different between descant vs obbligato

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman descaunt, from Medieval Latin discantus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?d?skænt/
• Rhymes: -ænt

Noun

descant (plural descants)

1. A lengthy discourse on a subject.
   • 1828, Thomas De Quincey, Elements of Rhetoric (published in Blackwood's Magazine)

     Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant!

2. (music) A counterpoint melody sung or played above the theme

Verb

descant (third-person singular simple present descants, present participle descanting, simple past and past participle descanted)

1. (intransitive) To discuss at length.
2. (intransitive) To sing or play a descant.

Quotations

• 1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, hardback edition, page 121

  Involving some interesting, intellectual trips, she was descanting lightly to right and left.

Anagrams

• dancest, decants, scanted, stanced

English

Alternative forms

• obligato

Etymology

From Italian obbligato.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?bl?????t??/

Noun

obbligato (plural obbligatos or obbligati)

1. (music) An obbligato section; a prominent countermelody, often written to be played or sung above the principal theme (in a higher pitch range). [from 19th c.]
   • 1953, Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye, Penguin 2010, p. 281:

     The noise of the traffic outside the building on the boulevard made an unmusical obbligato to my thinking.

Translations

See also

• descant

Italian

Etymology

From Latin oblig?tus.

Adjective

obbligato (feminine obbligata, masculine plural obbligati, feminine plural obbligate)

1. obliged, compelled, constrained, forced, bound
2. obligatory, unavoidable, forced
3. obliged, indebted
4. fixed, set

   percorso obbligato - fixed course

5. (music) obbligato

Synonyms

• costretto (1)
• vincolato (1)
• imposto (2)
• inevitabile (2)
• obbligatorio (2,4)
• grato (3)
• riconoscente (3)
• fisso (4)

Noun

obbligato m (plural obbligati, feminine obbligata)

1. obligator, obligor

   Synonym: obbligante

Verb

obbligato m (feminine singular obbligata, masculine plural obbligati, feminine plural obbligate)

1. past participle of obbligare

Derived terms

• obbligatoriamente
• obbligatorio
• obbligatorietà

Related terms

• obbligare