cadenza

Where does the word "cadenza" come from? It comes from Italian cadenza, and was adopted directly into English (1770s).

Cadenza’s story begins in Italian: cadenza meant “a falling, a cadence.” Literally a cadence, an ornamental solo passage near a piece's close. It reached English by 1770s as cadenza. A concerto soloist's showpiece; Mozart and Beethoven wrote out some of their own. Today, cadenza means a virtuosic solo passage, often improvised, near the end of a musical movement.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · 1700s cadenza "a falling, a cadence", literally a cadence, an ornamental solo passage near a piece's close.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1770s cadenza "an ornamental solo passage near the end of a piece", a concerto soloist's showpiece; Mozart and Beethoven wrote out some of their own.