Drama Glossary

A comedic bass singer in opera, often playing a humorous or bumbling character.

Likely a misspelling of 'Cadenza': a solo passage in a vocal or instrumental performance, typically improvised and virtuosic.

A vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment, typically in multiple movements, used in sacred or secular dramatic contexts.

Male singers castrated before puberty to preserve a high-pitched voice, common in Baroque opera.

A combination of musical notes played simultaneously, forming harmony.

A musical style that uses notes outside the key to create tension and color.

A concluding musical section that brings a composition or scene to a close.

An Italian term instructing the accompanist to follow the soloist’s tempo closely, common in expressive musical theatre.

A style of operatic soprano singing marked by elaborate ornamentation and agile vocal technique.

A highly ornamented style of singing that requires vocal agility, common in soprano opera roles.

A person who writes original music for a production, including scores for musicals, operas, or incidental music for plays.

A gradual increase in volume or intensity in music or dialogue, used to heighten dramatic effect.