cadenza
Americannoun
noun
-
a virtuoso solo passage occurring near the end of a piece of music, formerly improvised by the soloist but now usually specially composed
-
informal a fit or convulsion
Etymology
Origin of cadenza
1745–55; < Italian < Vulgar Latin *cadentia a falling, equivalent to Latin cad ( ere ) to fall + -entia -ency; cf. chance
Explanation
A cadenza is a solo that’s part of a larger piece of music such as a concerto. It takes great skill to play a cadenza. Have you ever been to a rock concert and heard the guitarist or drummer do a solo? A cadenza is kind of like that, except it’s part of the classical-music tradition. Cadenzas are for virtuosos: extremely talented, expert players of their instruments. Often, a cadenza comes near the end of a piece, and the cadenza should be an exciting, powerful climax. Like many musical terms, it's on permanent loan from Italian; cadence is the closest word in modern English.
Vocabulary lists containing cadenza
Music - High School
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Here's Looking at Euclid
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Blended
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some thought she went too far, especially in the wild closing cadenza she composed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
This time, Leila Josefowicz was the ferocious soloist, crafting her own explosive cadenza.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
This brooding, 25-minute piece begins with a passionate violin cadenza, played like the rest of the concerto with heated commitment from Stewart, and then evolves frequently, without defined section breaks.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2024
In his hands, the great, pounding first-movement cadenza was granitic, though never sludgy.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
The cadenza is subject to infinite alteration," remarked Mendelssohn; and turning to me, he continued, "the movement is unfinished, you see; and even what is written may be greatly changed.
From A Day with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy by George Sampson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
