Right Feet, Middle Pedals (Sostenuto Pedal) | Left Feet, Left Pedals (Soft Pedals) » Right Feet, Middle Pedals (Sostenuto Pedal) In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian which means “sustained,” and occasionally also implies a slowing of tempo. It usually refers to a style of playing rather than a tempo. For instance, if the tempo marking of a piece is Adagio Sostenuto, the tempo would be slow (Adagio), and the sostenuto part of the marking tells the player to hold notes longer than they normally would, and play phrases in a very legato style. On a modern grand piano with three pedals, the middle pedal is usually a sostenuto pedal. It sustains only those notes which are depressed at the same time that the pedal is depressed, allowing future notes played to be unaffected. It is commonly abbreviated “S.P.”, “Sost. Ped.” or “ThP.” (from the German equivalent “Tonhalte-Pedal”). On some upright pianos, the middle pedal sustains all notes in the bass register, but this is not a true sostenuto pedal.

On other uprights, the middle pedal is a practice pedal (with a locking option) which makes the sound extremely quiet beyond the standard soft pedal. This is often achieved by dropping a felt cloth between the hammers and the strings when the practice pedal is depressed. Note that the sostenuto pedal should not be confused with the much more commonly used sustain pedal, which undamps all the strings on the piano. Like this: Like Loading... Related This entry was posted on April 25, 2009 at 7:25 am and is filed under Piano Pedal . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site. Leave a Reply Weng Lee Music Blog » Piano Pedal Weng Lee Music Blog 28 Apr Once you learn the basic techniques of playing the piano, the next step is to learn how and when to use the Piano pedals, so as to add depth and feelings to any piano piece. There are three pedals on the piano: the sustain pedal on the right, played with the right foot. the soft pedal on the left, played with the left foot.

the sostenuto pedal in the middle, played with the left foot. Steps The pedals are played with your foot; the sustain with your right, soft with left. The middle pedal, although rarely used, replaces the function of the sustain pedal once in a while, so it would be played with the right foot. Place your foot flat on the floor when progressing through long passages without any pedal usage. If you find it hard to do this,move you seat back slightly to make yourself more comfortable (but not to far out). You can also slide your toes underneath the pedal to prevent yourself from using it. When a pedal is meant to be played, place the heel of your foot on the ground directly in front of the pedal. Pivot downwards, pressing down the pedal with the ball of your foot. Your heel should never leave the ground while depressing a pedal. When releasing the pedal, be sure to do so gently. If you raise your foot too quickly, you may hear an undesirable “clunk” sound. The sustain pedal is the most often used pedal. It releases the strings of the dampers, felt-covered pieces of wood that deaden a string’s vibration. The soft pedal enhances soft passages.

The soft pedal does not mean you should play loudly when depressing it so that the sound is soft. The middle pedal, called sostenuto, is rarely used, but is indicated in music with clear instructions. This pedal keeps the dampers up that were raised when it was depressed, enabling staccato play independent of the sustained note. Tips Most piano pieces, including the classics, only require use of the sustain pedal, but the soft pedal is used occasionally. Not all pianos have three pedals since the sostenuto is seldom used. That does not mean the piano is inferior or should not be used or purchased. Never randomly use the pedal by going up and down on it because the music will sound choppy, instead of smooth. Experiment with the pedals. Play a scale, and be aware of how you are using the pedal. Listen to the sound and how the pedal effects it. The more you experiment with the pedal usage, the better you will become using it and enhancing your piece of music. During practice time, include practicing with and without the pedal, holding it down and raising it, to get the desired effect.

Remember, after you get used to using the pedal, songs will sound unfulfilled without the pedal, so its important to know how to use the pedal properly. 27 Apr A sustain pedal or sustaining pedal (also damper pedal or loud pedal) is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano[citation needed]. It is typically the rightmost of two or three pedals. When pressed, the sustain pedal “sustains” all the strings on the piano, removing the dampers from all strings and allowing them to vibrate freely. This serves two purposes. First, it assists the pianist in producing a legato (playing smoothly connected notes) in passages where no fingering is available to make this otherwise possible. Secondly, raising the damper pedal causes all the strings to vibrate sympathetically with whichever notes are being played, which greatly enriches the piano’s tone. History A device similar to the damper pedal in effect was invented by the piano pioneer Gottfried Silbermann; it was operated by the player’s hands rather than a pedal. A later eminent early builder, Johann Andreas Stein, may have been the first to allow the player to lift the dampers while still playing; his device was controlled by a knee lever.

