Related terms

German musical terms related to Prinzipal:

  • Geigenbass – organ foundation stop of 32' or 16' pitch
  • Gemshorn – gemshorn (wind instrument)...
  • Grundstimme – fundamental voice...
  • Hauptmanual – main manual (the principal keyboard of an organ, u...
  • Hauptregister – main organ stop (principal or foundation stop form...
  • Oktave – octave (interval of eight degrees)...
  • Oktavenprincipal – organ principal foundation stop sounding an octave...
  • Prästant – organ principal foundation stop sounding an octave...
  • Spitzdiapason – organ foundation stop of 16', 8' or 4' pitch with ...