sopranino

American  

[soh-pruh-nee-noh] / ˌsoʊ prəˈni noʊ /

noun

plural

sopraninos

1. a musical instrument, as a saxophone or recorder, that is a pitch higher than the soprano instrument of its class.

---

sopranino British  

/ ˌsɒprəˈniːnəʊ /

noun

1. 1. the instrument with the highest possible pitch in a family of instruments

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sopranino recorder

---

Etymology

Origin of sopranino

1900–05; < Italian, equivalent to sopran ( o ) soprano + -ino diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

His flights of fancy on the sopranino recorder relied on elaborately soulful ornamentation in the slow movement, accompanied by two violins and viola that played with gossamer grace.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2015

Mr. Coltrane, who played much of the set on sopranino saxophone, provided the trio’s most heroic voice, its main source of impassioned exposition.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2015

They favored a twitchier free-form interplay, full of jackhammered clusters and rattling cowbells, with Mr. Mitchell blowing gales through his sopranino saxophone.

From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2015

Within a year, she had graduated to fife, tenor and sopranino recorders.

From The Guardian • Jun. 1, 2013

Rinaldo is a youthful work, full of cheerful trumpet and drum outbursts, and many special battle effects, as well as some exquisite trilling sopranino recorder work imitating birdsong.

From The Guardian • Jul. 9, 2011