Until the onset of the Romantic era in music, the damper pedal was considered a special effect, used only in particular circumstances (see Piano history and musical performance). Only with the Romantics did a fairly constant use of the pedal come to be regarded as an essential element of piano sound. Specifying pedaling in musical compositions Appropriate use of the pedal is often left to the musician’s discretion, but composers and music editors also use pedal marks to notate it. The most common symbol for this is a horizontal line below the grand staff, which lifts up and down with the pedal. An alternative (and older) notation is the use of indicating where the sustain pedal should be depressed, and an asterisk showing where it should be lifted. Occasionally there is a general direction at the start of a movement instructing that the sustain pedal be applied continuously throughout. This may be marked with senza sordini (“without dampers”), or similar wording (see Moonlight Sonata for a famous example). Apr Ever wonder how that soft pedal on the left really works? The soft pedal (or una corda pedal) is one of the standard pedals on a piano, generally placed leftmost among the pedals.

On a grand piano, this pedal shifts the whole action including the keyboard slightly to the right, so that hammers that normally strike all three of the strings for a note strike only two of them. This softens the note and also modifies its tone quality. The essential function of the soft pedal was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori, who was the inventor of the piano, On some his pianos, it was possible to move the hammer mechanism so that the hammers struck just one of the two strings per note. Cristofori’s mechanism was a hand stop, necessitating a free hand for its use. By Mozart’s time (see Fortepiano), mechanisms had been invented that permitted the same function to be carried out by a knee lever (located below the keyboard), and in the late 18th century the pedal mechanism familiar to us today was introduced. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the piano had evolved to have three strings on most of the notes.

The soft pedal of this time was more effective than today, since it was possible to use it to strike three, two or even just one string per note—this is the origin of the name “una corda”, Italian for “one string”. In modern pianos, the strings are spaced too closely to permit a true “una corda” effect—-if shifted far enough to strike just one string on one note, the hammers would also hit the string of the next note. See Piano history and musical performance. On upright pianos, the soft pedal operates a mechanism which moves the hammers’ resting position closer to the strings. Since the hammers have less distance to travel this reduces the speed at which they hit the strings, and hence the volume is reduced, but this does not change tone quality in the way the una corda pedal does on a grand piano. So on a vertical piano, the left pedal is like an off-and-on switch-press the pedal and the volume drops. But on a well-regulated grand piano, you can use techniques such as half-pedaling to get not only a difference in volume but also subtle variations in tone color.

The use of the soft pedal is generally notated with the words una corda or due corde (Italian for one or two strings) to show when the pedal should begin being used, and tre corde or tutte le corde (meaning “three strings” or “all the strings”) for when it should be released. There is discretion for the performer in its use, however, and it can be used when there is no notation when the performer believes its timbre or quietness is called for by the piece. 25 Apr In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian which means “sustained,” and occasionally also implies a slowing of tempo. It usually refers to a style of playing rather than a tempo. For instance, if the tempo marking of a piece is Adagio Sostenuto, the tempo would be slow (Adagio), and the sostenuto part of the marking tells the player to hold notes longer than they normally would, and play phrases in a very legato style. On a modern grand piano with three pedals, the middle pedal is usually a sostenuto pedal. It sustains only those notes which are depressed at the same time that the pedal is depressed, allowing future notes played to be unaffected.

It is commonly abbreviated “S.P.”, “Sost. Ped.” or “ThP.” (from the German equivalent “Tonhalte-Pedal”). On some upright pianos, the middle pedal sustains all notes in the bass register, but this is not a true sostenuto pedal. On other uprights, the middle pedal is a practice pedal (with a locking option) which makes the sound extremely quiet beyond the standard soft pedal. This is often achieved by dropping a felt cloth between the hammers and the strings when the practice pedal is depressed. Note that the sostenuto pedal should not be confused with the much more commonly used sustain pedal, which undamps all the strings on the piano. What does sostenuto mean?

played in a sustained manner beyond the notes normal value Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Sostenuto(adj) sustained; -- applied to a movement or passage the sounds of which are to sustained to the utmost of the nominal value of the time; also, to a passage the tones of which are to be somewhat prolonged or protacted Origin: [It.] Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Sostenuto In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian that means "sustained." It occasionally implies a slowing of tempo, though more often it refers to a very legato style in which the notes are performed in a sustained manner beyond their normal values. Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Sostenuto sos-te-nōō′tō, adj. (mus.) sustained, prolonged.

[It.] Numerology The numerical value of sostenuto in Chaldean Numerology is: 8 Pythagorean Numerology Meaning of Sostenuto Sostenuto In music the term sostenuto is applied to a movement or passage the sounds of which are to sustained to the utmost of the nominal value of the time and also, to a passage the tones of which are to be somewhat prolonged or protracted. Sostenuto In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian that means `sustained`. It occasionally implies a slowing of tempo, though more often it refers to a very legato style in which the notes are performed in a sustained manner beyond their normal values. ==Sostenuto pedal== On a modern grand piano with three pedals, the middle pedal is usually a sostenuto..... Study: Learning musical terms To view the complete study guide, you will need a valid subscription. Why not subscribe now? Already have a subscription? Make sure you login first! Learning musical terms To view the complete study guide, you will need a valid subscription. Why not subscribe now? Already have a subscription? Make sure you login first!

