plural recitatives
music
: a passage in vocal music (such as an opera) in which the words are sung in a way that resembles speech
the second recitative of Act II
The opera made use of recitative.
Cite this Entry
“Recitative.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/recitative. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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