Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adv. In a quick, lively tempo, usually considered to be faster than allegretto but slower than presto. Used chiefly as a direction.
- n. An allegro passage or movement.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- In music, brisk or rapid.
- n. A brisk movement; a sprightly part or strain, the quickest except presto.
- Special varieties of movement or style are indicated by adding other terms: as, allegro agitato, quick and with agitation; allegro assai, very quick; allegro con brio or con fuoco, quick and with spirit or intensity; allegro con moto or allegro molto, with decided quickness; allegro vivace, quick and with vivacity; allegro giusto, quick, but with steady, even movement; allegro moderato, moderately quick; allegro ma non troppo, quick, but not excessively so.
Wiktionary
- n. A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played in a quick, lively tempo, faster than allegretto but slower than presto
- n. In more traditional use, an expressive marking indicating lively or happily, not necessarily quick or fast.
- n. A passage having this mark
- adv. played in a quick, lively tempo
- adj. describing a passage having this mark
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Brisk, lively.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a brisk and lively tempo
- adv. in a quick and lively tempo
- adj. (of tempo) fast
- n. a musical composition or musical passage to be performed quickly in a brisk lively manner
Etymologies
- Italian, from Latin alacer, lively.
Examples
“In music, the term allegro meant quick, lively, and she was that.”
“The third part of the class is called allegro, and that consists of fast work, combinations, sequences of steps with the big jumps and turns that make ballet impressive.”
“For example, what can be more irrational than the general term allegro, which only means lively; and how far we often are from comprehending the real time, so that the piece itself contradicts the designation.”
Beethoven's Letters 1790-1826, Vol. 1 of 2
“The first four lines are andantino, the refrain allegro.”
“So far as I am myself concerned, I have long purposed giving up those inconsistent terms allegro, andante, adagio, and presto; and Maelzel's metronome furnishes us with the best opportunity of doing so.”
Beethoven's Letters 1790-1826, Vol. 1 of 2
“The final allegro, made so memorable in Balanchine's ballet of the same name, crackles with wit.”
The Guardian: Bizet: Symphony in C, Jeux d'enfants, Roma; Orchestre de Paris/Järvi
“(Soundbite of song) Unidentified Woman (Singer): (Singing) ... blamed him from wanting an allegro.”
“This, says the composer, who typically speaks molto allegro , connects people to each other harmonically, binding their thoughts and the music together.”
“So readily do we summon memories of the depositions to which we willingly submitted, the idea factory that operated around-the-clock, the allegro vocal patterns, the attentive gaze and dancing eyes, the prods and encouragement, the joyfulness.”
The Huffington Post: Andrew S. Doctoroff: The Last Lecture Given by Our Good Friend Jeff Zaslow
“The concluding fugue had just the right amount of "not too much" in its allegro ma non troppo tempo marking, with each statement of the subject clearly voiced.”
The Washington Post: Pianist Till Fellner ends Beethoven sonata cycle with restrained refinement
Lists
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