Definition

1. Noun:
   • A short piece of music or performance inserted between the main parts of a larger work: An "intermezzo" is a brief, often light or contrasting piece of music, dance, or other performance that occurs between the acts of a play, opera, or other major presentation.
   • A short, independent instrumental composition: In music, an "intermezzo" can also refer to a standalone, short piece of instrumental music, typically lyrical and characterful.
   • A short movement within a larger musical work: In the context of a symphony or similar large-scale composition, an "intermezzo" is a brief movement that serves as a connecting or contrasting section between more substantial movements.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The opera featured a charming ballet intermezzo between the second and third acts.
  • She performed a beautiful piano intermezzo by Brahms as an encore.
  • The symphony's third movement is a lyrical intermezzo that provides a moment of calm.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: In the 18th century, particularly in (comic opera), an intermezzo was often a short, comic musical piece performed between the acts of a serious opera.
• Figurative Use: The term can be used metaphorically to describe any brief, intervening event or period.
  • The peaceful negotiations were merely an intermezzo between two intense phases of conflict.

Variants and Related Words

• Intermezzi (n): The plural form of "intermezzo," often used in musical contexts.
  • The composer wrote several elegant intermezzi for solo piano.

Synonyms

• Interlude: A short intervening period or performance.
• Entr'acte: A piece of music or dance performed between acts of a play or opera.
• Intermission: A pause or break between parts of a performance (though this more commonly refers to the break itself rather than the performance during it).

Related Phrases

• To serve as an intermezzo: To function as a brief, intervening episode.
  • The director used the dream sequence to serve as an intermezzo between the two violent chapters of the film.

Noun

1. a brief show (music or dance etc) inserted between the sections of a longer performance
2. a short piece of instrumental music composed for performance between acts of a drama or opera
3. a short movement coming between the major sections of a symphony