Tempo (_continued_)
110. Innumerable combinations of the words defined in Sec. 109 with one
another and with other words occur. Some of these combinations with
their approximate meanings follow. The meaning of any such expression
not found in the list may usually be arrived at by consulting the terms
defined in paragraph 109 and recalling the use of certain auxiliary
terms quoted in Chapter IX.
Largo assai--very slow.
Largo di molto--very slow.
Largo ma non troppo--slow, but not too slow.
Largo un poco--slow, but not so slow as largo. (Cf.
larghetto.)
Lentemente--slowly.
Lentando--with increasing slowness.
Tres lentement--very slowly.
Lentissamente--very slowly.
Lentissamamente--very slowly.
Lento assai--very slowly.
Lento a capriccio--slowly but capriciously.
Lento di molto--very slowly.
Andante affettuoso--moderately slow, and with tenderness and
pathos. [Transcriber's Note: Corrected error affetuoso in
original.]
Andante amabile--moderately slow, and lovingly.
Andante cantabile--moderately slow, and in singing style.
Andante grazioso--moderately slow, and gracefully.
Andante maestoso--moderately slow, and majestically.
Andante con moto--slightly faster than andante.
Andante (ma) non troppo--not too slowly.
Andante pastorale--moderately slow, and in simple and
unaffected style; (lit. rural, pastoral).
Andante quasi allegro--almost as rapid in tempo as
allegro; (lit. an andante in the style of allegro).
Andante sostenuto--moderately slow and sustained.
Allegrissimo--much faster than allegro. (The superlative
degree of allegro.)
Allegro agitato--a moderately rapid tempo, and in agitated
style.
Allegro appassionata--a moderately rapid tempo, and in
passionate style.
Allegro assai (very allegro)--faster than allegro.
Allegro commodo--a conveniently rapid tempo.
Allegro con brio--an allegro played in brilliant style.
Faster than allegro.
Allegro con fuoco--an allegro played with fire, i.e.,
with extreme animation. Faster than allegro.
Allegro con spirito--an allegro performed with spirit.
Allegro con moto--faster than allegro.
Allegro di bravura--an allegro performed in brilliant
style, i.e., demanding great skill in execution.
Allegro furioso (furiously)--quicker than allegro; very
brilliant.
Allegro giusto--an allegro movement, but in exact rhythm.
Allegro ma grazioso--an allegro played in graceful style.
Allegro (ma) non tanto--an allegro movement, but not too
rapid.
Allegro (ma) non troppo--an allegro movement, but not too
rapid.
Allegro (ma) non presto--an allegro movement, but not too
rapid.
Allegro moderato--slower than allegro.
Allegro vivace--faster than allegro.
Presto assai--as rapidly as possible.
Presto (ma) non troppo--a presto movement, but not too
rapid.
111. There are certain terms which indicate a modification of the
normal tempo of a movement, these being divided into two classes, (a)
those terms which indicate in general a slower tempo, and (b) those
which indicate in general a more rapid tempo. The further subdivisions
of these two classes are shown below.
(a) Terms indicating a slower tempo.
1. Terms indicating a gradual retard.
Ritenente, (rit.), ritenuto (rit.), ritardando
(rit.), rallentando (rall.), slentando.
2. Terms indicating a tempo which is to become definitely
slower at once.
Piu lento (lit. more slowly), meno mosso (lit. less
movement).
3. Terms indicating a slower tempo combined with an increase
in power.
Largando, allargando. These words are both derived from
largo, meaning large, broad.
(For terms indicating both slower tempo and softer tone, see page 59,
Sec. 127.)
The student should note the difference between groups 1 and 2
as given above: the terms in group 1 indicate that each
measure, and even each pulse in the measure, is a little
slower than the preceding one, while such terms as piu lento
and meno mosso indicate a rate of speed becoming instantly
slower and extending over an entire phrase or passage. Some
composers (e.g., Beethoven and Couperin) have evidently had
this same distinction in mind between rallentando and
ritardando on the one hand, and ritenuto and ritenente
on the other, considering the former (rall. and rit.) to
indicate a gradually slackening speed, and the latter
(ritenuto and ritenente) to indicate a definitely slower
rate. The majority of composers do not however differentiate
between them in this way, and it will therefore hardly be
worth while for the student to try to remember the
distinction.
