What do the Italian titles for the movements mean, and why Italian?
During the 17th century Italian composers were employed throughout Europe and the “new” notation did not indicate the tempo. These composer’s works were copied and published, necessitating explanations for performance. Thus: lento – slow adagio – slow andante – moderate speed allegretto – a “little” fast allegro – fast presto – very fast vivace – lively – generally thought to be quick poco – a little moderato – moderately minuetto e trio – a minuet with a contrasting middle section scherzo – a joke – Beethoven replaced the minuet with a quicker, more playful movement click here to go to the top of the page To applaud or not to applaud is the question. While applause between movements of a work shows appreciation, most performers prefer not to break their concentration and keep their focus on the challenges of the next movement. However, some movements are so energetic that spontaneous eruptions happen.
