Cadenza

The cadenza is a chance for the soloist to show off by him/herself during a concerto (see “concerto” definition below). At the end of one or more movements, there comes a dramatic moment where the orchestra stops playing and the soloist goes for it – technically, lyrically, or interpretively, strutting his or her stuff. With an understood musical cue or eye contact, the conductor cues the orchestra to join the soloist to finish off that movement. Most cadenzas are pre-written, but back in Mozart or Beethoven’s day, it was common to compose your own, or if the soloist was like Robin Williams, was improvised on the spot.