Einleitung

As Printed on a Score

Printed as a section title at the start of a work or movement (Einleitung), often before a tempo word; the main section that follows has its own heading. It names a formal function rather than a manner of playing.

How Composers Use It

An introduction prepares the main material — establishing key, mood or a motif — and often moves at a slower tempo, ending on a dominant that the main section resolves. Label it if the formal function matters to performers, and mark the change clearly where the body of the movement begins.

Related Terms