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Hello, just put a post up, but lost it. It disappeared! My questions were;
What is a, fuge, a prelude, a movement, an invention, an etude, an opus, a sonatina, I have a few more questions, but feel silly asking these, I maybe should know, but in truth I don't.
Of course I have an idea, but really don't know these terms properly. I wanted to pose this question on the analysis thread, but it went bonkers so here I am asking and exposing my ignorance again. Shey

A fugue is a piece in counterpoint, two to five separate melodies each playing the same material but at different time offsets.

A Prelude in Bach's day was a harmonic progression as a starter of a suite, fugue or other composition.

A movement is a separate part of a larger composition. Suites, symphonies and sonatas can consist of several movements.

An invention is Bach's own title for his two and three voice works for teaching composition.

An etude, French for study, is a composition designed usu. to challenge some specific technical requirement.

An opus is a work. Published works usu. have an opus number to identify them uniquely.

A sonatina is a small sonata.

Google might prevent feelings of silliness but no-one here treats anyone contemptuously for not having come across these terms before.

Thanks Richard, of course I had come across those terms lots of times, just guessed what they meant! The only one I did know correctly was "movement" the others were just eluding me. I didn't Google them because I thought they would fall into my head eventually! Then I just thought to ask here, and voila, instant answer.
My musical education is growing every day.

Just FYI, the pleural of opus is opera, but is hardly ever used that way for the obvious reason.

Oxford lists opuses first, as the main English plural. The Latin, opera, is correct in both languages.

Never knew that. Learn something new every day (sometimes more than one thing!).

im glad you asked it for us all