alla breve

9.9

A way of writing music that has two strong beats in each bar

noun
/ˈɑːlə ˈbrɛːvə/

Specialized

: alla breve

A crucial point in the music notation reading training of young music students is the introduction of alla breve, or "cut time."
alla breve, or "cut time"
alla breve, or "cut time"

Examples

In this piece, the composer wrote in alla breve, which gives it a quick, lively feel.
Beginning music students typically have their first encounter with enrhythmic notation when they learn to play in "cut time," or alla breve, but there are many other types of enrhythmic notation that must be mastered.

Academic text (2015)
When conducting the choir, the director indicated they should sing in alla breve to maintain the brisk tempo.
Students often learn alla breve to help them understand time signatures with fewer beats per measure.

Surface Forms

alla breve singular

alla breves plural

Morphology

alla + breve

This is an Italian musical borrowing where 'alla' = 'in the style of' and 'breve' names a specific (rare) mensural note value, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a rhythmic/time relationship involving the breve. However, the exact technical sense ('cut time' / two half notes per measure) is specialist music-theory knowledge and not fully predictable from everyday knowledge of the parts, making the construction only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The musical phrase alla breve comes from Italian: alla means 'to' and breve was the name of an old long note. Musicians used it to count music with two big beats instead of four small ones, so today alla breve tells players to play faster and give a brisk, marching feel.