Maestro
Title of respect given to a master musician
Maestro (/ˈmaɪstroʊ/ MY-stroh; from the Italian maestro [maˈestro, maˈɛstro], meaning 'master' or 'teacher', plural: maestros or maestri) is an honorific title of respect, sometimes abbreviated Mo. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiquitous use of Italian musical terms. The feminine form of the word is maestra (pl. maestre).
The word is often used outside of music to refer to individuals of great skill or virtuosity. Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is nicknamed "the Swiss Maestro" by fans.
01In music
The word maestro is most often used in addressing or referring to conductors. Less frequently, one might refer to respected composers, performers, impresarios, musicologists, and music teachers.
In the world of Italian opera, the title is also used to designate a number of positions within the orchestra and company that have specific duties during rehearsal and performance. These include:
- Maestro sostituto or maestro collaboratore: musicians who act as répétiteurs and assistant conductors during performances.
- Maestro concertatore: the keyboard continuo player, who prepares singers and leads rehearsals.
- Maestro direttore: the leader of the first violins of the orchestra (see concertmaster), who may also have administrative duties such as hiring and paying musicians.
- Maestro suggeritore: the prompter.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Maestro”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Arturo Toscanini c1930.jpg by Unknown (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain
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