Introduction Learning all the many musical terms used in music theory is a lot like learning vocabulary for a foreign language (or several!). In this guide we look at some useful learning techniques. Musical terms Most musical terms are in Italian, but you will also have to learn some terms in French and German as well as in English, of course. Given that most of the terms are in Italian, it makes sense to learn those first, and then compare the French and German equivalents. As with learning a foreign language, one good way to learn all these new terms is by practice, but it's very unlikely you'll come across every single term required for the exam in your instrumental playing. Usually it will be useful to learn terms by knowing their musical meaning. However, sometimes it can be difficult to do this because the terms can be quite vague or imprecise, for example sostenuto (sustained). Only by playing various pieces marked, for example Andante sostenuto would you really get a feel for what sostenuto (and, indeed, the rather vague andante) really mean. For the purposes of music theory exams, though, you simply need to remember the standard English translations of each of these terms.

Some words all mean similar things, but with slightly different slants to the meaning. For example, mesto, dolente, triste and lacrimoso all mean "sad" - and you might translate them as "mournful", "doleful", "sorrowful" and "tearful" respectively, but for the purposes of an exam, it is useful to remember them all as "sad". Learning by Tempo Most of the musical terms you need to learn are related to tempo, and it can be helpful to imagine them all on a scale from slow to fast. You will probably have seen such a scale printed on your metronome, and that's a very good way of getting a feel for just how fast (in precise, metronomic terms) a given tempo is. This is also a good way of learning what one tempo means in terms of another more familiar tempo. You will almost certainly have seen metronome markings accompanying a descriptive musical term.

Normally these give the number of a specified rhythmic value (for example, a crotchet) within one bar - say, "crotchet = 120" meaning that the music should be played at the speed of 120 crotchet beats to one minute. You might occasionally hear this rate referred to as "120 BPM". Here is a table of most of the tempo-related terms you will encounter, ranked from slow to fast, and with approximate metronome markings. Often there is a great degree of variation in the use of these terms, for musical reasons, so for example you might sometimes perform veloce slower than scherzando, but never as slow as andante! The terms are arranged into groups of approximately "slow", "medium" and "fast" tempo. Term flying, fast Meaning and Language Composers of all nationalities, since the 18th century, mostly used Italian terms for performance indications. Where German or French (or indeed English) terms are used, this is often simply a reflection of the composer's nationality or the choice of the publisher for a particular market.

Many German and Austrian composers (Mozart, Beethoven...) used Italian terms particularly until the 19th century, but later you will often find German terms (Schumann, Brahms...). Some composers use both Italian and German terms together; Mahler would often mix both languages,using Italian for a tempo indication and German for a stylistic indication. For example, the second movement of his 3rd Symphony is marked "Tempo di Menuetto. Sehr mässig", the third movement is marked "Comodo. Scherzando. Ohne Hast", and the fourth movement "Sehr langsam. Misterioso". Diminutives and Superlatives Some words are derived from others, which in grammatical terms we call a "diminutive". If your name were Robert, then "Rob" or "Bob" or "Robbie" would be diminutives of your proper name. In music, we see this effect in, for example allegro and allegretto.

Usually in Italian, the diminutive version is a longer word (in this case, allegretto is the diminutive of allegro), and implies "a little", "quite", or "fairly" - for example, allegro means "quick" and allegretto means "fairly quick". When referring to indications of speed or tempo, the diminutive version normally implies less of the original. So, for quick tempos (such as allegro), "less" allegro would mean slower. However, for already slow tempos such as largo, "less" largo actually means faster (less slow!). Another way of thinking of diminutives is to think of them as poco ("a little") plus the original word. So for example, poco allegro would mean the same as allegretto. It is worth learning the diminutives alongside the original terms, and remembering how they are related to eacher. Here is a list of terms with diminutives: Term allegretto fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro) Superlatives are a little like the opposite of diminutives, and imply "very", or a strengthening or augmentation of the original term.

These are much more easy to recognise, and you will certainly be familiar with words such as fortissimo (very loud), which is the superlative of forte (loud): a superlative in Italian will typically end in "-issimo". Similarly, presto means "fast" and prestissimo means "very fast". As with the use of poco for a diminutive, you can think of a superlative as molto ("very" or "much") plus the original. So for example, molto vivace would mean the same as vivacissimo. Bear in mind however that you can find "-issimo" added to almost any tempo marking, and the meaning in each case is always that of "very" plus the original (e.g., allegrissimo: very allegro, agitatissimo: very agitato, etc.) An exception: pochettino is a diminutive form of poco, but poco means "a little" already, so what would "a little a little" mean? In fact, pochettino in music means "very little", and taken further, the superlative pochissimo means "as little as possible".

