Meaning & use
Intermezzo
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A short musical or dramatic piece performed between the acts of a larger work, or more generally an interlude between two more substantial events.
See it in a sentence
The orchestra played a lively intermezzo between the second and third acts of the opera.
The garden party served as a pleasant intermezzo between the wedding ceremony and the formal dinner.
A note on using this word
Borrowed directly from Italian, where it literally means 'in the middle'; Mascagni's intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana is one of the most famous examples in classical music.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. noun
A short independent instrumental composition, especially for piano.
Brahms composed several piano intermezzi late in his career.
Make it your own
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