Capricciosamente

As Printed on a Score

Usually printed inside a longer direction (dolcissimo capricciosamente), above the staff over a florid or ornamental passage, and lasting for that passage. It is the adverb form of capriccioso and often appears near a capriccio, which frees the tempo outright.

How Composers Use It

It invites the performer to toy with the line — lingering, darting, shaping each turn as if improvised — while keeping the music light. Liszt uses it in figuration that should sound spontaneous. Because it loosens both rhythm and mood, say where the strict pulse resumes (a tempo), and keep the underlying harmony simple enough to stay clear under the freedom.

Example

Liszt, Transcendental Étude No. 9 (“Ricordanza”), m. 32: “dolcissimo capricciosamente.” at pp, a bar after “precipitato.” at f; “a capriccio” follows at m. 35.

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