stile concitato

noun

sti·​le con·​ci·​ta·​to ˈstē-lā-ˌkȯn-chē-ˈtä-tō 

: the use of string tremolos and rapidly repeated vocal notes especially to signify anger or battle in Italian music of the 17th century

In pursuit of a stile concitato Monteverdi invented the string tremolo, in which the bow rapidly repeats the same note …

—Jan Swafford, The Vintage Guide to Classical Music, 1992

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!