A Glossary Of Foreign Words Commonly Used For Performance Directions.


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I = Italian, L = Latin, F = French, G = German, lit = Literally


Iaat, to, by, for, in, in the style of
Iaccelerando, accel.gradually getting faster
Iadagietto (I) rather slow, but faster than adagio
Iadagioslow, (lit. "at ease"), generally held to indicate a tempo between andante and largo.
Iaffettuosotenderly
Iaffrettando, affret.hurrying
Iagiatoagitated
Ial, allato the, in the manner of
Iallargandobroadening, i.e. getting a little slower and probably also a little louder
Iallegrettofairly quick, but not as quick as allegro
Iallegroquick (lit. "cheerful")
Iamabileamiable, pleasant
Iamorelove
Iamorosoloving
Iandanteat a walking pace (lit. "going"), indicating a medium speed
Iandantinoslightly faster than andante, but it can also mean slightly slower: the term is ambiguous
Ianimasoul, spirit
Ianimandobecoming more lively
Ia piacereat pleasure, meaning that the performer is not bound to follow the given rhythm exactly
Iappassionatowith passion
Iarcobow of a string instrument, a direction after pizzicato
Iassaivery, extremely
Fassezenough, sufficiently
Ia tempoin time, indicating a return to the original speed after e.g rit., rall.
Favecwith



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Iben, benewell, very
gbewegtwith movement, agitated
Ibrilliantebrilliant
Ibriovigour, animation



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Icalandogetting softer, dying away
Icalmatocalm, tranquil
Icantabilein a singing style
Icantandosinging
Icapricciosoin a whimsical, fanciful style
Icol, colla, collewith, with the
Icome as, similar to
Icon with
Icrescendo, cresc.,cres. gradually getting louder



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Ida from
Ida capo, D.C.from the beginning
Idal segno, D.S.from the sign
Idecisowith determination
Idecrescendo, decresc., decres.gradually getting softer
Idelicatodelicate
Idiminuendo, dimin., dim.gradually getting softer
Idivis, div.divided, a direction to orchestral players (usu. strings) to divide into two or more groups
Idolce sweet, soft
Idolcissimo, dolciss.as sweetly as possible
Idolentesad, mornful
Idoloregrief
Idolorososorrowful
Idoppio movimento twice as fast
Iduolo = dolore = grief



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Ie, ed and
Ienergico energetic
Iespressione expression
Iespressivo, espress., espr. expressive
Iestinto as soft as possible, lifeless



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If - see forte -
Ifacile easy
Ifelice happy
Iferoce fierce
Ifin fine (I) end
Iflessivile flexible, i.e not in strict tempo
Iforte, f loud (fortissimo, ff, fff: very loud)
Ifortepiano, fp loud, and then immediately soft
Iforza force (forzando, forzato, fz: forcing, strongly accenting)
Ifretta haste
Ifuoco fire
Ifurioso furious, frenzied



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Ggehend at a steady speed (lit. "going"), equivalent to andante
Igiocoso playful, humourous
Igiojoso joyful, merry
Igiusto proper, exact (tempo giusto: in strict time)
Fgrave very slow, solemn
Igrazioso graceful



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Gimmer always
Iimpetuosoimpetuous
Iincalzandogetting quicker (lit. "pressing forward")



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Ilacrimoso, lagrimando, lagrimoso sad (lit. "tearful")
Ilamentoso lamenting
Glangsam slow, equivalent to adagio and lento
Ilarghetto rather slow, but slightly faster than largo
Ilargo slow, stately
Ilegatosmooth (lit. "bound", "tied"), indicating no break between notes. (legatissimo: as smooth as possible)
Gleid grief, pain
Flent, lento slow (lentement: slowly)
Iliberamente freely
Iloco at the normal pitch (used to cancel an 8va direction or to confirm that one is not intended)



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Im - see main, mano, mezza -
Ima but
Imaestosomajestic
Fmain hand
Fmaisbut
Imanohand
Imancandofading away
Imarcato, marc.emphatic, accented
Imartellatostrongly accented (lit. "hammered"), generally used in string music to denote a particular type of bowing, but can also be applied to music for piano or other instruments
Imeno less
Imestosad
Imezza, mezzohalf (mezzo forte, mf: moderately loud; mezzo piano, mp: moderately soft. mezza voce: in an undertone)
Imisteriosomysterious
Imisurameasure
Imoderato at a moderate speed
Imolto very, much
Imorendo dying away
Imossowith motion, animated
Imoto, movimentomovement, motion
Fmouvement, mouvtmovement, motion



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Iniente nothing
Inobilmente nobly
Fnon not



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Ip - see piano -
Iparlando speaking, a direction to sing in a conversational style
Ipateticowith deep feeling, with pathos (NOT PATHETIC in the sense of feeble!!!)
Ipausa a pause
Ipedale pedal
Ipesante heavy
Ipiano, p quiet (pianissimo, pp, ppp: very quiet)
Ipiu more
Ipizzicato, pizz. plucked, a direction for plucking the strings of a bowed instrument
Iplacido calm, peaceful
Fplus more
Ipoco little, slightly (poco a poco: little by little, gradually)



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Irallentando, rall. gradually getting slower
Grasch quick (rascher: quicker)
Irigoroso bold, strong
Iritardando, ritard., rit. gradually getting slower
Iritenuto, riten., rit. held back
Iritmico rhythmically
Irubato, tempo rubato with some freedom of time (lit. "robbed")
Gruhig peaceful



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Ischerzando, scherzoso playful, joking, implies a fast speed)
Isemplice simple, plain
Isempre always
Isenzawithout
Isforzando, sforzato, sfz, sf accented, forced
Isimile, sim. continue in the same way
Ismorzando, smorz.dying away in tone and speed
Isolennesolemn, grave
Isostenuto, sost.sustained
Isotto below, e.g., a direction for keyboard players to place one hand below the other
Ispiritosospirited
Istaccato, stacc. detached, short (staccatissimo: very short)
Istrettoquickening the speed (also means overlapping entries of a fugue subject)
Isubito, sub.suddenly
Isul, sulla on the



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Itantoso much
Itempo speed
Itenuto, ten.held
Itranquillocalm
Gtraurigsad
Itremolando, tremolo, trem.trembling, a direction for the rapid reiterations of a single note or alternations of different notes
Itroppotoo much



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Iun, una, uno one
Gund and
Iunisono, unis. in unison, with everyone performing the same notes, a direction to cancel divisions



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Iveloceswift
Ivibrato vibrating
Iviflively
Ivigoroso vigorous, strong
Ivite quick
Ivivace, vivement (F), vivo (I) lively, quick
Ivoce, voix (F) voice
Ivolante flying, fast
Ivolta time



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