In musical notation, what does "volta" signify?

"Volta" refers to the sections of music that indicate a repeat, generally associated with the structure of a piece rather than specific elements like time, key, dynamics, or tempo. In musical notation, "volta" often appears in conjunction with a "first time" and "second time" passage, guiding performers on how to navigate through a repeated section with variations.

For example, a piece may instruct the musician to play the first section a first time and then, upon repetition, direct them to skip to a different ending or a contrasting section by indicating a "second time." This helps create a sense of form and development within the music. The term "volta" itself comes from the Italian word for "turn," emphasizing the idea of returning to a previous section and modifying the musical route taken.

While options like time, key signature, dynamics, and tempo reference specific concepts in music theory, they do not relate to the specific organizational structure indicated by the term "volta," making it crucial for understanding how to interpret and perform a piece of music correctly.