cantabile
Play it singing
Cantabile is a musical direction indicating that a passage should be performed in a smooth, flowing, songlike manner.
It comes from Italian, where it literally means "singable." The term applies across instruments, asking players to imitate the lyrical quality of the human voice.
The cellist brought out the cantabile passage with exceptional warmth.
As a noun, cantabile can refer to a piece or section written in this singing style.
Musically pleasing to hear
- lyricalMusically expressive
- songlikeHaving melodic quality
- flowingMoving continuously onward
- smoothWithout roughness or difficulty
expressive · tender · sweet · warm · singing · tuneful · dulcet · euphonious
Unbroken musical phrasing
- dolceSoft, melodious instruction
- portamentoSeamless pitch transition
- rubatoElastic musical timing
- tenutoHold full value
phrasing · appassionato · lyrically · smoothly · flowingly · connectedly · breath control · long line
Operatic solo piece
- sopranoHighest female voice range
- tenorEssential meaning or import
- baritoneMid-range male voice
- mezzo-sopranoMedium female singing voice
contralto · bass · coloratura · vocalize · vibrato · falsetto · head voice · chest voice
Bowed string instrument
- celloDeep-voiced bowed instrument
- clarinetSingle-reed woodwind instrument
- oboeTwin-reed wind instrument
- fluteTube blown sideways
horn · string quartet · woodwind · melodic line · concerto · sonata · nocturne · romance
Walking-pace tempo marking
- adagioSlow musical tempo
- larghettoSlightly faster than largo
- moderatoMedium musical tempo
- andantinoLeisurely musical pace
largo · lento · grave · slow movement · walking pace
melodic
Musically pleasing to hear
smooth · expressive · tender · sweet · warm · singing · tuneful · dulcet · euphonious · resonant
legato
Unbroken musical phrasing
- dolceSoft, melodious instruction
- portamentoSeamless pitch transition
- rubatoElastic musical timing
tenuto · phrasing · appassionato · lyrically · smoothly · flowingly · connectedly · breath control · long line
amoroso
Tender musical instruction
- dolceSoft, melodious instruction
- appassionatoWith intense feeling
aria
Operatic solo piece
mezzo-soprano · contralto · bass · coloratura · vocalize · vibrato · falsetto · head voice · chest voice · lyric tenor
violin
Bowed string instrument
- celloDeep-voiced bowed instrument
- clarinetSingle-reed woodwind instrument
- oboeTwin-reed wind instrument
flute · horn · string quartet · woodwind · melodic line · concerto · sonata · nocturne · romance
andante
Walking-pace tempo marking
andantino · largo · lento · grave · slow movement · walking pace
cantabilestaccato
Short, separated note style
marcato · spiccato · percussive · pizzicato · accented
cantabileunmelodious
Without pleasant sound
unmelodic · unmusical · mechanical · harsh · strident
chant, incantation, cantata, canto, cantor, canticle, recitative