Understanding Musical Terms

(Common Musical Terms Elucidated in Modern English)

ADAGIO:               take your time
ADAGIETTO:            take your time, but don't be so slow about it
AD LIBITUM:           it'll be a long time until the intermission
ALLEGRETTO:           a little slower than ALLEGRO
ALLEGRO:              a little faster than ALLEGRETTO
ALLEGRO ASSAI:        see PRESTO
ANDANTE:              somewhere between ADAGIO and ALLEGRETTO
ANDANTE NON TROPPO:   slowly, but not too much so; since the
                        composer couldn't make up his mind, you
                        might try flipping a coin
ANDANTINO:           literally, a little slower than ANDANTE, but
                        actually used to mean a little faster than
                        ANDANTE; this is not difficult to understand
                        once you figure out what ANDANTE means
APPASSIONATA:        use your *own* handkerchief 
BAR:                 bring your own refreshments
CADENZA:             see AD LIBITUM
CHAMBER MUSIC:       the brass section has the night off
CODA:                it wasn't worth repeating
CONCERTO:            one against the multitude
FINALE:              it won't be long now
FURIOSO:             every musician for hirself
IMPROVISATION:       someone forgot hir music
LARGO:               we have all night
LARGHETTO:           we haven't got quite all night
LARGANDO:            it may take all night after all
NOCTURNE:            are there any ladies present?
PARAPHRASE:          now we'll do it *my* way
PIANISSIMO:          you shouldn't hear this
PIANO:               you shouldn't hear this either, but you might
PRESTO:              see ALLEGRO ASSAI
RETARDATION:         my brakes work better than yours
SCORE:               the only important thing is who wins
SYMPHONY:            everyone could come
TEMPO (A TEMPO):     right back where we started

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