recitative
noun /ˌresɪtəˈtiːv/
/ˌresɪtəˈtiːv/
[countable, uncountable] (music)- a passage in an opera or oratorio that is sung in the rhythm of ordinary speech with many words on the same noteWordfinder
- aria
- chorus
- coloratura
- diva
- libretto
- opera
- orchestra pit
- recitative
- score
- surtitles
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Italian recitativo, from Latin recitare ‘to read out’, from re- (expressing intensive force) + citare ‘cite’.