calando
|ca-lan-do|
🇺🇸
/kəˈlɑːndoʊ/
🇬🇧
/kəˈlɑːndəʊ/
lowering in speed and volume
Etymology
'calando' originates from Italian, specifically the present participle of 'calare,' where 'calare' meant 'to lower, descend (in pitch or intensity)'.
'calando' was used in Italian musical notation and was adopted into international musical terminology (including English usage) without change in form; it appears in scores from the 18th–19th centuries onward.
Initially it carried the general sense of 'lowering' or 'descending'; in musical usage it evolved to the specific instruction of 'becoming slower and softer.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a passage or directive in a score marked calando; the instruction itself.
The score contains a brief calando before the final chord.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
describing a phrase or passage that is intended to become slower and softer (used attributively).
They entered a calando section that led to the movement's close.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adverb 1
a musical direction indicating that the music should gradually become slower and softer.
The composer marked the passage calando to achieve a gentle fade.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/01 20:05