(b) Terms indicating a more rapid tempo.
1. Terms indicating a gradual acceleration.
Accelerando, affrettando [Transcriber's Note: Corrected
misspelling affretando in original] (this term implies some
degree of excitement also), stringendo, poco a poco
animato.
2. Terms indicating a tempo which is to become definitely
faster at once.
Piu allegro, piu tosto, piu mosso, stretto, un poco
animato.
112. After any modification in tempo (either faster or slower) has been
suggested it is usual to indicate a return to the normal rate by some
such expression as a tempo (lit. in time), a tempo primo (lit. in
the first time), tempo primo, or tempo.
113. Tempo rubato (or a tempo rubato) means literally in robbed
time, i.e., duration taken from one measure or beat and given to
another, but in modern practice the term is quite generally applied to
any irregularity of rhythm or tempo not definitely indicated in the
score.
The terms ad libitum, (ad lib.), a piacere, and a capriccio,
also indicate a modification of the tempo at the will of the performer.
Ad libitum means at liberty; a piacere, at pleasure; and a
capriccio, at the caprice (of the performer).
114. The term tempo giusto is the opposite of tempo rubato (and of
the other terms defined in paragraph 113). It means literally in exact
time. (Tempo giusto is sometimes translated quite rapidly,[29] but
this is very unusual.)
[Footnote 29: Bussler--Elements of Notation and Harmony, p. 76.]
115. L'istesso tempo means--at the same rate of speed. E.g., when a
measure signature changes from 2/4 to 6/8 with a change in beat-note
from a quarter to a dotted-quarter, but with the same tempo carried
through the entire movement.
116. Tenuto (ten.) indicates that a tone or chord is to be held to
its full value. This word is sometimes used after a staccato passage to
show that the staccato effect is to be discontinued, but is often used
merely as a warning not to slight a melody-tone--i.e., to give it its
full value.
117. Veloce means--swiftly, and is applied to brilliant passages
(e.g., cadenzas) which are to be played as rapidly as possible without
much regard for measure rhythm. The words rapidamente, brillante and
volante (flying) have the same meaning as veloce.
118. The following expressions referring to tempo are also in common
use but cannot easily be classified with any of the groups already
defined.
Con moto--with motion; i.e., not too slow.
Pesante--slowly, heavily.
Doppio movimento--twice as rapid as before.
Tempo ordinario--in ordinary tempo.
Tempo commodo--in convenient tempo.
Sempre lento malinconico assai--always slowly and in a very
melancholy style.
Animando, animato, con anima--with animation.
Agitato--agitated.
119. Tempo di marcia is given by Riemann (Dictionary of Music, p. 783)
as equivalent to andante, M.M. 72-84. The same writer gives tempo di
menuetto as equivalent to allegretto, and tempo di valso as
equivalent to allegro moderato (which he regards as indicating a more
rapid tempo than allegretto).
