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cadenza

 - 3 dictionary results

ca⋅den⋅za

[kuh-den-zuh]
–noun Music.
an elaborate flourish or showy solo passage, sometimes improvised, introduced near the end of an aria or a movement of a concerto.

Origin:
1745–55; < It < VL *cadentia a falling, equiv. to L cad(ere) to fall + -entia -ency; cf. chance
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ca·den·za   (kə-děn'zə)   
n.  
  1. An elaborate, ornamental melodic flourish interpolated into an aria or other vocal piece.

  2. An extended virtuosic section for the soloist usually near the end of a movement of a concerto.


[Italian, from Old Italian, cadence; see cadence.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

cadenza

(Italian: "cadence"), unaccompanied bravura passage introduced at or near the close of a movement of a composition and serving as a brilliant climax, particularly in solo concerti of a virtuoso character. Until well into the 19th century such interpolated passages were often improvised by the performer at suitable openings left for that purpose by the composer. They were displays not only of performing skill but also of more or less spontaneous invention and imagination. Modern performers use written-out cadenzas even for classical concerti, and in modern concerti that include cadenzas they are usually written by the composer. See also improvisation

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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