Examples of ostinato in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, the implacably sorrowing three-note ostinato of the symphony’s second movement hints at Ukrainian suffering not only under Nazi occupation but also under Soviet rule, and that implicit defiance is all the more evident when the Kyiv Symphony plays the piece today.
—
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024
An interlude of golden horns introduced the concerto’s bracing finish, a little ostinato passed between the percussion and the strings, a triumphant theme mounting across the brass, a heroic rumble of timpani.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024
Although there are sonic glimpses of Britell’s signature ostinato here, they’re too often drowned out by choirs that are meant to be heavenly but just sound pretentious and grandiose.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
Male anxiety and aggression form a jittery ostinato to the proceedings, as Matthias tries to train Rudi in masculinist skills like fishing, fending and fighting.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
In the spirit of other great live jazz recordings of the past, his discography asserts those venues as musical personalities themselves: babbling patrons become a rowdy counterpoint, the looped clink of glasses and silverware a subtle ostinato.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Dec. 2022
In the impressive opening Kyrie, a catchy ostinato in the piano and a slow, wistful interlude for strings pave the way toward an impassioned choral entreaty that crests and recedes like ocean waves.
—Barbara Jepson, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2020
Its slow movement, in C minor, is built on a mesmerizing cello ostinato, rising by scalar steps from C to F and then back down.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022
The song’s iconic four-note ostinato dates back to pre-Christian folklore, and was arranged into its classical musical form by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich in 1916.
—Micah Hendler, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024
An interlude of golden horns introduced the concerto’s bracing finish, a little ostinato passed between the percussion and the strings, a triumphant theme mounting across the brass, a heroic rumble of timpani.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024
Although there are sonic glimpses of Britell’s signature ostinato here, they’re too often drowned out by choirs that are meant to be heavenly but just sound pretentious and grandiose.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
Male anxiety and aggression form a jittery ostinato to the proceedings, as Matthias tries to train Rudi in masculinist skills like fishing, fending and fighting.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
In the spirit of other great live jazz recordings of the past, his discography asserts those venues as musical personalities themselves: babbling patrons become a rowdy counterpoint, the looped clink of glasses and silverware a subtle ostinato.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Dec. 2022
In the impressive opening Kyrie, a catchy ostinato in the piano and a slow, wistful interlude for strings pave the way toward an impassioned choral entreaty that crests and recedes like ocean waves.
—Barbara Jepson, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2020
Its slow movement, in C minor, is built on a mesmerizing cello ostinato, rising by scalar steps from C to F and then back down.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022
The song’s iconic four-note ostinato dates back to pre-Christian folklore, and was arranged into its classical musical form by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich in 1916.
—Micah Hendler, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ostinato.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ostinato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostinato. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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