ritornello

noun

ri·tor·nel·lo | \ˌri-tər-ˈne-(ˌ)lō,

ˌri-ˌtȯr-\

plural ritornelli\ˌri-tər-ˈne-(ˌ)lē,

ˌri-ˌtȯr- \ or ritornellos

Definition of ritornello

1a : a short recurrent instrumental passage in a vocal composition

b : an instrumental interlude in early opera

2 : a tutti passage in a concerto or rondo refrain

Examples of ritornello in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An orchestral ritornello serves as a bridge between each variation. — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, "Listening to the Piece That Made Chopin’s Career," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ritornello.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of ritornello was in 1632

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