Pesante

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff with the tempo heading or at the passage it governs, often beside a dynamic (f pesante) and sometimes combined (marcato e pesante; Pesante. Etwas gehalten.). It sets a character until a new tempo or character word replaces it.

How Composers Use It

Heavy: each note given weight, usually with a slight broadening of tempo, which is why some composers treat it almost as a tempo word — Mahler adds “etwas gehalten” (somewhat held back) to make that explicit. It is not simply loud; a p pesante is possible, but it implies breadth and resistance. Say so if the tempo should not slow.

Example

Chopin, Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, m. 1: “pesante”, under the opening “Largo.” at f, with a dim. in the next bar.

Related Terms