music performance directions

Question 1

Adagio

Answer 1

slow

Question 2

Accelerando (or accel.)

Answer 2

gradually getting quicker

Question 3

allegretto

Answer 3

fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)

Question 4

allegro

Answer 4

quick (litterally ‘cheerful’)

Question 5

andante

Answer 5

at a medium(‘walking’) speed

Question 6

cantabile

Answer 6

in a singing style

Question 7

crescendo (or cresc.)

Answer 7

gradually getting louder

Question 8

da capo (or D.C.)

Answer 8

repeat from the beginning

Question 9

da segno (or D.S.)

Answer 9

repeat from the sign %S

Question 10

decrescendo (or decresc.)

Answer 10

gradually getting quieter

Question 11

diminuendo (or dim.)

Answer 11

gradually getting quieter

Question 12

fine

Answer 12

the end

Question 13

f = forte

Answer 13

loud

Question 14

ff = fortissimo

Answer 14

very loud

Question 15

legato

Answer 15

smoothly

Question 16

lento

Answer 16

slow

Question 17

mezzo

Answer 17

half

Question 18

mf = mezzo forte

Answer 18

moderately loud (literally ‘half’ loud)

Question 19

mp = mezzo piano

Answer 19

moderately quiet (literally ‘half’ quiet)

Question 20

moderato

Answer 20

moderately (allegro moderato: moderately quick)

Question 21

p = piano

Answer 21

quiet

Question 22

pp = pianissimo

Answer 22

very quiet

Question 23

poco

Answer 23

a little

Question 24

rallentando (or rall.)

Answer 24

getting gradually slower

Question 25

ritardando (or ritard. or rit.)

Answer 25

getting gradually slower

Question 26

ritenuto (or riten. or rit.)

Answer 26

held back

Question 27

staccato (or stacc.)

Answer 27

detached

Question 28

tempo

Answer 28

speed, time (a tempo: in time)

Question 29

a

Answer 29

at, to, by, for, in, in the style of

Question 30

al, alla

Answer 30

to the, in the manner of (alla marcia: in the style of a march)

Question 31

allargando

Answer 31

broadening (getting a little slower and probably a little louder)

Question 32

andantino

Answer 32

slightly faster than Andante (but may also mean slightly slower)

Question 33

assai

Answer 33

very (allegro assai: very quick)

Question 34

con, col

Answer 34

with

Question 35

dolce

Answer 35

sweet, soft

Question 36

e. ed

Answer 36

and

Question 37

espressivo (or espress. or espr.)

Answer 37

expressive

Question 38

Fp = fortepiano

Answer 38

loud, then immediately soft

Question 39

giocoso

Answer 39

playful, merry

Question 40

grave

Answer 40

very slow, solemn

Question 41

grazioso

Answer 41

graceful

Question 42

larghetto

Answer 42

rather slow (but not as slow as largo)

Question 43

largo

Answer 43

slow, stately

Question 44

ma

Answer 44

but

Question 45

maestoso

Answer 45

majestic

Question 46

meno

Answer 46

less

Question 47

molto

Answer 47

very, much

Question 48

mosso, moto

Answer 48

movement (meno mosso: slower; con moto: with movement)

Question 49

non

Answer 49

not

Question 50

piu

Answer 50

more

Question 51

presto

Answer 51

fast (faster than Allegro)

Question 52

senza

Answer 52

without

Question 53

sf, sfz = sforzando or sforzato

Answer 53

forced, accented

Question 54

simile (or sim.)

Answer 54

in the same way

Question 55

sostenuto

Answer 55

sustained

Question 56

tenuto

Answer 56

held

Question 57

troppo

Answer 57

too much (non troppo: not too much)

Question 58

vivace, vivo

Answer 58

lively, quick

Question 59

adagietto

Answer 59

rather slow (but faster than adagio)

Question 60

ad libitum, ad lib.

