While the arias are the most beautiful parts of an opera, recitatives are much less memorable. The word comes from the Italian recitativo, and goes back to the Latin recitare, "read aloud."

Who invented recitative?

The first use of recitative in opera was preceded by the monodies of the Florentine Camerata in which Vincenzo Galilei, father of the astronomer Galileo Galilei, played an important role.

What does the musical term recitative mean?

recitative, style of monody (accompanied solo song) that emphasizes and indeed imitates the rhythms and accents of spoken language, rather than melody or musical motives.