ritornello
[ rit-er-nel-oh; Italian ree-tawr-nel-law ]
/ ˌrɪt ərˈnɛl oʊ; Italian ˌri tɔrˈnɛl lɔ /
noun, plural ri·tor·nel·los, ri·tor·nel·li [rit-er-nel-ee; Italian ree-tawr-nel-lee] /ˌrɪt ərˈnɛl i; Italian ˌri tɔrˈnɛl li/. Music.
an orchestral interlude between arias, scenes, or acts in 17th-century opera.
a tutti section in a concerto grosso, aria, etc.
Origin of ritornello
1665–75; < Italian, diminutive of
ritorno
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Words nearby ritornello
Example sentences from the Web for ritornello
The same may be said about the Stornello, Ritornello and Ciure.
Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature |John Addington SymondsShe sang a couplet and the others sang in chorus a ritornello.
Critical Studies |OuidaWhat it probably did was to repeat as a sort of ritornello the clearly marked refrain of the song.
Some Forerunners of Italian Opera |William James HendersonThe ritornello is first given, which is long, because it serves as an introduction to the first scene of the opera.
Life Of Mozart, Vol. 2 (of 3) |Otto Jahn
British Dictionary definitions for ritornello
ritornello
/ (ˌrɪtəˈnɛləʊ) /
noun plural -los or -li (-liː) music
an orchestral passage between verses of an aria or song
a ripieno passage in a concerto grosso
Word Origin for ritornello
C17: from Italian, literally: a little return, from
ritorno a
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