obbligato

[ ob-li-gah-toh; Italian awb-blee-gah-taw ]

adjective

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

noun,plural ob·bli·ga·tos, ob·bli·ga·ti

[ob-li-gah-tee; Italian awb-blee-gah-tee]. /ˌɒb lɪˈgɑ ti; Italian ˌɔb bliˈgɑ ti/.

an obbligato part or accompaniment.
a continuing or persistent subordinate or background motif.

a subordinate part of a solo.

Origin of obbligato

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

Also obligato.

Words Nearby obbligato

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use obbligato in a sentence

The earlier obbligato accompaniment gave way to an obbligato style of writing which rested to a greater extent on counterpoint.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I (of 3) | Alexander Wheelock Thayer
There ought to be a hint as to the identity of the two players with two eyeglasses obbligato.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I (of 3) | Alexander Wheelock Thayer
"Oh yes, oh yes," she agreed, in a voice like a quick flute obbligato.
The Copy-Cat and Other Stories | Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
This bravura air with its trumpet obbligato still remains a favourite with competent vocalists and discriminating audiences.
Dr. Arne and Rule, Britannia | William Hayman Cummings
The violin obbligato in Rimsky-Korsakov's Schéhérazade, though, is real violin music.
Violin Mastery | Frederick H. Martens

British Dictionary definitions for obbligato

obbligato

adjective

not to be omitted in performance

nounplural -tos or -ti (-tiː)

an essential part in a score: with oboe obbligato

Origin of obbligato

C18: from Italian, from obbligare to oblige

See also ad-lib

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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