Colla parte

Colla parte (Italian "with the part"), abbreviated cp , is a musical instruction, originally in a choral piece. It says that the accompaniment by the instruments is (largely) identical to the vocal parts. The instruments serve as supports for the vocal parts or replace missing parts. A good example of colla parte is the Venetian polyphony .

In a broader sense and more recently, the term colla parte is also used when the accompaniment of a single, freer main vocal part ( opera , cantata ) has to adapt to rhythm , tempo and expression.

As an abbreviation in a score , colla parte means that a part should play the melody line, for example in the flute or first violin, without it being written out again. Usually only a wavy line indicates the duration of the colla parte notation (cf. Loafers ).