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Possible definitions for overtame

overtone
In acoustics, a series of higher tones contained within almost any musical tone. H. von Helmholtz first demonstrated the long-suspected physical fact that a body producing a musical pitch--such as a taut string, or a column of air within the tubular body of a wind instrument--vibrates not only as a unit but simultaneously also as integral fractions (half, third, etc.), resulting in the presence of a series of overtones within the fundamental tone (i.e., the one identified as the actual pitch). These higher tones contribute greatly to the timbre of a given sound source, even though few listeners are aware of hearing any pitch except the fundamental, or first (lowest) harmonic. The second harmonic sounds an octave higher than the fundamental; the third sounds a 5th above the second harmonic; the fourth sounds a 4th above the third (two octaves above the fundamental); the 5th sounds a major 3rd above the fourth; and so on. It is widely believed that the special consonance of the octave and the 5th, and even the major 3rd, derive from their strength in the overtone series (see consonance and dissonance).


overture
Musical introduction to a larger, often dramatic, work. Originating with C. Monteverdi's Orfeo (1607), overtures served as openings for operas. The large-scale two- or three-part "French overture" invented by J.-B. Lully (1658) for his operas and ballets was widely imitated for a century. The sinfonia, a development of the latter that became the standard Italian overture form, was a principal precursor of sonata form, which itself became the standard form for later operatic overtures. In the 19th cent., overtures independent of any larger work usually illustrated a literary or historical theme (see symphonic poem). Overtures to operettas and musicals have traditionally been medleys of their themes.

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