Meaning & use
obbligato
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An accompanying instrumental part in a piece of music that is considered essential and is not to be omitted or improvised away.
See it in a sentence
The cellist's obbligato added a haunting undercurrent beneath the aria.
Bach frequently wrote an obbligato for solo violin or oboe alongside the vocal line.
A note on using this word
Obbligato comes from the Italian for "obligatory," distinguishing it from an "ad libitum" part, which performers are free to leave out.
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