A Learning Tip Here is a great technique to use when trying to learn lots of new vocabulary. Start off with all the words you want to know written on separate pieces of paper (Post-It notes, with the gluey section cut off or folded over, are great for this). Write the English meaning on one side and the Italian (or German, or French) on the other side. Next, get five envelopes, and mark them with numbers 1 to 5. Put the envelopes to one side for the moment. Now put all your pieces of paper in a hat, shuffle them about, and pick out ten. Hold these slips of paper like a pack of cards, and look at the face of the first one. Try and remember the translation, and speak it out loud, then check if you got it right by turning the slip of paper over. If you got it right, put the paper into a "yes" pile; if you got it wrong, put it in a "no" pile. When you've got through all ten, you should have a pile of "yes" slips and a pile of "no" slips. (If you have no "no" slips, great!).

Put all the "no" slips into the envelope marked "1", and all the "yes" slips into the envelope marked "2". Now go and do something else for the rest of the day. The next day, pick out the pack of slips in envelope "2". Go through step (4) again with these slips. Put your "yes" pile into envelope "3", and your "no" pile back to envelope "1". Next, repeat with envelope "1", advancing any you get right into envelope "2", and returning any you get wrong into envelope "1". Every day, repeat steps 4-6, each day starting with the highest-numbered envelope that has slips in it, advancing your "yes" slips into the next highest envelope. Start with the highest-numbered envelope, then the next-highest, and so on from 5 down to 1. Every time you get one wrong, even if it was in envelope "5", it must go back to envelope "1" again. Every time envelope "1" becomes empty, take another ten bits of paper from your hat and start them off in envelope "1".

When a slip makes it past envelope "5", then you can be confident that you've learnt that one! Eventually, all of your slips of paper will make it out of envelope "5" and into your long-term memory. Make sure that you write out the words in the first place (step 1) - that's part of the learning process! - and make sure that you speak your answers out loud (step 4). And of course, don't cheat... It's worth repeating the whole exercise in the week before your exam, just to make sure that you've remembered everything! Read more... With a subscription to Clements Theory you'll be able to read this and dozens of other study guides, along with thousands of practice questions and more! Why not subscribe now? Musical Terms - Music Producers Organization Music Producers Organization 5 Technical Direction These are Italian words consisting of a root term sometimes amended or modified to a different meaning by the use of a prefix or suffix. The degree of change depends on the meaning of the suffix or prefix. Two common suffixes are -etto (which weakens the root word's meaning) and -issimo (which increases the intensity of the root word's meaning).

Connective Connective terms are used to connect two terms into one larger musical term, or to make several terms into a phrase. Connective terms when used alone convey no meaning. The terms e, un, una, and uno mean "a", "an", or "one". The terms da, dal, and di mean "of", or "from". The derm da capo means from the beginning. The terms a, per, and alla mean "to", "at", "for", "by", or "in". The term crescendo poco a poco is common. Crescendo means to get louder and a means "by". The term poco means "little". Therefore the term crescendo poco a poco means to get louder little by little. The terms stesso and quasi mean "like", "as" or "same". They direct you to play the same as before. The term Stesso Tempo means play the same tempo as the previous section or movement. The term piu means "more". Connected with another term, piu can direct more volume, piu crescendo, or more motion, piu moto. The terms ancora and bis mean to "do again".

Ancora piu forte literally means again more loudly or still louder. The terms sempre and al solito mean "always" or "as usual". Sempre marcato directs you to play always marked or separate. The terms con and avec mean "with". Con brio means with fire. Avec anima means with spirit. The terms assai and molto (molta) mean "very" or "much". Molto largo and Largo assai mean very slowly. The term troppo means "too (much)". Allegro non troppo means not too fast. Tempo These terms are used to designate the speed of the performance. They direct you to slow down or speed up relative to the speed established by the preceding tempo marking, or, if at the beginning of a composition, to perform at a speed which evokes a certain feeling. They do not indicate one immoveable, concrete metronome marking, although some general guidelines are included below. The definition of tempo terms includes words that indicate a style of performance or feeling. Tempo terms can indicate a style as much as tempo. M.M. (Maelzel's Metronome) markings are sometimes included in a composition. M.M.

is the same as BPM (Beats Per Minute). Slow Largo: 39-47 BPM. Slow and broad. Larghetto: 48-56 BPM. Broadly and a little faster. Lento: 57-65 BPM. Slow or dragging. Adagio: 66-73 BPM. Slow or at ease. Adagietto: 74-80 BPM. Medium Andantino: 81-90 BPM. Less walking, not going quite so fast. There is no common agreement on the meaning of this one. Andante: 91-100 BPM. Walking or going at a relaxed easy tempo. This is the marking most often used to designate a medium tempo. Moderato: 101-110 BPM. At a moderate speed. A relaxed, easy, medium tempo. Fast Allegretto: 111-120 BPM. Diminished Allegro. Allegro: 120-139 BPM. Quick and cheerful. Vivace: 140-159 BPM. Lively and quick. Presto: 160-179 BPM.

