ritardando
- noun
- /ˌriːtɑːrˈdɑːn.doʊ/
- Specialized
:
ritardando
- The piece ended with a ritardando, allowing the audience to feel the gradual decline in tempo and tension.
Examples
-
As the low-register instruments reenter, the groups begin a gradual ritardando over approximately twenty seconds.
Academic text (2000) -
In larger ensembles, and when a choir is used, a conducted ritardando is recommended.
Academic text (2000) -
The conductor need not conduct the actual meters, although conducting the final ritardando is recommended.
Academic text (2000) -
In "The Twelve Days of Christmas," we usually include an accelerando as we sing backward from 12 to 6, pause after 5, then accelerate again until the big ritardando in the last phrase.
Academic text (2014) -
For example, a ritardando bears direct resemblance to the reality that most things in motion naturally slow down before they stop, and a portamento shows that the most graceful way to get from one point to another in time and space is to imperceptibly slide.
Academic text (1997) -
During the final passage of the symphony, the musicians performed a beautiful ritardando that showcased their emotional expression.
-
As we approached the climax of the song, the conductor signaled for a ritardando to create a dramatic effect.
Synonyms
13
2.7
A decrease in how fast something moves or happens
Gradually make the music slower
Antonyms
How Slow
Surface Forms
Etymology
A ritardando is a musical instruction that comes from the Italian verb ritardare, meaning 'to slow down'. So a ritardando is a gradual slowing of the tempo.