ostinato
noun
osti·na·to
| \ ˌä-stə-ˈnä-(ˌ)tō
, ˌȯ-\
, ˌȯ-\
plural ostinatos
also ostinati\ ˌä-stə-ˈnä-tē
, ˌȯ- \
, ˌȯ- \
Definition of ostinato
Examples of ostinato in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first movement is powered by ostinato figures, and the HSO brass played the opening in dark colors with fierce, menacing sound. — Jeffrey Johnson, courant.com, "HSO Glides Through Challenging Program Of Stravinsky, 'Swan Lake'," 10 Mar. 2018 With nary a pause, Helfer plunged into an up-tempo boogie, hammering staccato notes in the stratosphere of the keyboard while his bass-note ostinatos kept rolling along, like a train rattling down the tracks. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "A buoyant solo set from Chicago treasure Erwin Helfer at the Hungry Brain," 14 Feb. 2018 For the super-structure that Marsalis and friends built on that lovely tune featured multiple sections, including a magical, extended passage in which Marsalis improvised over a softly stated ostinato from bassist Shaw. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Jason Marsalis illuminates music of the past at Andy's," 26 Jan. 2018 For stretches, this amalgamation of styles held together uneasily, but toward the end, a blend of ostinato propulsion and astringent harmony created a memorable vibe. — Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, "Review: Philip Glass, Easy to Mimic but Hard to Match," 10 Dec. 2017 Tapping out one-handed on a piano the creepy, chugging double-bass ostinato, Williams told the director, ‘ — Clifton Leaf, Fortune, "Shark Week Day 2: The Sound of Fear," 26 July 2017 There are stretches in the first movement in which frenetic marimba volleys skirt atop jittery string ostinatos that break into cresting harmonic waves. — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, "Review: NY Phil Biennial’s Ambitious Wrap-Up, From Boulez to Bolcom," 12 June 2016 Rempis has put together a terrific band to play Song for Biko, including trumpeter Russ Johnson, drummer Avreeayl Ra, and bassist Joshua Abrams, who definitely has an affinity for Dyani's masterfully soulful ostinato playing. — Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader, "Jazz / Music / Post No Bills Next week saxophonist Dave Rempis plays solo and leads a full-band performance of a South African jazz classic," 23 June 2017 Though Oh opened this reflection on the art of mime Marcel Marceau with a simple ostinato on stand-up bass, the plot thickened as each instrument joined the music-making. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Bassist Linda May Han Oh revels in tonal beauty of 'Walk Against Wind'," 18 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ostinato.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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