cantata
a choral composition, either sacred and resembling a short oratorio or secular, as a lyric drama set to music but not to be acted.
a metrical narrative set to recitative or alternate recitative and air, usually for a single voice accompanied by one or more instruments.
Origin of cantata
1Words Nearby cantata
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cantata in a sentence
The cantata, often described as “challenging,” was sung entirely in German.
The First Americans to Observe the 4th Were Moravian Pacifists | Linda C. Brinson | July 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn spite of this official success, the cantata did not win the approval of the musical authorities.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste TchaikovskyNevertheless, Cui did not handle the young composer so severely as on the occasion of his Diploma cantata.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste TchaikovskyOn this occasion he was well beforehand with the work, and sent in the cantata to the committee by the 1st of April.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste TchaikovskyThere the pupils of the Conservatorium awaited them, and sang a cantata composed by Elsner for the occasion.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician | Frederick Niecks
This ceremony was an annual function, one of its features being the performance of the cantata which had won the music prize.
British Dictionary definitions for cantata
/ (kænˈtɑːtə) /
a musical setting of a text, esp a religious text, consisting of arias, duets, and choruses interspersed with recitatives
Origin of cantata
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for cantata
[ (kuhn-tah-tuh) ]
A musical composition for voice and instruments and including choruses, solos, and recitatives.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse