Definition of cadenza
1 : a parenthetical flourish in an aria or other solo piece commonly just before a final or other important cadence
2 : a technically brilliant sometimes improvised solo passage toward the close of a concerto
3 : an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic and especially a literary work
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A concerto is a large piece for an instrumental soloist (usually playing piano or violin) and orchestra. Concertos are often extremely demanding for the soloist, but the most difficult part of all may be the cadenza, when the orchestra drops out completely, leaving the soloist to dazzle the audience with a set of flourishes, often completely original, right before a movement ends. Cadenzas are also heard in many vocal arias, especially those of the 18th century. The word, borrowed from Italian, originally meant "cadence;" thus, the cadenza, even if it lasts for a couple of minutes, is essentially a decoration of the final important harmonic cadence of the piece.
Origin and Etymology of cadenza
Italian, cadence, cadenza
First Known Use: 1783
CADENZA Defined for English Language Learners
cadenza
playDefinition of cadenza for English Language Learners
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: a difficult part of a piece of classical music that is performed by only one person near the end of the piece
Learn More about cadenza
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See words that rhyme with cadenza Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cadenza
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