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ritornello

 - 3 dictionary results

ri⋅tor⋅nel⋅lo

  [rit-er-nel-oh; It. ree-tawr-nel-law]
Use ritornello in a Sentence
–noun, plural -los, -li  [-lee] . Music.
1. an orchestral interlude between arias, scenes, or acts in 17th-century opera.
2. a tutti section in a concerto grosso, aria, etc.
Origin:
1665–75; < It, dim. of ritorno return
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ri·tor·nel·lo   (rē'tôr-něl'lō)   
n.   pl. ri·tor·nel·li (-lē) or ri·tor·nel·los

  1. An instrumental interlude recurring after each stanza in a vocal work.

  2. A passage or section for full orchestra in a concerto or aria.

  3. An instrumental interlude in early 17th-century opera.

  4. The refrain of a rondo.


[Italian, diminutive of ritorno, return, from ritornare, to return, from Vulgar Latin *retornāre; see return.]
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

ritornello

a recurrent musical section that alternates with different episodes of contrasting material. The repetition can be exact or varied to a greater or lesser extent. In the concerto grosso the full orchestra (tutti) has the ritornello; the solo group (concertino) has the contrasting episodes.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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