spiccatoadj.adv.n.
Music.
Of a style of staccato bowing, esp. on the violin: detached, i.e. with short breaks between notes caused by controlled bouncing of the bow; of music played in this manner. Also used adverbially, as a direction to the performer and as n., an instance of spiccato playing; a passage in this style.
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society > leisure > the arts > music > written or printed music > directions > [adverb] > for strings
spiccato1724
arco1806
sul ponticello1849
ponticello1883
sul tasto1946
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing stringed instrument > [adjective] > played with bow > specific technique
spiccato1724
sul ponticello1910
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing stringed instrument > [noun] > bowing > manner of bowing
bow-hand1668
bowing1838
ponticello1847
spiccato1964
sul ponticello1964
1724 Short Explic. Foreign Words Musick Bks. Staccato, or Stoccato. See the word Spiccato.
1740 J. Grassineau tr. S. De Brossard Musical Dict. 237 Spiccato, signifies to separate, divide, part,..that is, to give every note its distinct sound, and is the contrary of what we call slurring.
1883 G. Grove Dict. Music III. 650/2 Spicato [sic].., a term applied in violin-playing to a particular vibratory style of bowing.
1883 G. Grove Dict. Music III. 682/2 The Spicato [sic] is marked by dots over the notes.
1938 Oxf. Compan. Music 891/2 Spiccato,..in music..implying staccato effect.
1955 Times 12 May 5/6 The scherzo, which incidentally allowed Mr. Campoli to unfold long stretches of the most prodigious spiccato bowing.
1964 Listener 25 June 1043/1 Paganini's innovations in violin technique—the big bouncing spiccato, for instance.
1978 Gramophone Aug. 355/3 The lyrical grace of Norbert Brainin's playing in the Adagio and his spiccato triplets in the finale.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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adj.adv.n.1724