Au mouvement

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff at the bar where the main tempo returns, after a rit., retenu, cédez or plus lent; usually abbreviated au Mouvt (with a raised t) or au Mouv. It cancels the deviation at once and holds until the next tempo word.

Abbreviations: Au mouvt., Au mouv.

Also spelled: au mouvt

How Composers Use It

The French a tempo, and just as useful: every local slowing or quickening needs a clear return, and au Mouvt is the shortest way to give one. If the piece has several tempos it is ambiguous — the last tempo or the first? — so write 1er Mouvt (Tempo I) for the opening tempo and keep au Mouvt for undoing a local change.

Example

Debussy, Images, “Reflets dans l’eau”, piano, m. 36: “au Mouvt”, two bars after “Rit.”; it returns at m. 51.

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