recitativo

[ res-i-tuh-tee-voh; Italian re-chee-tah-tee-vaw ]

/ ˌrɛs ɪ təˈti voʊ; Italian ˌrɛ tʃi tɑˈti vɔ /

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noun, plural rec·i·ta·ti·vos, rec·i·ta·ti·vi

[res-i-tuh-tee-vee; Italian re-chee-tah-tee-vee], /ˌrɛs ɪ təˈti vi; Italian ˌrɛ tʃi tɑˈti vi/, Music.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is commonly used with other verbs to express intention?

Origin of recitativo

Borrowed into English from Italian around 1610–20

The first interruption, indeed, was a recitativo with chords, followed by a verse from the leading treble.
The Woman-Hater|Charles Reade
Of course you know that there is no singing in it, but merely recitation, to which the music is a sort of obligato recitativo.
The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vol. 1|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The recitativo stromentato, or accompanied recitative, was only used to emphasise situations of special importance.
The Opera|R.A. Streatfeild
The recitativo secco was accompanied by the harpsichord, at which the composer himself presided.
The Opera|R.A. Streatfeild

The most important of all these improvements was the abandonment of recitativo secco.
How Music Developed|W. J. Henderson