Dolce e cantabile

As Printed on a Score

Printed beside the dynamic, usually p, at the start of a melody; the shorter dolce cantabile and the comma form dolce, cantabile are common alternatives. It holds for the melody or section and lapses at the next character direction.

Also spelled: dolce cantabile

How Composers Use It

The combination asks for two things at once: sweetness of tone (dolce) and a sustained, singing connection between notes (cantabile). It is a classic marking for a lyrical second theme or a slow-movement melody, giving the player a complete picture in a few words. Avoid adding espressivo as well unless you mean more intensity; dolce e cantabile already implies shaping.

Example

Beach, Symphony in E minor (“Gaelic”), Op. 32, third movement, flutes, m. 98: “dolce cantabile”, the shorter form without the conjunction.

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