Word
dolce
US/ˈdoʊɫˌtʃeɪ/
UK/dˈɒltʃeɪ/
Definition
adv. to play or sing music in a sweet and gentle way. You see this word in music scores when the composer wants the sound to be soft and smooth.
adv. to be performed in a sweet, soft, and gentle manner. Typically used as a musical direction to indicate a smooth, lyrical style of execution.
Examples
“The pianist played the melody dolce.”
“The conductor asked the woodwinds to play the second movement dolce to contrast with the loud opening.”
“The score indicates that the violin solo should be performed dolce, requiring a light touch and a subtle vibrato to maintain the delicate character of the piece.”
Examples
simple
“The pianist played the melody dolce.”
contextual
“The conductor asked the woodwinds to play the second movement dolce to contrast with the loud opening.”
complex
“The score indicates that the violin solo should be performed dolce, requiring a light touch and a subtle vibrato to maintain the delicate character of the piece.”
Usage
Typically placed above or below the musical staff as a performance instruction; in prose, it usually follows the verb it modifies.
Real-World Examples
“They enjoy the peninsula in the heat-filled months: sea, mountains, food, art and music, and its dolce vita .” Etymology
From Italian dolce. Doublet of douce, doux, and dulce.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dolce