adagio

slowly Adagio is the Italian word for 'slowly'. It is written on musical scores to indicate the piece should be played at a slow, leisurely tempo.

Adagio: Slow, somewhere between andante and largo. Also, a brief composition in a slow tempo, especially the second, slow movement of a sonata, symphony, etc.

Adagio written above a piece of music means that it should be played slowly. 2. countable noun [usu sing] An adagio is a piece of music that is played slowly.

adagio (adv.) 1746, in music, "slowly, leisurely and gracefully," Italian, a contraction of ad agio, from ad "to, at" (see ad-) + agio "leisure," from Vulgar Latin *adiacens, present participle of adiacere "to lie at, to lie near" (compare adjacent). In noun sense of "a slow movement," first attested 1784.

55–65 BPM Adagio – slow and stately (literally, “at ease”) (55–65 BPM) Adagietto – rather slow (65–69 BPM) Andante – at a walking pace (73–77 BPM)

When a movement is done slowly, there is more time to work on perfecting the form and shape; the dancer has time to correct and refine the line. Adagios also build the strength and stamina needed to sustain various shapes and slow, extended movements. He taught his dancers to move beautifully, both slowly and quickly.

The Adagio was composed in 1776 as a substitute second movement for Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto, because Brunetti, probably confirming Mozart's worst opinions of Italian taste, found the original slow movement too serious and learned.

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music in the world. It's become America's semi-official music for mourning, used at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's funeral and after JFK's assassination.

Some of the more popular tempos include (from slowest to fastest) grave, lento, largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegretto, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo.

A composer uses tempo to indicate mood. Music with an adagio tempo is usually gentle. Music with an allegro tempo often is happy and cheerful. Music with a presto tempo gives the listener a sense of lively action.

In fact the work was composed by a 20th-century musicologist and Albinoni biographer named Remo Giazotto. The piece was purportedly based on the discovery of a bass line by Albinoni in a manuscript fragment.

A composer uses tempo to indicate mood. Music with an adagio tempo is usually gentle. Music with an allegro tempo often is happy and cheerful. Music with a presto tempo gives the listener a sense of lively action.