RECITATIVE, res"i-ta-tev' (Italian, reci tativo), a species of musical recitation, forming the medium between song and rhetorical decla mation, and in which the composer and per former, rejecting the rigorous rules of time, endeavor to imitate the inflections, accents and emphasis of natural speech. Although the rules of time and rhythm are not strictly ob served, recitative is written generally in com mon lime, in order to facilitate the reading. In its approach to speech, therefore, recitative is mostly syllabic song, that each syllable has generally but one tone, and the tones themselves are less prolonged than in song strictly so called. Hence recitative has not a distinct, developed melody and a regular modulation; it may, according to the meaning of the words, pass with comparative freedom through the various tones. On the other hand, the tones of recitative are generally musical tones, of dis tinct height or depth generally, because in recitativo parlante, in the opera buffa, the tones become closely allied to those of speech. When recitative approaches still more to strict song, in respect to time and melody, the arioso originates. In short recitative may be called declamation in musical tones. Recitative in
cludes the simple (by some also called the parlante) and the accompanied, or more prop erly, the obbligato. In simple recitative ac companiment also takes place, but it consists only in simple chords, which are given continu ously, or interruptedly. In the obbligato recita tive the instrumental accompaniment is of more importance, and consists of either sustained chords by the greater portion of the orchestral instruments, or even of florid passages. In the recitative much is left to the singer in respect to time, rhythm and melody, which require much musical judgment and knowledge of har mony, in order to agree with the obbligato ac companiment. Recitative was used largely in the ancient drama, and is frequent in the mod ern opera to express some action or passion, to relate a story, reveal a secret or design, etc. Giulio Caccini (abt. 1546-1615), called by An gelo Grillo the father of a new style of music," Emilio del Cavalieri (abt. 1550-99), and Claudio Monteverde (1567-1643) are each credited with having introduced the recitative M Rome. See OPERA.