Cadenza

A cadenza is an elaborate solo passage, typically appearing near the end of a concerto movement (or in a vocal aria), where the soloist is given the opportunity to display virtuosity and elaborate freely. Traditionally, cadenzas were improvised by the performer; in modern practice, they are usually pre-composed and notated, often by the composer themselves.

The cadenza is signaled in the score by a fermata over a 6/4 chord, indicating the orchestra will hold while the soloist plays. The cadenza unfolds over this held chord (or after the orchestra cuts off), then resolves back to the orchestra’s closing material. The structure provides a moment of pure soloistic display before the movement concludes.

Great cadenzas — Mozart’s for his concertos, Beethoven’s for his Fourth Concerto, Brahms’s for the Violin Concerto — are essentially mini-compositions. They explore themes from the movement, modulate through related keys, and build to a climax that reconnects with the orchestra. The cadenza is the soloist’s most personal moment.

Italian, ‘cadence’, from Latin cadentia (‘falling’), from cadere (‘to fall’). The cadenza ‘falls’ back to the closing cadence of the movement.

Treat the cadenza as your moment. Display virtuosity, but serve the music — explore themes from the movement, build to a satisfying climax, return to the orchestra cleanly. Practice the connections to the orchestra’s entries before and after.