Fast. Prestissimo: 180 BPM and greater. Faster than Presto. Momentary Fermata: "Held" or "sustained". An immediate change in tempo on only one note, usually followed by a pause. Indicated by the fermata sign over the note. Rubato: "Robbed" or "stolen". Unsteadiness, slackening and quickening for the sake of expression. An immediate change in tempo over a range of notes and tempos. Sostenuto: To sustain or hold a note or section. Tenuto: Hold the note, but do not pause after. Indicated by a dash over the note. The word tenuto over the note can indicate a mini fermata. Lunga Pausa: "General Pause". A complete stop of the performance. Increasing Ritardando: To gradually become slower. Ritenuto: (Usually abbreviated rit.) To slow suddenly. Rallentando: (Usually abbreviated rall.) Gradually slower. Can also be interpreted as a return to a previous slow tempo, although this is not usual. Allargando: To become broader and slower and to increase dignity while maintaining power and intensity. Allentando: Slow down, but not violently.

An even slowing in tempo. Calando: Slow down and at the same time decrease the level of loudness of performance. Smorzando: Slow down and reduce the volume of the performance. May be used anywhere in a composition. Morendo: Slow the tempo and at the same time reduce the volume and intensity, letting the sound "die away". Usually seen only at the end of a cadence or movement. Meno mosso or Meno moto: "Less moved" or "Less motion". The least pushed, least violent of all the decreasing tempo terms. Returning A Tempo: A return to the tempo you were playing just before the increase or decrease in tempo. Primo Tempo: A return to the beginning tempo of a composition or movement. Tempo I: Same as Primo Tempo. No Change L'istesso Tempo or Lo Stesso Tempo: "The same tempo". Used to direct the tempo of a new passage or movement of a composition that will be the same tempo of the previous section or movement. Most often used when a transition occurs from one section in a composition to another. Dynamics These terms are used to designate the loudness of the performance.

In order from quiet to loud the soft and loud designations are pp p mp mf f ff. Soft Piano: Abbreviated p. Softly. Pianissimo: Abbreviated pp. Very softly. (The root term is modified by the suffix -issimo, increasing its intensity.) Used only when it is necessary to draw attention to the fact that the sound level is extremely low. Mezzo Piano: Abbreviated mp. Medium soft. (Mezzo, medium or less, modifies piano, soft, to become medium soft.) Loud Learn and talk about Sostenuto, Italian words and phrases, Musical performance techniques, Piano ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) In music , sostenuto [sosteˈnuːto] is a term from Italian that means "sustained". It occasionally implies a slowing of tempo , though more often it refers to a very legato style in which the notes are performed in a sustained manner beyond their normal values. See also: Piano pedal § Sostenuto pedal The sostenuto pedal is the pedal in the middle under the keyboard of the grand piano On a modern grand piano with three pedals , the middle pedal is usually a sostenuto pedal.

It sustains only those notes that are being held down when the pedal is depressed, allowing future notes played to be unaffected. It is commonly abbreviated "S.P.", "Sost. Ped.", or "ThP." (from the German equivalent "Tonhalte-Pedal"). On some upright pianos and lower-quality grand pianos, the middle pedal sustains all notes in the bass register, but this is not a true sostenuto pedal. On other uprights, the middle pedal is a practice pedal (with a locking option), which makes the sound extremely quiet beyond the standard soft pedal . This is often achieved by dropping a felt cloth between the hammers and the strings when the practice pedal is depressed. Not all pianos have a Sostenuto pedal, however. Some older, or modern low-quality uprights do not have this option. The sostenuto pedal should not be confused with the much more commonly used sustain pedal , which undamps all the strings on the piano. Original courtesy of Wikipedia: — Please support Wikipedia. This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia . A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. We're sorry, but there's no news about "Sostenuto" right now.

Limit to books that you can completely read online Include partial books (book previews) Oops, we seem to be having trouble contacting Twitter Support Wikipedia A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. Please add your support for Wikipedia! Searchlight Group Digplanet also receives support from Searchlight Group. Visit Searchlight Copyright © 2009-2016 Digparty. All rights reserved. Hammeklavier, slow movement - Google Groups Hammeklavier, slow movement Could someone please tell me what are Beethoven's tempo indications for the slow movement of the Hammerklavier? I was just listening to Barenboim on DG clocking at nearly 22 mins (slowest ever recording?), Uchida around 19 mins, Goode at 17 mins, and Gulda (Amadeo set, re-released by Brilliant Classics) really fast at 13mins !!! Which recording do you think comes closer tempo-wise only to Beethoven's indication in the score? Thanks I don't have a score to hand, but Uchida and Goode would seem to come closest. You should probably ignore Beethoven's metronome markings.

His metronome has been shown to have been faulty in any event. Better to look at the actual tempo markings. For the slow movement they are: "Adagio sostenuto. Appassionato e con molto sentimento." The tricky word is "sostenuto". Here is what Wiki provides, which seems fairly good. In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian which means "sustained," and occasionally also implies a slowing of tempo. It usually refers to a style of playing rather than a tempo. For instance, if the tempo marking of a piece is Adagio Sostenuto, the tempo would be slow (Adagio), and the sostenuto part of the marking tells the player to hold notes longer than they normally would, and play phrases in a very legato style. In other words, the tempo is SLOW, with a sustained, or held, feeling to it. Sort of justifies the very slow versions one can find out there. Certainly it would be hard to accomplish the "appassionato e con molto sentimento" marking with a fast tempo. Clearly also the outer movements have a real influence over what tempo is adopted for teh slow movement.

