Cadenza
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Definition
A passage of music which allows soloists to display their technical ability in singing or playing an instrument.
Performers used to improvise cadenzas themselves but eventually composers began to write them into the score. In a concerto the end of the cadenza is marked by a dominant 7th chord, usually featuring a trill.
Examples
The cadenza for trumpet starts 26 seconds in to this recording.
Related concepts
- Concerto (N4)