cadenza
noun
ca·den·za
| \ kə-ˈden-zə
\
\
Definition of cadenza
1
: a parenthetical flourish in an aria or other solo piece commonly just before a final or other important cadence
2
: a technically brilliant sometimes improvised solo passage toward the close of a concerto
3
: an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic and especially a literary work
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of cadenza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Orliński’s cadenza began on an A, his voice rising like a peal of bells up to a high F and then descending, with a trill, to the F an octave lower. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "A Millennial Countertenor’s Pop-Star Appeal," 15 July 2019 But Davis’ cadenza was not so much a jazz statement as a linkage between jazz and its antecedents in ancient Africa. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago Jazz Philharmonic delivers urgent message with 'Chicago Immigrant Stories'," 15 June 2018 That barnstorm preceded another, the festival-closer and one of her specialties: Ligeti’s dazzling concerto, a party that ended — in this version of the final cadenza — with the whole orchestra joining Ms. Kopatchinskaja in song. — Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, "A Quirky Violinist and a Festival to Match," 11 June 2018 The first movement cadenza, which Kopatchinsakaja patterned after one Beethoven wrote for a piano transcription of the concerto, had her in riotous dialogue with the timpanist and other members of the ensemble. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Beethoven rolls over at the Ojai Music Festival," 8 June 2018 The first-movement cadenza continued in that vein (along with unexpected flashes of humor) but with more richness to come. — David Patrick Stearns, Philly.com, "Yannick and Grimaud connect like soul mates in Beethoven's 'Piano Concerto No. 4'," 18 May 2018 Alexandra Nowakowski more than filled out the demands of this exhilarating stretch — trills, runs, its own cadenza, and a spectacular high D near the end. — Peter Dobrin, Philly.com, "A mixed 'Ariadne auf Naxos' at the Academy of Vocal Arts," 2 Mar. 2018 The composition breaks from the three-movement concerto model by expanding the traditional cadenza into its own movement. — Jessica Rudman, courant.com, "HSO Plays A Superb Shostakovich Program To Two Standing Ovations," 5 May 2018 Thus, the foursome has many of the lyrical and dramatic possibilities of any concerto soloist, though not the agility that one associates with, say, a violinist who leaps into the ozone during the cadenza. — David Patrick Stearns, Philly.com, "Philly Grammy winner Jennifer Higdon delights Chicago with a new world premiere, coming here soon," 2 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cadenza.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for cadenza
cadenza
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cadenza
: a difficult part of a piece of classical music that is performed by only one person near the end of the piece
See the full definition for cadenza in the English Language Learners Dictionary