assai
- adverb
- /əˈsaɪ/
- Specialized
:
muy
- The score instructs the pianist to play the passage allegro assai, so it should be performed very quickly.
Examples
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The conductor emphasized that the section labeled presto assai must be played extremely fast.
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In the symphony, the movement marked andante assai requires a moderately slow but very expressive tempo.
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The piece was played assai quickly.
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Please perform it assai gently.
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In the score, the section marked allegro assai directs the musicians to play it extremely fast.
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She played the piece marked andante assai very expressively, capturing its emotional depth.
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The director insisted that the finale should be performed louder than the rest, indicating fortissimo assai.
Compounds
How Intense
Surface Forms
Etymology
Assai comes from Italian and from Latin parts ad and satis, where satis means 'enough' and appears in the English word satisfy. So in music assai means 'very' or 'extremely' because the idea of 'enough' grew into 'more than enough' and makes the tempo instruction stronger.