obbligato means an obbligato section; a prominent countermelody, often written to be played or sung above the principal theme (in a higher pitch range). Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
obbligato is pronounced /ɒblɪˈɡɑːtəʊ/.
Why “obbligato” is a great word
OBBLIGATO — [Noun] A prominent and indispensable countermelody or instrumental part, written to be played or sung above the principal theme. From Italian obbligato, meaning "obligatory" or "bound," from Latin obligātus, the past participle of obligāre ("to bind, oblige"). First attested in English in the early 18th century. Unlike ad libitum (which designates an optional, improvised flourish) or mere accompaniment (which provides a subservient harmonic background), an obbligato is a bound and necessary line of equal stature. It is the plaintive violin threading through a soprano’s aria, the crisp harpsichord figuration dancing around a cello’s lament, or the bright, lonely trumpet that lifts a hymn from solemnity into light—a formal promise that beauty requires a second voice.
noun
- An obbligato section; a prominent countermelody, often written to be played or sung above the principal theme (in a higher pitch range).“The noise of the traffic outside the building on the boulevard made an unmusical obbligato to my thinking.”