Loading…
Loading…
A sudden silence of the entire ensemble. Abbreviated G.P. One of the most dramatic effects in orchestral music.
The Generalpause creates shock through sudden silence. After loud, active music, a G.P. stops everything — the audience holds its breath. Use it for dramatic surprise, structural articulation, or comic timing. Haydn and Beethoven use G.P. to maximum dramatic effect.
Beethoven's "Leonore" Overture No. 3 — the famous Generalpause before the offstage trumpet call is one of the most dramatic silences in music.
Generalpause is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
Browse the full dictionary →