Stage 3Score symbolsLesson 5 of 46 · ReadingREFERENCE
Tempo words in German and French
Italian is the default language of tempo, but not the only one. Bach, Beethoven, Schumann,
Brahms and Mahler often marked tempo in German; Couperin, Debussy, Ravel and Fauré in
French. Some wanted the precision of their own tongue; some wanted the national colour. A
few — Beethoven, Mahler — printed both.
This is a reference card. You don't need to memorise it — recognise the word, find it here.
German
German
Literally
Italian it sits near
Langsam
slow
Adagio / Lento
Getragen
"carried", sustained
Largo / Grave
Ruhig
calm, at rest
Andante tranquillo
Mäßig
moderate
Moderato
Bewegt
"moved", agitated
Con moto / Allegretto
Lebhaft
lively
Vivace
Rasch
quick
Allegro
Schnell
fast
Presto
Modifiers travel too: nicht zu = "not too" (nicht zu schnell, like ma non troppo),
sehr = very, etwas = somewhat, immer = always.
French
French
Literally
Italian it sits near
Lent
slow
Lento / Adagio
Modéré
moderate
Moderato
Animé
animated
Allegro
Vif / Vite
lively / fast
Vivace / Presto
Retenu
held back
Ritenuto
Cédez
"yield" — give way, slow
Rit.
En pressant
pressing on
Stringendo
Au mouvement
back in tempo
A tempo
In context
112 bpm
'Lebhaft' at the front — German for lively, in the Vivace band. Read it the same way you'd read an Italian word: a character first, a speed second.