Everything has to be related and appopriate. On Oct 9, 4:04 pm, td < tomdedea...@mac.com > wrote: > On Oct 9, 9:39 am, RX-01 < cody...@gmail.com > wrote: > > > Which recording do you think comes closer tempo-wise only to > > Beethoven's indication in the score? > > You should probably ignore Beethoven's metronome markings. His > metronome has been shown to have been faulty in any event. > > Better to look at the actual tempo markings. Just to satisfy my curiosity; when was Beethoven's metronome found to be faulty? If it was relatively recently, I suppose one might blame wear and tear. But as Beethoven and Maelzel got along reasonably well - for a while, at least - it's difficult to believe that MM would have given LvB a dodgy one. Beethoven's M.M. is 92 for the 8th note, which is quite fast. One reasoning for the fast tempo is that not only the 6 beats, but also two slow beats per measure should be felt.

Beethoven's metronome ended at 50, IIRC, otherwise he might have written 30 for the dotted quarter. (A beat of 20 or less can hardly be felt, one will only count/feel the 8th notes if it's taken so slow.) Another point is that "appassionato" may not indicate a very slow tempo, but at least in some sections a passionate flowing movement (the question of changing tempi for section of such a huge movement is another issue) Gulda plays it close to that tempo, hardly anyone else does. Korstick with about 29 min. may be the slowest ever, it's at less than half the indicated speed. The traditional tempo range seems to be from about 15 to 19 min. Although I think that a flowing tempo like Gulda's (or rather Beethoven's) does work quite well) I am fine with those somewhat slower traditional tempi, but Korstick is way too slow for me.

Johannes On 10 Ott, 00:44, Johannes Roehl < parrhe...@web.de > wrote: > > > I was just listening to Barenboim on DG clocking at nearly 22 mins > > (slowest ever recording?), Uchida around 19 mins, Goode at 17 mins, > > and Gulda (Amadeo set, re-released by Brilliant Classics) really fast > > at 13mins !!! > > Which recording do you think comes closer tempo-wise only to > > Beethoven's indication in the score? > > Beethoven's M.M. is 92 for the 8th note, which is quite fast. Just to be completely literalist for a moment, there are 187 bars making 1122 beats so a performance that set out at 92 and stuck to it would take slightly over 12 minutes. Bearing in mind that even the most literal-minded interpreter will (hopefully) allow the music to breathe, Gulda must be spot on. However ...

Though Tovey is probably not quite the oracle today that he was in the past, the following, from the notes to his edition of the LvB sonatas, is worth thinking about: "Not until he revised his original metronome marks for the Ninth Symphony did Beethoven discover the deceptiveness of Maelzel's new invention ... And then he changed the autograph reading of fourth note = 126 for the first movement to fourth note = 88, and all the other movements in the same proportion! An error of 50 per cent seems astonishing; but most composers are liable to make as great a mistake until they have tried several experiments. In recent times Reger, after carefully metronomising all his works, found it necessary to add in every case the caveat that these marks are to be regarded merely as setting the extreme permissible limit of speed; and in performance under his own direction he never approached within two-thirds of the tempo so indicated. The composer's natural impulse is to set the metronome at various paces until the bare ticking sounds as energetic as the music in question.

It is quite possible to do this without suspecting that the real music will not squeeze into such a tempo; and the sense of tempo is likely to be further accelerated by such violent exercise as Beethoven was in the habit of taking in his solitary walks with his head full of things like op. 106". For more recent cases we might cite Bartok, who put both metronome marks and timings on most of his scores, but observance of the metronome mark will often not produce the prescribed timing, and Shostakovich, who told several conductors that his metronome marks were to be obeyed, before discovering that his metronome was seriously out of order and may have been for many years. In the Fifth Symphony the metronome markings have been systematically disregarded by conductors who had the opportunity to work with the composer. Chris Howell Korstick exaggerates even more with his 29 min. adagio. But in other works this practice is old news, and again, for me, a point against the "faulty metronome"/"stupid deaf Beethoven" theory. Almost all scherzo movements are traditionally usually played as fast as indicated, often a bit faster.

So are the finales of the 5th and 7th symphony. Slowing down is most frequent in first movements and adagios (or allegrettos played as funeral march adagio like in the 7th). Similarly in op. 106: people stay very close to the metronome marking in the scherzo, reasonably close in the finale and play at half or two thirds of the indicated tempo in the first allegro and the adagio. Does anyone really believe that the metronome came apart only for the tempi of these movements? I don't. But as consistency is only for the small-minded... Johannes On 10 Ott, 15:08, Johannes Roehl < parrhe...@web.de > wrote: So are the finales of the 5th and 7th > symphony.

