bravura

/bɹəˈvjʊəɹə/

Etymology

From Italian bravura (“skill”), from bravo (“good, skilful”). Compare bravado.

Why this word is great

BRAVURA — [Adjective, Noun] A display of dazzling skill or daring, often with a theatrical flourish. From Italian bravura ("skill, bravery"), from bravo ("good, skillful"), ultimately related to brave (adj.). Unlike "virtuoso" (which prizes precision over spectacle) or "bravado" (which masks emptiness with swagger), bravura is the marriage of substance and style. It is the pianist’s fingers flying in a Liszt étude, the matador’s cape swirling inches from the bull’s horns, the actor’s monologue delivered in a single, unbroken take—a dare disguised as talent, a wink at the audience: *Watch this, if you can.*

adj

Highly showy; ostentatious.“Look closely, and the minute interconnectedness of her novels is a bravura achievement.”

noun

A highly technical or difficult piece, usually written for effect.
A display of daring.“Yet just as, in opposition to the majority, I admired Fosse's Nightsongs and The Girl On The Sofa, so I found myself absorbed by this 70-minute play; and, whatever it may mean, there is no denying the production's visual bravura.”