Con delicatezza

As Printed on a Score

Printed beside the dynamic, usually p or softer, or under a passage of light figuration. It shapes touch and tone until another character direction intervenes; it has no specific cancelling word.

How Composers Use It

Con delicatezza asks for refinement: a light touch, soft edges, careful balance, every detail placed rather than struck. It is the noun phrase beside the adjective delicato and means the same; choose whichever reads better with the surrounding words. It does not set a level, so pair it with a dynamic if softness is also what you want, and avoid it on passages that need weight in the bass.

Related Terms