The finale of the 5th symphony is another famous "problem" since Beethoven, after marking fairly brisk tempi for the first three movts indicates a broad finale and in particular - since the last two movts are linked - marks the half-note of the finale as SLOWER (= 84) than the dotted half-note of the scherzo (= 96). Klemperer and several others of the German school made a point of holding a uniform beat right through the two movements. More often though, the finale goes faster than the scherzo - the opposite of what is written. And yet, when the indicated relationship is observed (surely the relationship is more important than the actual tempi), as it notably was by Erich Kleiber, the effect of the scherzo returning at that faster temp in the middle of the finale is shattering. Chris Howell > Korstick exaggerates even more with his 29 min. adagio. > But in other works this practice is old news, and again, for me, a point > against the "faulty metronome"/"stupid deaf Beethoven" theory.

Right; that argument is usually dragged out to support a traditional tempo which the performer/critic likes and can't otherwise justify. > Almost all scherzo movements are traditionally usually played as fast as > indicated, often a bit faster. So are the finales of the 5th and 7th > symphony. Slowing down is most frequent in first movements and adagios (or > allegrettos played as funeral march adagio like in the 7th). > > Similarly in op. 106: people stay very close to the metronome marking in > the scherzo, reasonably close in the finale and play at half or two thirds > of the indicated tempo in the first allegro and the adagio. Does anyone > really believe that the metronome came apart only for the tempi of these > movements? I don't. > But as consistency is only for the small-minded... Actually, it's "foolish consistency"; and I don't think that's what you're asking for.... Musical terminology: A glossary of music terms - Syncrat Syncrat Musical terminology: A glossary of music terms Advertisements have been blocked. Please consider supporting this site by contributing to it.

This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be encountered in printed scores. Most of the defined terms are Italian (see also Italian musical terms used in English), in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases differ from the original or current Italian meanings. Most of the other defined terms are taken from French and German, indicated by "(Fr)" and "(Ger)", respectively. Others are from languages such as Latin and Spanish. Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. The list can never be complete: some terms are common, and others are used only occasionally, and new ones are coined from time to time. Some composers prefer terms from their own language rather than the standard definition of terms here. A brio – vigour; usually in con brio (see in this list) brioso – vigorously (same as con brio) broken chord – a chord in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less consistent sequence. They may follow singly one after the other, or two notes may be immediately followed by another two, for example.

See also arpeggio in this list, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass. bruscamente – brusquely C cadenza – a cadence; i.e., a florid solo, often improvised or (more commonly in modern practice) in improvisatory style, usually near the end of a movement (but sometimes played between the development and recapitulation sections), embellishing and elaborating on a perfect cadence, sometimes at considerable length calando – lowering; i.e., getting slower and softer: ritardando along with diminuendo cambiare – to change; i.e., any change, such as to a new instrument cantabile – singingly con slancio – with enthusiasm con sordino – with the mute coperti (plural of coperto, which may also be seen) – covered; i.e., on a drum, muted with a cloth crescendo – growing; i.e., progressively louder (contrast diminuendo) cut time – same as the meter 2/2: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and played like common time (4/4), except with the beat lengths doubled.

Indicated by three quarters of a circle with a vertical line through it, which resembles the cent symbol '¢'. This comes from a literal cut of the 'C' symbol of common time. Thus, a quarter note in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also alla breve. D dolente – sorrowfully, plaintively doloroso – sorrowfully, plaintively D.S. al coda or dal segno al coda (or, strictly but rarely seen, ...alla coda) – from the sign to the coda; i.e., return to a place in the music designated by the sign (a marking resembling a letter S with a diagonal through it and a dot to either side) and continue until directed to move to the coda, a separate ending section. (See Coda in this list.) D.S. al fine or dal segno al fine – from the sign to the end; i.e., return to a place in the music designated by the sign (see preceding entry) and continue to the end of the piece.

Duple Meter - A meter, or time signature, where the basic unit of pulse of the music recurs in groups of 2 (cut time or 2/2, 2/4, 4/4). Duple meter is historically associated with Marches but can be found in nearly all forms of contemporary music. dur (Ger) – major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-dur (A major), B-dur (BÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¯Ã‚Â¿Ã‚Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â­ major), or H-dur (B major). (See also moll (minor) in this list.) dynamics – refers to the relative volumes in the execution of a piece of music. (See dynamics (music)). E echo – an effect in which a group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect Empfindung (Ger) – feeling N narrante – narratingly naturale or nat.

– natural; i.e., discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics Nebenstimme (Ger) – under part; i.e., a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and subsidiary to, the Hauptstimme nicht (zu) schnell (Ger) – not (too) fast nobile – in a noble fashion notes inégales (Fr) – unequal notes; i.e., a principally Baroque performance practice of applying long-short rhythms to pairs of notes written as equal O omaggio – homage, celebration ossia – or instead; i.e., according to some specified alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a footnote, additional small notes, or an additional staff ostinato – obstinate, persistent; i.e., a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition P pesante – heavy, ponderous peu à peu (Fr) – little by little Note: it should be noted that any dynamics in a piece should always be played relative to the other dynamics found in the music.

