Immer leiser

As Printed on a Score

Printed below or above the staff at the start of a long fading passage; a dim. hairpin or a series of falling dynamics may accompany it. It stays in force until a new dynamic or the end of the passage.

How Composers Use It

Immer leiser — softer and softer — describes a continuing decrease rather than a single diminuendo, often over many bars or several statements of a figure. Use it for fade-outs and receding repetitions, and give the end point (bis pp, ppp) so the performer can pace the decline. Verklingend, by contrast, suggests natural decay rather than a controlled descent.

Related Terms