Più animato

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff where the livelier character begins; it lasts until a tempo, Tempo I or another tempo word. Variants include poco più animato, un poco più animato and the gradual sempre più animato.

Also spelled: piu animato

How Composers Use It

More life, and usually a little more speed: it intensifies whatever character is already present rather than switching to a new tempo. That makes it useful for building a passage toward a climax in stages. Since the word specifies energy rather than amount, combine it with dynamics to shape the build, and mark where the intensity is released.

Example

Liszt, Transcendental Étude No. 11 (“Harmonies du soir”), S. 139, m. 120: “Più animato.”, at fff, two bars after “poco ritenuto.”

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