Meaning & use
cadenza
Last updated
An elaborate solo passage, often improvised or seemingly improvised, inserted near the end of a movement in a concerto.
See it in a sentence
The pianist's cadenza drew spontaneous applause before the orchestra even resumed playing.
Composers sometimes wrote out a cadenza in full instead of leaving it to the soloist's improvisation.
A note on using this word
Originally, performers improvised cadenzas on the spot; today most are written out in advance, though some soloists still compose their own.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cadenza”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.