Recitative facts for kids

Recitative (say "reh-sih-tah-TEEV") is a special kind of singing in music that sounds a lot like talking. It's used to tell a story quickly, almost as if someone is speaking the words instead of singing a full song. The word "recitative" comes from the Italian word "recitativo," which means "to recite" or "to tell a story."

What is Recitative?

Recitative is a key part of longer musical works like operas, oratorios, and cantatas. When opera first started around the year 1600, composers needed a way to move the story forward through music. Recitative was the perfect solution! In this style, the story is sung quite fast, often with just a harpsichord playing a few simple chords in the background.

After a part of the story has been told through recitative, the situation in the music usually changes. This then leads into an aria, which is a more melodic and musically interesting song for the singer.

Types of Recitative

There are two main types of recitative:

• Recitativo secco: This Italian phrase means "dry recitative." It's called dry because it's very simple. The singer's voice is usually only accompanied by a keyboard instrument, like a harpsichord.
• Recitativo accompagnato: This means "accompanied recitative." In this type, a larger group of instruments, like a full orchestra, joins in to support the singer.

In recitative, you won't usually find regular bar lines or a steady beat. This is because the music is meant to follow the natural rhythm of speech, making it sound more like talking than a strict song.

How Recitative Works

Even though recitative is musically simple, it can be very clever! Sometimes, the music can describe the words being sung in interesting or even funny ways. The harpsichord player might even add their own musical ideas on the spot, which is called improvisation.

Recitative in Modern Opera

Over time, especially in the 1800s, the clear difference between a recitative and an aria started to fade. Composers like Richard Wagner wrote operas where all the sections flowed smoothly into one another. His music always had a lot of musical interest, blurring the lines between the "talky" parts and the more song-like parts.

Images for kids

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  This score for Handel's Lascia ch'io pianga shows the simple accompaniment for a recitative. The lower part often plays long, simple notes under the singer's quick recitative.

See also

In Spanish: Recitativo para niños