cadenza

[ kuh-den-zuh ]

/ kəˈdɛn zə /

an elaborate flourish or showy solo passage, sometimes improvised, introduced near the end of an aria or a movement of a concerto.

Origin of cadenza

1745–55; < Italian < Vulgar Latin *cadentia a falling, equivalent to Latin cad(ere) to fall + -entia -ency; cf. chance

This volume also contains his own cadenza to the Beethoven violin concerto.

Violin Mastery |Frederick H. Martens
The modulation from C sharp minor to D major and back again (after the cadenza) is very striking and equally beautiful.

Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician |Frederick Niecks
When the cadenza was reached in the public concert Beethoven quietly sat down.

The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3) |Alexander Wheelock Thayer
One of them he made improvise a cadenza, and a second sang the alto to it without accompaniment.

Music-Study in Germany |Amy Fay

It is significant that he played the cadenza, the most difficult part, best of all.

Franz Liszt |James Huneker

cadenza

/ (kəˈdɛnzə) /

a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed

Southern African informal a fit or convulsion

C19: from Italian; see cadence