Meaning & use
furioso music
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Meanings
noununcountablemusicspecialist
Music played in a fierce, wild, agitated manner, as instructed by the direction 'furioso' in a score.
Grammar: Uncountable and normally used with 'the': the furioso music, not a furioso music.
Patterns
- the furioso music of something
- play something as furioso music
The closing bars are marked furioso, and the orchestra's furioso music swept the hall.
Critics praised the furioso music she drew from the strings in the storm scene.
adjectivebefore a nounmusicspecialist
Played or sung in a fierce, stormy, passionate way, following a 'furioso' marking.
Grammar: Used before a noun to describe a passage or performance: furioso music, a furioso passage.
Patterns
- furioso music
- a furioso passage
The conductor asked for a furioso final movement, full of anger and speed.
Her furioso playing in the last movement surprised listeners who knew her gentler style.
adverbmusicspecialist
Used as a performance direction meaning 'in a furious, wild manner'.
Grammar: Appears in scores as a standalone Italian instruction, usually italicized: Furioso.
Patterns
- marked furioso
- play something furioso
The second theme is marked furioso, so the players attack it hard.
He played the coda furioso, almost drowning out the soloist.
Common combinations
- marked furioso
- The whole finale is marked furioso in the score.
- a furioso passage
- The violins have a furioso passage just before the return of the main theme.
- furioso playing
- His furioso playing divided the audience.
- break into furioso music
- The calm opening breaks into furioso music without warning.
- con fuoco e furioso
- The composer asks for the theme to be played con fuoco e furioso.
Synonyms and how they differ
- furious
- An everyday adjective for angry or violent energy; it describes the mood, not a written musical instruction.
- tempestuous
- Suggests a stormy, turbulent character and is used for music in reviews rather than in scores.
- impetuous
- Emphasizes rushing, forceful energy; it can describe a performance but is not a tempo marking.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: furioso music or furioso? furioso music or furious music?
furioso music vs furioso
The bare Italian word is the instruction itself; 'furioso music' is an English phrase built from it, so a score will show only 'furioso'.
furioso music vs furious music
This is a loose English description of loud, angry-sounding music, not the technical Italian direction.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'furioso' most accurately as a musical term?
Choose one answer.
As a musical direction, 'furioso' describes how a passage is to be played, so option 1 is correct. The others use it as an ordinary adjective for people or weather, where English would normally say 'furious'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furioso music”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.