a declamatory style of vocal delivery designed to approximate the natural rhythms and inflections of speech. The recitative was first employed in opera, and later in oratorios, passions, and cantatas.
Recitative is text that is sung in a spoken style. In opera, recitative is the dialogue that furthers the action of the plot. The Beggar's Opera did not contain recitative.
A flexible style of vocal delivery employed in opera, oratorio, and cantata and tailored to the accents and rhythms of the text.
A type of vocal writing in opera that mimics speech or recitation. Often preceding arias, recitatives generally convey a course of action that a character will take, rather than expressing a state of mind or emotion that a character feels. "Ah, guarda sorella" from Mozart's Così fan tutte, featuring Mary Dunleavy as Fiordiligi, Ruxandra Donose as Dorabella, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Maurizio Barbacini. Excerpt courtesy of Opera Company of Philadelphia. Opera America Sample: "Ah, guarda sorella"
a quasi-improvised music in opera when the singer skips through the improbable, but vital, twists of the plot in order to get to his or her next aria
a singing style that tries to mimic speech patterns.
An important component (along with aria) of opera and oratorio. Recitative usually consists of a solo singer, accompanied by basso continuo. It developed out of monody. ( Lesson 8, Page 2) HEAR IT
(wretch-ee-tah-TEEF) The name given to the declamatory, speech-like singing portions of opera, in which the plot generally is advanced, as opposed to the more static or reflective lyrical settings (arias.) Recitative often imitates rapid speech and is rhythmically free. It links together the arias and choruses.
a rhythmically free vocal style used in operas and oratorios
(reh-see-tah-TEEV) (Italian) — Lines of dialogue which are sung, but usually with no recognizable melody; the singing has a rhythm more like normal speech than that of an aria. Recitative is used to advance the plot between numbers. Recitativo secco (reh-chee-tah-TEE-voh SEHK-koh) is accompanied only by continuo such as a harpsichord, sometimes with added cello. There is also recitativo accompagnato (reh-chee-tah-TEE-voh ahk-kohm-pah-NYAH-toh) which is accompanied by the orchestra. In early opera the latter was reserved for the nobility. In later operas it is used for all singers.
(Ital. recitativo; Fr. récit.) In opera and related genres, a vocal passage imitating the rhythms and inflections of speech. Often a recitative is followed by an aria . When crisply delivered and accompanied by simple chords in the continuo , the recitative is considered secco (dry); with orchestra, it is accompagnato .
a speech like style of singing used in opera, oratorio, and cantata
The sung words which often come before an aria or ensemble. The purpose of recitative is to advance the plot.
a vocal passage of narrative text that a singer delivers with natural rhythms of speech
a declamatory operatic passage which retains the rhythm and tempo of speech while being uttered in musical tones
an operatic device, also used in oratorios and cantatas, to fill in some blanks in the story line
a vocal passage that imitates spoken language, usually in free tempo
a form of singing that emphasizes the natural inflections of speech
vocal music which relies on the natural inflections of speech and gives less stress to ordered rhythm and metre, spoken music
Solo vocal declamation that follows the inflections of the text, often resulting in a disjunct vocal style; found in opera, cantata, and oratorio.
reh-sih-tah- teev] From the Italian "recitativo." A declamatory style of singing designed to imitate the natural inflections of speech. It was developed by a group of Florentine intellectuals (c.1600) in an attempt to recreate the performance style of ancient Greek tragedy, and became an essential feature of operas and oratorios. In early Baroque operas, [cons/genres] the distinction between recitative and aria was often blurred; by the late Baroque (c. 1700) the two were completely distinct in style and purpose, with recitative used to propel the plot and aria used for poetic reflection. In the Romantic period the lines between the two forms began to blur again. Baroque and Classical opera featured two types of recitative: recitativo secco ("dry recitative") featuring quick articulation of the text, accompanied by harpsichord; and recitativo accompagnato ("accompanied recitative"), more dramatic and melodic, accompanied by the full orchestra
(wretch-ee-tah-TEEF) A musical form within an opera which, by imitating rapid speech, advances the plot; this is not the same as parlando, which is a style of singing, but rather a formal device which links together the arias and choruses. Those forms generally express states of mind while the recitative describes a course of action. "Recitativo secco" (wretch-eh-tah-TEEV-oh SEK-ko) is accompanied by the continuo instruments; "accompagnato" (ah-come-pahn-YAH-to) is accompanied by the full orchestra. Numerous passages abound in the operas of Mozart and Rossini of the "secco" style. The introduction to Donna Anna's "Or sai chi l'onore" in DON GIOVANNI is an example of the "accompagnato" style, where the orchestral sonorities are capable of varying the mood of the narration more than the simple harpsichord accompaniment could.
a style of vocal music that is halfway between singing and speaking; generally, it has a simple accompaniment. It is usually quite plain, often having many words on a repeated note. The rhythm is free, following the natural accents of speech. Recitative is used in opera and oratorio where it conveys information to the audience. (The arias express emotion and show off the singers’ voices.)
A half-singing, half-reciting style of presenting words in opera, cantata, oratorio, etc., which follows speech accents and speech rhythms closely.
singing speech, in which the singer chants the words.
reh-sih-tah-TEEV]: speech-like singing. The term can be used to describe a movement, a texture, or a section within a piece.
Dialogue which is "sing-speak." The recitative helps get through a lot of text quickly and moves the action along. Often precedes an aria or ensemble.
(from the Italian, recitative)–a type of vocal writing in opera which mimics speech or 'recitation'. This imitation of normal speech patterns existed from the time of Monteverdi and the other early creators of opera. In Italian practice, two forms of recitative evolved: recitativo secco, accompanied only by a keyboard instrument (harpsichord or fortepiano) which conveyed everyday dialogue leading to more dramatic moments (aria); and recitativo accompagnato, which was accompanied by orchestra and used to convey noble speech, or the speech of noble, royal or mythological characters.
(reh-chi-tah-TEEV) A musical declaration, half-spoken, half-sung, usually with little accompaniment.
(L.: recitare, "to read aloud"). A style of vocal music intermediate between speaking and singing.
RE-chih-tah-TEEV]: often abbreviated as recits, this is the vocal music in opera that connects the arias, duets, choruses, etc…. In early opera continuing well into the 19th century, Secco ("Dry") Recitative predominated. This is what we hear in Mozart and Rossini: a harpsichord or piano plays a chord and the singer(s) deliver(s) the recitative unaccompanied by the orchestra. The alternative is Accompanied Recitative, in which the full orchestra performs the recitative with the singers. By the end of the 19th century, composers like Verdi blurred the line between numbers and recitative (try to delineate where the recits end and the numbers begin in Otello and Falstaff), while others like Wagner and his followers did away with numbers and recits altogether.
A musical work usually found in an opera or oratorio, which mimics the patterns of speech, in order to advance the story.
Declamatory style of singing, used particularly in opera, oratorio, and cantata, with a minimum of musical structure.
Opera music using normal speech rhythms
Recitative, a form of composition often used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas (and occasionally in operettas and even musicals), is melodic speech set to music, or a descriptive narrative song in which the music follows the words.