obbligato

American  

[ob-li-gah-toh, awb-blee-gah-taw] / ˌɒb lɪˈgɑ toʊ, ˌɔb bliˈgɑ tɔ /

adjective

1. (used as a musical direction) obligatory or indispensable; so important that it cannot be omitted.

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noun

obbligatos, plural obbligati plural

1. an obbligato part or accompaniment.

2. a continuing or persistent subordinate or background motif.

3. a subordinate part of a solo.

obbligato British  

/ ˌɒblɪˈɡɑːtəʊ /

adjective

1. not to be omitted in performance

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noun

1. an essential part in a score

   with oboe obbligato

Etymology

Origin of obbligato

1715–25; < Italian: bound, obliged < Latin obligātus; see obligate

Example Sentences

Boris Allakhverdyan supplied the fluid clarinet obbligato in the first.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2017

Colin St. Martin’s elegant flute obbligato and Bradley Tatum’s beautiful, pure sound on the natural horn adorned this pungently colorful performance.

From Washington Post • Feb. 26, 2017

Consider, too, the easygoing lilt of “That’s My Home,” on which Dr. John shows what he learned from Armstrong about phrasing, alongside fluegelhorn obbligato by Wendell Brunious and purring background vocals by the McCrary Sisters.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2014

The obbligato viole d’amore parts in the bass arioso “Betrachte, meine Seel’,” were ravishingly played.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2014

I remember in 1875 I gave a concert in old Platt's hall in Montgomery street, and he played for me that night and also played the obbligato to the slumber song by Randegger.

From Sixty Years of California Song by Alverson, Margaret Blake