cavatina
Americannoun
noun
-
a solo song resembling a simple aria
-
an instrumental composition reminiscent of this
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cavatina
1830–40; < Italian, equivalent to cavat ( a ) song (literally, something drawn out, noun use of feminine of cavata < Latin cavātus hollowed out, hollow; see cave, -ate 1) + -ina -ine 1
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.
After intermission he switched gears emotionally with a potent rendition of Aleko’s cavatina from the Rachmaninoff opera of the same name.
From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2015
With his robust voice, he gave a hearty, wily account of Leporello’s “Catalog Aria” from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” and, in complete contrast, an anguished, dark performance of the title character’s cavatina from Rachmaninoff’s “Aleko.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2014
After a game but flat Catalogue aria from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” Michael Sumuel, a bass-baritone, brought smoky smolder to the moody cavatina from Rachmaninoff’s “Aleko.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2012
She caps the cavatina “Una voce poco fa” with a shimmering high C that she holds for a full 12 seconds before dipping down to end the phrase.
From New York Times ● Mar. 25, 2011
To make the resemblance more complete, it often happened that when the family were gathered in the dining-room they heard the distant trills of some cavatina or romanza which Maria was studying.
From The Marquis of Pe?alta (Marta y Mar?a) A Realistic Social Novel by Palacio Vald?s, Armando
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.