Ostinato
A persistently repeated musical pattern or phrase.
Category
form
Pronunciation
oh-stih-NAH-toh
Origin
Italian
Length
91 words · 1 min read
About Ostinato
An ostinato is a motif or phrase that repeats continuously throughout a section or entire piece. It can occur in any voice or instrument and serves as a foundation over which other musical ideas unfold.
More form terms
Phrase
View all formterms →A complete musical thought, analogous to a sentence in spoken language.
CadenzaA virtuosic solo passage, often improvised, near the end of a movement.
RondoA form in which a principal theme alternates with contrasting episodes
MovementA self-contained section within a larger multi-part composition such as a symphony or concerto
FugueA contrapuntal composition in which a subject is introduced and developed through imitative entries
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