passage work

noun

1. music scales, runs, etc, in a piece of music which have no structural significance but provide an opportunity for virtuoso display

Example Sentences

Once pupils had absorbed each individual question, they had an average of 49 seconds per question to scan back through the relevant passage, work out their answer and write it down.

From BBC

The 24-year-old Canadian pianist attacked the solo part’s daunting passage work with effortless ease, a near-constant stream of scintillating figuration in the first and third movements.

From Washington Post

Chang, on the other hand, is prone to go her own way and occasionally covered her colleagues, especially when the piano part called for brilliant passage work.

From Washington Post

There was an improvisatory fluidity in the passage work and runs, cushioned by the warm, rich sound of the orchestra.

From New York Times

Although Polonsky’s passage work was not always perfectly even, her contributions were full of character.

From Washington Post