Thus, pp should be played as softly as possible, but if ppp is found later in the piece, pp should be markedly louder than ppp. Likewise, ff should be played as loud as possible, but if fff is found later in the piece, ff should be noticeably quieter. More than three ps (ppp) or three fs (fff) are uncommon. pianissimo or pp (usually) – very gently; i.e., perform very softly, even softer than piano. This convention can be extended; the more p's that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play, thus ppp (pianississimo) would be softer than pp. piano or p (usually) – gently; i.e., played or sung softly (see dynamics) piano-vocal score – the same as a vocal score, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar piacevole – pleasant repente – suddenly restez (Fr) – stay; i.e., remain on a note or string rinforzando (rf) – reinforced; i.e., emphasized; sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note risoluto – resolutely rit.

– an abbreviation for ritardando[1][2][3][4]; also less frequently considered an abbreviation for ritenuto[5][6][7] ritardando, ritard. – slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando (see in this list) ritenuto, riten. – held back; i.e., slower (usually more so but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, apply to a single note) roulade (Fr) – a rolling; i.e., a florid vocal phrase rubato – robbed; i.e., flexible in tempo, applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect S sforzando or sfz – made loud; i.e., a sudden strong accent silencio – silence simile – similarly; i.e., continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage. smorzando or smorz. – dying away, extinguishing or dampening; usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well soave – smoothly, gently solo, plural soli – alone; i.e., played by a single instrument.

The instruction soli requires more than one player; in a jazz big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony. sostenuto – sustained sotto voce – under voice; i.e., softly and subdued, as if speaking under one's breath spiccato – distinct, separated; i.e., a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bouncing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect spiritoso – spiritedly staccato – an indication to play with a sharp attack, and briefly. In music notation a small dot under or over the note indicates that it is to be sounded staccato.

stanza – a verse of a song strepitoso – noisy stretto – tight, narrow; i.e., faster or hastening ahead; also, a passage in a fugue in which the contrapuntal texture is denser, with close overlapping entries of the subject in different voices; by extension, similar closely imitative passages in other compositions stringendo – tightening, narrowing; i.e., with a pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo (that is, becoming stretto, see preceding entry) subito – suddenly sul ponticello – on the bridge; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental; the opposite of sul tasto sul tasto – on the fingerboard; i.e., in string playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) over the fingerboard; the opposite of sul ponticello T tacet – silent; do not play tempo – time; i.e., the overall speed of a piece of music teneramente – tenderly tenuto – held; i.e., touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the

 note's value tranquillo – calmly, peacefully tremendo – frightening tremolo – shaking; i.e., a rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes.

It can also be intended (inaccurately) to mean a rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note (see vibrato). It is notated by a strong diagonal bar across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless notes). tre corde or tc (or sometimes inaccurately tre corda) – three strings; i.e., release the soft pedal of the piano (see una corda) troppo – too much; usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non troppo (fast but not too fast) tutti – all; i.e., all together, usually used in an orchestral or choral score when the orchestra or all of the voices come in at the same time, also seen in Baroque-era music where two instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has broken off to play a more advanced form: they both play together again at the point marked tutti. See also: ripieno.

U un, uno, or una – one, as for example in the following entries una corda – one string; i.e., in piano music, depress the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of, the sound. In some pianos, this literally results in the hammer striking one string rather than two or three. (For most notes on modern instruments, in fact it results in striking two rather than three strings.) Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings; see in this list), is the opposite: the soft pedal is to be released. un poco – a little unisono or unis (Fr) – in unison; i.e., several players in a group are to play exactly the same notes within their written part, as opposed to splitting simultaneous notes among themselves. Often used to mark the return from divisi (see in this list). V vibrato – vibrating; i.e., a more or less rapidly repeated slight alteration in the pitch of a note, used to give a richer sound and as a means of expression. Often confused with tremolo, which refers either to a similar variation in the volume of a note, or to rapid repetition of a single note.

vittorioso – victoriously vivace – very lively, up-tempo vivacissimo – very lively vocal score or piano-vocal score – a music score of an opera, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in full but the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on piano. volante – flying SOSTENUTO -- Crossword entry | Crossword Nexus played in a sustained manner beyond the note s normal value The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: sostenuto and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License . Need help with a clue? Try your search in the crossword dictionary! Clue: Book of the month Francis Heaney and Brendan Emmett Quigley, two of the best in the biz, have teamed up for Drunk Crosswords . Grab yourself a copy today! Store NEW! Get a whole bunch of puzzles, pay what you want, and help charity. Mobile App We've got an app, with versions for iPhone, iPod and (finally!) Android. Snap a picture of the QR code above, or simply follow this link for more info.

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Question: Which musical term means "sustained", and occasionally also implies "a slowing of tempo"?
Answer: Sostenuto