Ritornello
DEFINITION
A short, recurring instrumental passage in Baroque aria and concerti, particularly in a tutti section. A recurring passage for orchestra in the first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria (also in works for chorus). A recurrent phrase or passage, is a feature of baroque form, where an aria may be punctuated by re-appearances of a short instrumental phrase. It became a frequent element in baroque solo concertos by composers such as Vivaldi, and works with operatic connotations