alla breve
[ ah-luh-brev-ey; Italian ahl-lah bre-ve ]
adverb, adjectiveMusic.
using the half note as the basic time unit; 2/2 time. Symbol:
Origin of alla breve
11800–10; <Italian: in short time, accelerated. See brief
- Also called cut time.
- Compare common time.
Words Nearby alla breve
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use alla breve in a sentence
Vogler then gave Beethoven a theme of three measures (the scale of C major, alla breve).
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II (of 3) | Alexander Wheelock Thayer
British Dictionary definitions for alla breve
alla breve
/ (ˈælə ˈbreɪvɪ, Italian ˈalla ˈbrɛːve) /
noun
a musical time signature indicating two or four minims to a bar
adjective, adverb
twice as fast as normal
Origin of alla breve
1C19: Italian, literally: (according) to the breve
- Usual symbol: Symbol:
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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