Äußerst ruhig

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff at a point of greatest stillness, often after a rit. and with a very soft dynamic; it holds until the next tempo word. Usually spelled äusserst or äußerst in lower case mid-phrase.

Also spelled: äusserst ruhig, aeusserst ruhig

How Composers Use It

An extreme marking — the calmest tempo and mood the music can sustain. Webern uses it at the quiet heart of a song, where single notes must hang in silence. It needs very soft dynamics and a spare texture to be credible; reserve it for one moment, not a whole piece.

Example

Webern, Five Songs on poems by Stefan George, Op. 4, No. 1, “Eingang”, voice, m. 12: “äusserst ruhig”, beside “zögernd” and pp.

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