Meaning of sewing-machine music | Babel Free

Definitions

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

derogatory, uncountable

Examples

“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'.”

CEFR level