incidental music
noun
: descriptive music played during a play to project a mood or to accompany stage action
Examples of incidental music in a Sentence
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Costumed by Yves Saint Laurent or Michael Roberts, with incidental music by Paul Bowles (for instance), these productions were extraordinary, and turned young people on to the arts of theater.
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Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 18 July 2025
Koerner’s score only has four songs, but the accordionist provides jaunty incidental music throughout, accompanied by the ensemble on a variety of percussion instruments.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
The aha came after intermission, when Dudamel conducted Mendelssohn’s incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Later, the theater noticed his composition skill, and hired him to write small pieces of incidental music.
—Jeffrey Arlo Brown, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2023
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Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 18 July 2025
Koerner’s score only has four songs, but the accordionist provides jaunty incidental music throughout, accompanied by the ensemble on a variety of percussion instruments.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
The aha came after intermission, when Dudamel conducted Mendelssohn’s incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Later, the theater noticed his composition skill, and hired him to write small pieces of incidental music.
—Jeffrey Arlo Brown, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for incidental music
Cite this Entry
“Incidental music.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incidental%20music. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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