canzonetta

British  

/ ˌkænzəˈnɛtə /

noun

1. a short cheerful or lively song, typically of the 16th to 18th centuries

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Etymology

Origin of canzonetta

C16: Italian canzonetta, diminutive of _canzone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canzonetta

The Marchese had raised his eyebrows at the first words of the canzonetta, and at the end of the second verse he was smiling broadly.

From Olive in Italy by Moray Dalton

She was singing a Venetian canzonetta in a low, soft, warbling tone, as one lost in a revery; as though the music was a mere accompaniment to some pleasant thought.

From Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon, Volume 1 by Charles James Lever

I pledge all scholars turned soldiers," he said, "all courtiers who stay not at court, all poets who win tall ships at the point of a canzonetta!

From Sir Mortimer by Mary Johnston

I told Zerbino and Dulcie to lie down, and I began to sing my canzonetta.

From Nobody's Boy Sans Famille by Florence Crewe-Jones

There was not much light, the moon shining through the trees, and the two artists playing as if inspired anything anyone asked for, from a Spohr sonata to an Italian canzonetta.

From Letters of a Diplomat's Wife 1883-1900 by Mary King Waddington