sostenuto
[sos-tuh-noo-toh, soh-stuh-; Italian saws-te-noo-taw]Music.
- sustained or prolonged in the time value of the tones.
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- a movement or passage played in this manner.
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Origin of sostenuto
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for sostenuto
Historical Examples
The basis of phrasing then, may be found in legato, sostenuto and contrast.
The Head Voice and Other ProblemsD. A. Clippinger
"But my tremolo—my sostenuto will be ruined," said Hippolyte wildly.
A good effect is produced in a sostenuto theme by commencing the vibrato slowly on a crescendo note.
Chats to 'Cello StudentsArthur Broadley
It is fuller and rounder in quality than the soprano—less flexible, and more adapted to a sostenuto or declamatory style.
Advice to SingersFrederick James Crowest
Is not the Sostenuto bellow of the arriero almost the only approach to melody that the peasant ever attempts?
sostenuto
- music (preceded by a tempo marking) to be performed in a smooth sustained manner
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Word Origin
C18: from Italian, from sostenere to sustain, from Latin sustinēre to uphold
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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