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Slow, typically 45–60 BPM. Simply indicates slowness without the specific character implications of Grave or Largo.
Lento is the most neutral slow marking — it says "slow" without prescribing mood. Use it when you want slow tempo but the character should come from the music itself, not the tempo word.
Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 — marked Lento, allowing the ornamental melody to unfold at a dreaming pace.
Lento is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
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