Lent

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a heading — Lent, Très lent, Assez lent, Lent et douloureux — and mid-movement in comparatives (plus lent, un peu plus lent) that slow relative to the current tempo until Au mouvement, 1er Mouvement or a new tempo word. A character word is often joined to it with et.

How Composers Use It

French composers from Debussy onward preferred French to Italian markings. Lent appears throughout Debussy, Ravel, Satie, and Messiaen. It carries a specifically French aesthetic — fluid, unhurried, sensuous.

Example

Ravel, Gaspard de la nuit, “Ondine”, piano: “Lent” heads the piece at ppp, followed two bars later by “très doux et très expressif”.

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