Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

pasticcio

 
Dictionary: pas·tic·cio   (pă-stē'chō, -chē-ō, pä-) pronunciation
n., pl., -ci (-chē).
A work or style produced by borrowing fragments, ingredients, or motifs from various sources; a potpourri.

[Italian, from Vulgar Latin *pastīcium, pasty. See patisserie.]


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Music Encyclopedia: Pasticcio
Top

(It. : ‘mess’, ‘hotch-potch’)

A dramatic or sacred work whose parts are wholly or partly taken from existing works by various composers (it should not be confused with collaborative works; an essential feature is the borrowing of individual parts). Operatic pasticcio arose in the early 18th century primarily because impresarios wanted to gain public approval by offering favourite pieces, while itinerant singers found it convenient to appear before new audiences with proven successes. The practice reached a highpoint c 1750. Important composers (e.g. Handel, Keiser and Vivaldi) arranged pasticcios only when they were acting as impresarios.



Word Tutor: pasticcio
Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n- A literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work.

Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.

 
 
Learn More
cento, centon, centone
pastiche
Love in a Village (music)

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Music Encyclopedia. The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture and Landscaping. A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Copyright © 1999, 2006 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more