Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adv. In a manner that is sustained as long as or beyond a note's full value. Used chiefly as a direction.
- n. A sostenuto passage or movement.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- In music, sustained; prolonged: sometimes merely the same as tenuto, and sometimes implying in addition a slight reduction of speed. Abbreviated sost.
Wiktionary
- adv. music played in a sustained manner beyond the notes normal value
- n. A note or passage marked to be sustained
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. (Mus.) Sustained; -- applied to a movement or passage the sounds of which are to sustained to the utmost of the nominal value of the time; also, to a passage the tones of which are to be somewhat prolonged or protacted.
Etymologies
- Italian (Wiktionary)
- Italian, past participle of sostenere, to sustain, from Latin sustinēre; see sustain. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“It also refers to marriage as a "wild sostenuto of the heart," a phrase I use as an anchor point in romantic conversations with my wife.”
“There are only a few sound characteristics that a pianist can control: hammer and damper timing, individual note velocities the force with which each note is struck, and the pedal controls, una corda, sostenuto and damper.”
“The piano is propably among the easiest instruments to apply this kind of processing to, but even here there are problems with techniques such as half-pedalling, use of sostenuto pedal, etc.”
“Mark it merely sostenuto, and let the conductor make the decision.”
“There is a solid bass A in the first, introductory bar (Molto sostenuto), then another A two bars later under "ciel.”
“But my _tremolo_ -- my _sostenuto_ will be ruined," said Hippolyte wildly.”
“_Andante sostenuto_ -- moderately slow and sustained.”
“It's worse," he repeated, his voice loud and harsh, like a discordant bell clashing in the sostenuto passage of a symphony; "but it's all one to me -- there's nothing else they can take; I'm free, free to sleep or wake, to be drunk when I like with no responsibility to Simmons or any one else --”
“There is a good effect gained by sustaining certain notes over several measures, though few pianists get a real sostenuto.”
“He not only possessed the mastery of touch in a transcendent degree and excelled in sostenuto playing by the use of the pedal, but actually discovered a method of making two hands produce the triple effect of melody, accompaniment, and bass on one keyboard — a resource exploited by many composers after him.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sostenuto’.
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Play it again sam
public list. words related to the word 'piano'
pianist, piano fangblenny, pianoforte, baby grand, keys, pedal, a percussion with..., piano boxer, grand piano, chordophone, harpsichord, felt hammers and 33 more...
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Musical words
nocturne, flat, sharp, waltz, etude, opera, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, cello, flute and 131 more...
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injurisch
infantil, frugal, semibekannt, goutieren, mittelminimal, eloquent, desodorieren, magnifik, amusisch, suggestibel, sostenuto, profund and 16 more...
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catpita's Words
malarkey, bugaboo, mezuzah, pulchritude, mollify, whirligig, uxorious, nacreous, extirpate, nictitate, doddle, fussbudget and 19 more...
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