Récit

As Printed on a Score

Printed above a vocal line as Récit. or RECIT where a recitative passage begins, until a tempo word or an Air takes over. In French organ scores Récit (Réc.) names the manual to play on, holding until another — Grand-Orgue (G.O.), Positif (Pos.) — is named.

Abbreviations: Rec., Recit., Réc.

Also spelled: recit

How Composers Use It

As a vocal direction, Récit. frees the singer from strict time to follow the declamation of the words; keep the accompaniment sparse — held chords, short punctuations — so the text stays clear, and mark the return to measured time. In organ writing the Récit is usually the enclosed swell division, so music marked for it can grow and fade with the swell box; it suits solo lines and soft colours.

Example

Bizet, 20 Mélodies, Op. 21, “La coccinelle”, voice, m. 6: “Récit.” at p, in a song headed “Allegretto scherzando”.

Related Terms