Music Theory - Terms & Definitions (Italian)

a tempo

in time

accelerando

accel gradually getting faster

adagietto

rather slow

adagio

slow

affettuoso

tenderly

affrettando

hurrying

agitato

agitated

alla

al in the style of

alla breve

with a minim beat

alla misura

in strict time

allargando

broadening

allegretto

fairly quick

allegro

fast

allegro assai

very fast

allegro moderato

moderately fast

amabile

amiable; pleasant

amore

love

amoroso

loving

andante

at a walking pace

andantino

slightly faster than andante or slightly slower than andante

anima

spirit

animando

becoming more lively

animato

animated; lively

anime

animated; lively

appassionato

with passion

assai

very

attacca

go immediately to next section

ben

well

bravura

skill; brilliance

brio

with vigour

calando

getting softer; dying away

cantabile

in a singing style

cantando

singing

cedez

yield; relax the speed

come

as; similar to

comodo

at a comfortable speed

con; col

with

crescendo

cresc gradually getting louder

da capo

DC repeat from beginning

dal segno

DS repeat from S sign

deciso

with determination

decrescendo

decresc gradually getting quieter

delicato

delicate

diminuendo

dim gradually getting quieter

dolce

sweet; soft

dolente

sad; mournful

dolore

grief

doloroso

sorrowful

doppio movimento

twice as fast

ed e

and

energico

energetic

espressivo

expressive

estinto

as soft as possible; lifeless

facile

easy

fine

the end

forte

f loud

fortepiano

loud then immediately soft

fortissimo

ff very loud

forza

force

fuoco

fire

giocoso

playful; merry

giusto

proper; exact

grandioso

grandly

grave

very slow; solemn

grazioso

graceful

incalzando

getting quicker

lacrimoso

sad

lamentoso

lamenting

largamente

broadly

larghetto

rather slow

largo

slow and stately

legato

smoothly

leggiero

light; nimble

lento

slow

l'istesso

the same

loco

at normal pitch; cancels an 8va

lunga

long

lunga pausa

long pause

lusingando

coaxing; in a sweet and coaxing style

ma

but

maestoso

majestic

marcato

emphatic; accented

marziale

in a military style

meno

less

mesto

sad

mezzo

half

mezzo forte

mf moderately loud

mezzo piano

mp moderately quiet

misura

measure

moderato

moderate speed

modere

at a moderate speed

molto

very much

morendo

dying away

mosso

movement

niente

nothing; silence

nobilmente

nobly

non

not

ossia

or; alternatively

perdendosi

dying away

pesante

heavy