Text: 1) A vocal or instrumental shake or trill, run or division, introduced as an ending, or as a means of return to the first subject. 2) The end of a phrase, formerly called fall, either in melody or harmony. 3) There are four principal forms of cadence in harmony: the whole, or authentic, the half, the interrupted, and the plagal cadence. When the last chord ‹ the major or minor chord of the key note ‹ is preceeded by the major chord of the dominant, such a cadence is called whole or perfect. If the last chord is the dominat and is preceeded by the chord of the tonic, thecadence is called half or imperfect. When the last chord of the phrase is other than the tonic chord and is preceededby that of the dominant, the cadence is said to be interrupted , false, or deceptive. Thecadence, called plagal, is that in which the chord of the tonic is preceeded by the major or minor chord of the subdominant.

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Source: 125