tranquillo

American  

[tran-kwi-loh, -kwee-loh] / ˌtrænˈkwɪ loʊ, -ˈkwi loʊ /

adverb

1. Music. in a calm style that suggests tranquility.

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adjective

1. Music. played in a calm and tranquil style.

Explanation

Some passages of music are tense and exciting, while others are tranquillo — calm, quiet, and relaxed. Tranquillo is the word used to mark those calmer passages in the sheet music for performers. Tranquillo is Italian, but it looks similar to the English word tranquil, meaning "peaceful, quiet, and serene." That's because both come from the Latin word tranquillus, which has the same meaning. Tranquillo can be used as an adverb, as in "Play the next several bars tranquillo," an adjective, as in "There’s a tranquillo passage in the middle of the piece," or a noun, as in "Let's take it from the beginning of the tranquillo."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tranquillo

The most important thing in this moment is that you catch the molto tranquillo just before she says the line, so that it’s very, very quiet and kind of spooky.

From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2015

And because each apartment has a striking wood-burning stove, every busy day out can be followed by some cozy tranquillo time in.

From Time Magazine Archive

Out of it all grows, in a clear welded chain, another episode, where the old rhythm is a mere gentle spur to the new plaint,—molto piu tranquillo, molto cantabile ed espressivo.

From Symphonies and Their Meaning; Third Series, Modern Symphonies by Goepp, Philip H.

Out of this sombre song flows a romance of tender sentiment, tranquillo in strings, followed by the wood.

From Symphonies and Their Meaning; Third Series, Modern Symphonies by Goepp, Philip H.

And presently, piu tranquillo, comes the fervent lyric song that may indeed be the chief theme in poetic import, if not in outer rank.

From Symphonies and Their Meaning; Third Series, Modern Symphonies by Goepp, Philip H.