Music isn’t all about reading pages of notes and mastering classic techniques. It’s about projecting emotion through harmony, evoking and conveying passion through a composition. It’s about telling a story and inspiring the audience.
To do this, musicians and maestros must master the speed and tempo of a song, so an audience can understand the purpose behind the classical piece. To help the untrained ear, read up on the Frederick Symphony Orchestra’s comprehensive glossary to the speeds and direction behind music:
- Accelerando: gradually faster
- Adagio: Slowly, leisurely
- Affrettando: Gradually slower, louder, and broader
- Allegretto: Light and cheerful; faster than moderator; slower than allegro
- Allegro: Lively, brisk, rapid
- Andante: In moderately slow time; flowing easily and gracefully
- Assai: Very
- Brio: Vigor, life, spirit
- Crescendo: A gradual increasing in loudness
- Da capo: Repeat from the beginning
- Dal segno: Repeat from the sign
- Decrescendo: Gradual decreasing in loudness
- Diminuendo: Gradually softer
- Dolce: Softly, sweetly, and delicately
- Espressivo: With expression
- Fine: The end or conclusion
- Fortissimo: Very loud
- Grave: Slow, solemn, and deep
- Grazioso: In a graceful manner
- Largo: Broadly, slowly; the slowest tempo mark
- Leggiero: Easily, lightly, and delicately
- Marcato: Marked or accented
- Meno mosso: Less motion or slower
- Mezzo-forte: Moderately loud
- Mezzo-piano: Moderately soft
- Morendo: Dying away in tone and time
- Pesante: Heavy, ponderous, and with weight
- Pianissimo: Extremely soft
- Poco a poco: Little by little
- Presto: Quickly; faster than allegro
- Rallentando: Gradually slower
- Ritard: Gradually slackening in pace
- Sforzando: With sudden emphasis
- Stringendo: Pressing or accelerating
- Vivace: With vivacity, lively, and quick
Without question, the language behind the musical direction and speed is beautiful. With Latin and Spanish influence, these terms roll right off the conductor’s baton. To see them in action, come to the Frederick Symphony Orchestra’s spring concert, Symphonic Pipes at Hood College, in March.