Reprise is a musical repetition

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Reprise is a musical term that refers to a piece of musical material that contains repetition. This phenomenon contributes to the balance and integrity of the form.

Definition

Next, let's talk more about what a reprise is. Examples of this phenomenon can be found in the works of the XVII-XVIII centuries, in particular the aria Da capo. In the XVIII-XX centuries. similar forms are widespread in vocal as well as instrumental music. As an example, one can consider sonata-symphonic cycles, plays, songs, arias and romances.

Reprise is a musical term that is of French origin. Literally, it can be translated as "renewal" or "repetition". The reprise is modified and accurate. In the case of the first, we are talking about some kind of transformation of musical material that needs to be repeated. The change can be thematic, timbre, textural, tonal-harmonic.

A reprise that continues the intensive development of the previous section and exceeds in expression the original presentation of musical material is called dynamized. It is also false if it precedes the real one. In this case, we are talking about the reproduction of the initialoff-key material.

Other interpretations

According to the dictionary of foreign words, reprise is not only a musical concept. For example, this is the name of a repeated blow in fencing. If we are talking about the stage or the circus, this term may refer to a stage trick or a joke remark. According to the historical dictionary of Gallicisms, this is the name of the accessories needed to play Mediater. This interpretation is obsolete. The dictionary of synonyms compares the following concepts with the term of interest to us: strike, resumption, number, trick, cue, repetition, scene, miniature. Let's go to the next source. This term is also found in the dictionary of business terms. It says that a reprise is an increase in the price of certain securities, compensating for a previous fall. However, the main meaning is still musical.

How to write recaps

Now let's talk a little about musical notation and see how this phenomenon manifests itself in practice and how to designate it. To repeat a single musical fragment or the entire work, it must be enclosed in a reprise using a special sign. It should be noted that the part designated in this way should not be less than a whole measure. If the repetition is required to be performed without changes, a reprise sign is written. When the end of the work is transformed, a horizontal square bracket is used. It's called Volta. It must be supplemented with the number 1. Next, we writemeasures to be applied during the repeat. Above it we depict the sign of the volta, supplemented by the number 2. According to the author's intention, there may be several options for ending the work. The same number of signs of reprise should be used. Let's move on to practice. A reprise is a double bar line in musical notation. It is complemented by two dots between the second and fourth lines.