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Meaning & use

ritornellos

noun·Advancedmusictechnical

Last updated

UK/ˌrɪtɔːˈneləʊz/
US/ˌrɪtɔːrˈneloʊz/

“ritornellos” is a form of “ritornello”.

Meanings

  1. nounpluralmusic

    Short passages of music, especially in baroque concertos, that the full orchestra plays again and again between solo sections.

    Grammar: Plural of ritornello; singular is a ritornello: one ritornello, several ritornellos.

    Patterns

    • ritornellos in something
    • ritornellos between solos

    The ritornellos in Vivaldi's concertos return like a refrain between the violin solos.

    Students learn to spot the ritornellos by listening for the same theme in the orchestra.

    Bach shortened the ritornellos so the soloist could take the spotlight sooner.

  2. nounpluralmusic

    Short instrumental sections that come before, between or after the verses of a song or aria.

    Grammar: Plural form; a single section is a ritornello.

    Patterns

    • ritornellos before a verse

    The singer waited through the ritornellos before entering for the second verse.

    Early opera composers used ritornellos to link the scenes.

    Short ritornellos on the lute separate each stanza of the song.

Word forms

singularritornello
alternative pluralritornelli

Common combinations

orchestral ritornellos
The orchestral ritornellos set the mood for each aria.
opening ritornello
The opening ritornello states the main theme.
ritornello form
Many baroque movements use ritornello form.
play the ritornellos
The strings play the ritornellos with plenty of energy.

Synonyms and how they differ

refrain
A refrain is the repeated line or melody in a song and is not tied to instrumental sections.
interlude
An interlude is any passage between parts, while ritornellos return with the same material.
tutti
Tutti means the whole orchestra playing together, which is how ritornellos are often played, but it names the group and not the passage.

Opposites

solo sections

Word family

ritornello noun
one such returning passage
ritornelli noun
the Italian plural
return verb
the English root idea of coming back

Commonly confused: ritornellos or ritardando?

ritornellos vs ritardando

Ritardando is a direction to slow down gradually, while a ritornello is a returning passage of music.

Practice

In a baroque concerto, the full orchestra plays the ___ between the soloist's episodes.

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