incidental music
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of incidental music
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
While performances of the complete play with the incidental music are rare, a half-hour concert version, also rare but less so, proves effective.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
The show’s theme was a cocktail culture cover of “Crazy Train”; incidental music transitioning one scene to the next was intentionally reminiscent of 1950s sitcoms.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2025
There have been many settings of “Hamlet,” from full operas, to overtures, to incidental music.
From New York Times ● May 16, 2022
The evening opened with “The Consecration of the House,” an overture Beethoven wholly revised in 1822 from incidental music originally composed a decade earlier for August von Kotzebue’s play, “The Ruins of Athens.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2022
In addition to the fine "Fantasy Overture," which I discuss later as a separate piece of orchestral music, Tschaikowsky composed an overture, entr'actes, and full incidental music for Hamlet.
From Shakespeare and Music by Christopher Wilson
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