Beaucoup

As Printed on a Score

Rarely a direction on its own: it attaches to the word it intensifies, before or after it — beaucoup plus lent, en élargissant beaucoup, en ralentissant beaucoup. Its scope is that of the word it modifies.

How Composers Use It

Beaucoup means a large amount, so it belongs with comparatives and verbs of change — slower, broadening, slowing — where très would be ungrammatical: très plus lent is wrong French, beaucoup plus lent is right. Use très with adjectives (très doux) and beaucoup with comparatives and verbs. Like molto, it loses force through overuse, so reserve it for real turning points.

Example

Ravel, Pavane pour une infante défunte, piano, m. 70: “En élargissant beaucoup”, where the dynamic rises from f to ff.

Related Terms