Answer 60

at choice, meaning that a passage may be played freely

Question 61

agitato

Answer 61

agitated

Question 62

all breve

Answer 62

with a minim beat, equivalent to c| (2/2), implying a faster tempo than the note values might otherwise suggest

Question 63

amore

Answer 63

love (amoroso: loving)

Question 64

anima

Answer 64

soul, spirit (con anima can mean ‘with feeling’ or ‘spirited’)

Question 65

animato

Answer 65

animated, lively (animando: becoming more lively)

Question 66

ben

Answer 66

well

Question 67

brio

Answer 67

vigour (con brio: with vigour, lively)

Question 68

comodo

Answer 68

convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed)

Question 69

deciso

Answer 69

with determination

Question 70

delicato

Answer 70

delicate

Question 71

energico

Answer 71

energetic

Question 72

forza

Answer 72

force

Question 73

largamente

Answer 73

broadly

Question 74

leggiero

Answer 74

light, nimble

Question 75

marcato, marc.

Answer 75

emphatic, accented

Question 76

marziale

Answer 76

in a military style

Question 77

mesto

Answer 77

sad

Question 78

pesante

Answer 78

heavy

Question 79

prima, primo

Answer 79

first

Question 80

risoluto

Answer 80

bold, strong

Question 81

ritmico

Answer 81

rhythmically

Question 82

rubato, tempo rubato

Answer 82

with some freedom of time

Question 83

scherzando, scherzoso

Answer 83

playful, joking

Question 84

seconda, secondo

Answer 84

second

Question 85

semplice

Answer 85

simple, plain

Question 86

sempre

Answer 86

always

Question 87

stringendo

Answer 87

gradually getting faster

Question 88

subito

Answer 88

suddenly

Question 89

tanto

Answer 89

so much

Question 90

tranquillo

Answer 90

calm

Question 91

triste, tristamente

Answer 91

sad, sorrowful

Question 92

volta

Answer 92

time (prima volta: first time; seconda volta: second time)

Question 93

affettuoso

Answer 93

tenderly

Question 94

affrettando

Answer 94

hurrying

Question 95

amabile

Answer 95

amiable, pleasant

Question 96

appassionato

Answer 96

with passion

Question 97

calando

Answer 97

getting softer, dying away (and usually slowing down)

Question 98

cantando

Answer 98

singing

Question 99

come

Answer 99

as, similar to (come prima: as before; come sopra: as above)

Question 100

facile

Answer 100

easy

Question 101

fuoco

Answer 101

fire

Question 102

giusto

Answer 102

proper, exact (tempo giusto; in strict time)

Question 103

l’istesso

Answer 103

the same (l’istesso tempo: at the same speed)

Question 104

morendo

Answer 104

dying away

Question 105

niente

Answer 105

nothing

Question 106

nobilmente

Answer 106

nobly

Question 107

perdendosi

Answer 107

dying away

Question 108

possibile

Answer 108

possible (presto possibile: as fast as possible)

Question 109

quasi

Answer 109

as if, resembling

Question 110

sonoro

Answer 110

resonant, with rich tone

Question 111

sopra

Answer 111

above

Question 112

sotto

Answer 112

below (sotto voce: in a undertone)

Question 113

veloce

Answer 113

swift

Question 114

voce

Answer 114

voice

Question 115

french a

Answer 115

to, at

Question 116

french anime

Answer 116

animated, lively

Question 117

french assez

Answer 117

enough, sufficiently

Question 118

avec

Answer 118

with

Question 119

french cedez

Answer 119

yield, relax the speed

Question 120

douce

Answer 120

sweet

Question 121

en dehors

Answer 121

prominent (a direction to make a melody stand out)

Question 122

et

Answer 122

and

Question 123

french legerement

Answer 123

light

Question 124

lent

Answer 124

slow

Question 125

mais

Answer 125

but

Question 126

moins

Answer 126

less

Question 127

french modere

Answer 127

at a moderate speed

Question 128

non

Answer 128

not

Question 129

peu

Answer 129

little

Question 130

plus

Answer 130

more

Question 131

presser

Answer 131

hurry (en pressant: hurrying on)

Question 132

ralentir

Answer 132

slow down

Question 133

retenu

Answer 133

held back (en retenant: holding back, slowing a little)

Question 134

sans

Answer 134

without

Question 135

french tres

Answer 135

very

Question 136

un, une

Answer 136

one

Question 137

vif

Answer 137

lively

Question 138

vite

Answer 138

quick