Crossword clues for recitative
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Recitative \Rec`i*ta*tive"\, a. Of or pertaining to recitation; intended for musical recitation or declamation; in the style or manner of recitative. -- Rec`i*ta*tive"ly, adv.
Recitative \Rec`i*ta*tive"\ (r[e^]s`[i^]*t[.a]*t[=e]v"), n. [It. recitativo, or F. r['e]citatif. See Recite.] (Mus.) A species of musical recitation in which the words are delivered in a manner resembling that of ordinary declamation; also, a piece of music intended for such recitation; -- opposed to melisma.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"style of musical declamation intermediate between speech and singing, form of song resembling declamation," 1650s, from Italian recitativo, from recitato, past participle of recitare, from Latin recitare "read out, read aloud" (see recite). From 1640s as an adjective. The Italian form of the word was used in English from 1610s.
Wiktionary
a. of a recital n. (context music English) dialogue, in an opera etc, that, rather than being sung as an aria, is reproduced with the rhythms of normal speech, often with simple musical accompaniment or harpsichord continuo, serving to expound the plot
WordNet
n. a vocal passage of narrative text that a singer delivers with natural rhythms of speech
Wikipedia
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "recitativo" ) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat lines as formally composed songs do. It resembles sung ordinary speech more than a formal musical composition.
Recitative can be distinguished on a continuum from more speech-like to more musical. The mostly syllabic recitativo secco ("dry", accompanied only by continuo) is at one end of a spectrum through recitativo accompagnato (using orchestra), the more melismatic arioso, and finally the full-blown aria or ensemble, where the pulse is entirely governed by the music.
The term recitative (or occasionally liturgical recitative) is also applied to the simpler formulas of Gregorian chant, such as the tones used for the Epistle, Gospel, preface and collects; see accentus.
Usage examples of "recitative".
Recording Angels chant from their books, antiphonally, in a minor recitative.
For as there had been no monody, so there had been no solo singing, and as the operas of the first three-quarters of this century, in spite of the improvements of Monteverde, consisted mostly of recitative, there was still no singing in the modern acceptation of the term.
The biwa, a kind of four-stringed lute, is chiefly used in musical recitative.
Recording Angels chant from their books, antiphonally, in a minor recitative.
The cantata is made up of choruses and duets, a recitative and two arias.
The Crays and the two new Schillers hummed away behind him, providing his monotonal recitative with a ground bass.