Ripresa

As Printed on a Score

Printed over a passage, or as a section label in older music, where earlier material resumes. It can mark a repeat, the recurring refrain of an early song or dance form, or — in Italian usage — the recapitulation of a sonata form. Its scope is the returning section.

How Composers Use It

In the 14th-century ballata the ripresa is the refrain heard between verses, and in modern Italian it also names a recapitulation. On a score, label a return only when it needs naming; normally the music or a repeat sign shows it. If the reprise is varied, say so, since the word suggests the same music again.

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