Ben marcato

As Printed on a Score

Printed above or below the staff as ben marcato or ben marc., often at a theme’s entry and often naming what is marked (ben marcato il tema). It holds until another articulation word or a change of material.

Abbreviations: ben marc.

How Composers Use It

Well marked: each note clear and emphasised, without the aggression of molto marcato. It is the classic marking for a theme that must project through a texture — a fugue subject, a melody in an inner voice — and Beethoven and Brahms use it often for exactly that. If the emphasis applies to one line only, say which (ben marcato il tema), so the accompaniment stays light.

Example

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, first movement, flute 1, m. 65: “ben marcato”, amid sf accents in the bars on either side.

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