Agité

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff or over the voice part, alone or graded — plus agité, moins agité, un peu agité. It describes character and often brings some quickening with it; it stays in force until a calmer word or a tempo return (Tempo I, Calme) takes over.

Also spelled: agite

How Composers Use It

The French counterpart of agitato: restless and unsettled, often with a pressing pulse and sharper accents. Use it when you want the performers to feel disturbance rather than simply play faster — Animé or Pressez handle speed more precisely. In songs it often marks the moment the text turns anxious. Prepare the return to calm with a clear marking, since agité has no built-in end.

Example

Boulanger, Clairières dans le ciel, “Au pied de mon lit”, voice, m. 25: “Agité”, printed in the piano part in the same bar; an “accel.” follows at m. 26 and “Tempo I.” returns at m. 28.

Related Terms