Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sewing-machine music

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.66 in modern English

Syllables: sewing--ma-chine -mu-sic
IPA

33

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

6

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Baroque classical music that is characterized by motoric rhythm and the dense masses of notes.

Derogatory; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"I once had difficulty with my choir's interpretation of a Bach cantata until I described the fugue they were performing as “sewing machine music” and asked them to “chatter” as they sang."
"Tempo and phrasing were utterly predictable in performance, and musicians dismissed even first-class Baroque compositions as “sewing-machine music.” Undesirable precision isn't limited to bad performances of Baroque music."
"Bach's style is baroque, characterised by lots of notes, simple motoric rhythms, and steady shifts of underlying harmony — it was derided by some as 'sewing-machine music'."

Etymology

Attributed to Arnold Bax.

Usage

Questions

What does sewing-machine music mean?: Baroque classical music that is characterized by motoric rhythm and the dense masses of notes.
Where does sewing-machine music come from?: Attributed to Arnold Bax.

How to pronounce sewing-machine music

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