allegretto
- noun
- /ˌæl.əˈɡrɛt.oʊ/
- Specialized
- A little more allegretto, please, if you don't mind, Mr. McMoon.
Examples
-
The performance began with the evening's only fault, a kind of bumptious ride through the first movement Allegretto section.
Blog text (1) -
Diagram: Allegretto
Academic text (1996) -
One is sung slowly (andante), the other more quickly (allegretto).
Academic text (1990) -
It is easy enough then to move to the Allegretto movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, most recently used in Alexandre Desplat's soundtrack to the movie The King's Speech.
Academic text (2015) -
In my office, with a second bottle of sherry and the mournful allegretto of the Seventh pulling me toward dementia, I imagined Andrea seated across from me, nodding with compassion.
Fiction book (1991) -
The conductor instructed the orchestra to play the piece at an allegretto tempo, creating a lively yet graceful sound.
-
In her recital, she beautifully performed a sonata in allegretto, showcasing both speed and elegance.
-
The piece concluded with a bright and cheerful allegretto, leaving the audience in high spirits.
Synonyms
Played a little faster than walking speed in a gentle, flowing way
How Fast
Surface Forms
Etymology
Allegretto comes from the Italian word allegro meaning 'lively' and the ending -etto meaning 'little'. So it literally means 'a little lively', which is why an allegretto is a musical tempo or piece that is moderately quick—faster than andante but not as fast as allegro.