Accompagnato

What it means

Accompagnato, spelled out as recitativo accompagnato, denotes a recitative accompanied not just by a continuo instrument but by the full orchestra. Its counterpart is the recitativo secco, which relies on sparse accompaniment, usually harpsichord and cello.

Musical use

In opera and oratorio, the accompagnato usually marks especially significant, emotionally heightened moments of the plot, for instance before a major aria or at dramatic turning points. The orchestra underscores the declamatory vocal line with expressive tone colors, chords, or brief motivic interjections, without abandoning the free, speech-like rhythm of the recitative.

The technique became a fixed part of operatic convention mainly during the 18th century and is used deliberately by composers such as Gluck, Mozart, and later Verdi to underline dramatic climaxes musically before the actual aria begins.

Other names

The term is often shortened simply to accompagnato, though the full Italian form recitativo accompagnato remains the unambiguous technical term, particularly to distinguish it from recitativo secco.