More
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Terminology Adoptions 1907-1910
1. Tone: Specific name for a musical sound of definite pitch. Use neither sound, a general term, nor note, a term of notation. 2. Interval: The pitch relation between two tones. Not properly applicable to a single tone or... Some Principles Of Correct Notation
1. The note (from nota--Latin--a mark or sign) consists of either one, two, or three parts, (<img src=/images/notes.jpg>) these being referred to respectively as head, stem, and hook. The hook is often called tail or cross-stroke. The stem appea... Abbreviations Signs Etc
49. A dot after a note shows that the value of the note is to be half again as great as it would be without the dot, i.e., the value is to be three-halves that of the original note. <img src=/images/dot.jpg> 50. When two dots follow the note ... Acoustics
NOTE:--It is usually taken for granted that the student of music is familiar with the significance of such terms as over-tone, equal temperament, etc., and with principles such as that relating to the relation between vibration... Auxiliary Words And Endings
96. Being a list of articles, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and endings, often utilized in compounding terms relating to musical effects. A--preposition--variously translated to, at, for, by, in, with, towards. A cappella--in church st... Chords Cadences Etc
196. A chord is a combination of several tones sounding together and bearing an harmonic relation to each other. The simplest chord is the triad, which consists of a fundamental tone called the root, with the third and fifth above it. C--E--G is a... Dynamics
120. The word dynamics (cf. dynamic--the opposite of static) as used in the nomenclature of music has to do with the various degrees of power (i.e., the comparative loudness and softness) of tones. As in the case of words referring to tempo, the... Embellishments
64. Embellishments (or graces) (Fr. agrements) are ornamental tones, either represented in full in the score or indicated by certain signs. The following are the embellishments most commonly found: Trill (or shake), mordent, inverted mordent (or p... Measure
97. From the standpoint of the eye, a measure is that portion of the staff found between two bars, (in certain cases this space may be less than a measure, as e.g., at the beginning and end of a movement); but from the standpoint of the ear a sing... Miscellaneous Terms
A battuta--with the beat; in strict rhythm. [Transcriber's Note: Corrected error battua in original.] A quatre mains--for four hands. Accompagnamento--the accompaniment. All'unisono--in unison. Alla breve--2/2 measure. The term a... Miscellaneous Terms (_continued_)
Lyric--a short, song-like poem of simple character. Also applied to instrumental pieces of like character. Maggiore--major. Marcato il canto--the melody well marked; i.e., subdue the accompaniment so that the melody may stand out strongly. ... Musical Instruments
1. Broadly speaking, musical instruments may be divided into two classes, viz.: (1) those that have a keyboard and are therefore capable of sounding several tones simultaneously; (2) those that (as a rule) sound only one tone at a time, as the vio... Rhythm Melody Harmony And Intervals
178. The four elements commonly attributed to music (in the order of their development) are: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, and Timbre (or tone-color). 179. Rhythm is the regular recurrence of accent. In music it is more specifically the regular recu... Scales
76. A scale (from scala, a Latin word meaning ladder; Ger. Ton-leiter) is an ascending or descending series of tones, progressing according to some definite system, and all bearing (in the case of tonality scales at least) a very intimate relation... Scales (_continued_)
84. The minor diatonic scale is used in several slightly different forms, but the characteristic interval between the first and third tones (which differentiates it from the major scale) remains the same in every case. This interval between the fi... Symbols Of Music Defined
12. A staff is a collection of parallel lines, together with the spaces belonging to them. The modern staff has five lines and six spaces, these being ordinarily referred to as first line, second line, third line, fourth line, and fifth line (be... Symbols Of Music Defined Part Two
21. The natural[8] (sometimes called cancel) annuls the effect of previous sharps, flats, double-sharps, and double-flats, within the measure in which it occurs. After a double-sharp or double-flat the combination of a natural with a sharp, or a n... Tempo
104. The word time in musical nomenclature has been greatly abused, having been used to indicate: (1) Rhythm; as the time was wrong. (2) Variety of measure-signature; as two-four time. (3) Rate of speed; as the time was too s... Tempo (_continued_)
110. Innumerable combinations of the words defined in Sec. 109 with one another and with other words occur. Some of these combinations with their approximate meanings follow. The meaning of any such expression not found in the list may usually be ... Terminology Reform
A recent writer[43] on vocal terminology makes the following statement as an introduction to certain remarks advocating a more definite use of terms relating to tone production by the human voice:--The correct use of words is the most potent facto... Terms Relating To Forms And Styles
132. A form in music is a specific arrangement of the various parts of a composition resulting in a structure so characteristic that it is easily recognized by the ear. Thus e.g., although every fugue is different from all other fugues in actual m... Terms Relating To Forms And Styles (_continued_)
(Sections 144 to 160 relate particularly to terms used in descriptions of monophonic music[33].) [Footnote 33: There is a very pronounced disagreement among theorists as to what terms are to be used in referring to certain forms and pa... Terms Relating To Vocal Music
161. An anthem is a sacred choral composition, usually based on Biblical or liturgical[34] words. It may or may not have an instrumental accompaniment, and is usually written in four parts, but may have five, six, eight, or more. [Footnote 34: ... The History Of Music Notation
Many conflicting statements have been made regarding the history and development of music writing, and the student who is seeking light on this subject is often at a loss to determine what actually did happen in the rise of our modern system of wr...