parlando

[ pahr-lahn-doh ]

/ pɑrˈlɑn doʊ /

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adjective Music.

sung or played as though speaking or reciting (a musical direction).

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of parlando

1875–80; <Italian, present participle of parlare to speak; see parle

Words nearby parlando

Parkville, parkway, parky, Parl., parlance, parlando, parlay, parle, parley, parleyvoo, parliament

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

How to use parlando in a sentence

Sieglinda's phrases are simple, many of them exquisite, most of them designed to be sung parlando, rather spoken than really sung.
Richard Wagner|John F. Runciman
The monotonous parlando is provided with just so much of melody as to indicate that it is sung, not spoken.
Life Of Mozart, Vol. 1 (of 3)|Otto Jahn
Instead of broad, flowing, but intelligible themes, a mongrel breed of recitative and parlando was to take their place.
Old Fogy|James Huneker
He tried to imitate ordinary conversational speech with music half sung and half spoken—what came to be called "parlando."
How Music Developed|W. J. Henderson

His words are parlando, but the orchestra illumines them with music clear as a calcium light.
Stars of the Opera|Mabel Wagnalls

British Dictionary definitions for parlando

parlando

/ (pɑːˈlændəʊ) /

adjective, adverb

music to be performed as though speaking

Word Origin for parlando

Italian: speaking, from parlare to speak

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