cadenza
Italian universal
Definition
A virtuosic solo passage, typically near the end of a concerto movement, in which the performer plays freely and often improvises or performs a written-out ornamental passage.
Interpretive Guidance
In Classical concertos, the cadenza was often improvised by the performer; Beethoven's Op. 58 and Op. 73 concertos include written cadenzas by the composer. The cadenza should feel spontaneous even when fully notated.