Meaning & use
largamente
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Meaning
adverbnot comparablemusictechnical
In music, a direction telling players to perform in a broad, full and rather slow manner.
Grammar: Appears as a performance marking above the notes and does not change form.
Patterns
- play something largamente
- marked largamente
The conductor marked the final theme largamente to give it more weight.
The passage is written largamente, so the strings should use long, full bows.
She played the chorale largamente, letting each chord ring.
Common combinations
- marked largamente
- The opening bars are marked largamente.
- play largamente
- The brass players were asked to play largamente.
- largamente e sostenuto
- The score reads largamente e sostenuto at the climax.
- largamente section
- The largamente section closes the symphony with grandeur.
Synonyms and how they differ
- broadly
- Broadly is the plain English version, but largamente is the exact term written in the score.
- largo
- Largo is a slow tempo, while largamente describes the broad, expansive way of playing, though they often go together.
- maestoso
- Maestoso asks for a majestic, stately character, whereas largamente focuses on breadth and width of sound.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: largamente or largo?
largamente vs largo
Largo is mainly a slow tempo marking, while largamente describes a broad manner of playing.
Practice
A composer writes 'largamente' above a passage. What does the performer do?
Choose one answer.
Largamente means broad and full. Fast, light or short notes would be a different direction, such as staccato.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “largamente”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.