Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ritornello
{
Ritˊor-nelle′
, ‖Riˊtor-nel′lo
, }Noun.
[It.
ritornello
, dim. of ritorno
return, fr. ritornare
to return: cf. F. ritournelle
.] (Mus.)
(a)
A short return or repetition; a concluding symphony to an air, often consisting of the burden of the song.
(a)
A short intermediate symphony, or instrumental passage, in the course of a vocal piece; an interlude.
Webster 1828 Edition
Ritornello
RITORNEL'LO
,Noun.
In music, a repeat; the burden of a song, or the repetition of a verse or strain.
Definition 2024
ritornello
ritornello
English
Alternative forms
Noun
ritornello (plural ritornellos or ritornelli)
- (music) an orchestral interlude between arias, scenes, or acts in seventeenth-century opera.
- (music) a tutti section in a concerto grosso, aria, etc.