Cadenza
/kəˈdɛn.zə/noun
An ornamental, usually improvised solo passage in a piece of music, often near the end of a movement.
Did you know?Cadenza comes from Italian cadence, and in older usage it was literally the place where a performer could improvise freely—basically a sanctioned break in the structure for pure personal power.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cadentia
“a falling or falling close”
Old Italian
Italian
cadenza
“a cadence, fall, or rhythmic closing”
18th Century
Italian
cadenza
“an ornamental close in music, often improvised”
Late 18th Century
English
cadenza
“a florid solo passage, especially near the end of a concerto movement”
Modern English
English
cadenza
“an elaborate solo passage in a musical composition”