capriccioso

[ kuh-pree-chee-oh-soh; Italian kah-preet-chaw-saw ]

adjective

, Music.

1. capricious; fantastic in style.

capriccioso

/ kəˌprɪtʃɪˈəʊzəʊ /

adverb

1. music to be played in a free and lively style

Word History and Origins

Origin of capriccioso¹

First recorded in 1815–20; capriccio + Italian adjective suffix -oso -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of capriccioso¹

Italian: from capriccio caprice

Example Sentences

During a recent performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Pezzo Capriccioso,” a handful of audience members leaned forward attentively, their eyes bright, a few encouraging snuffles escaping from the otherwise hushed parterre.

From Seattle Times

He dashed through Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso — whose only connection to Spain is the dedication to Pablo de Sarasate — with undeniable brilliance, especially in the coda.

From Los Angeles Times

His “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso,” a Camille Saint-Saëns violin piece transcribed for the accordion, was a 7-pointer on a scale that went to 10.

From Washington Post

His “Quarrel” movement was vituperative, but the other two movements were more than virtuosic, the “Slightly Tipsy” movement drenched in swirling color and the “Capriccioso” lost in a daydream.

From Washington Post

Then, lest three movements of emotionally churning Respighi be deemed a walk in the park for a firebrand like Mutter, she followed it with Saint-Saëns’s punishing “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.”

From Washington Post