Plus large

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff where the broader tempo begins, in the same position as a tempo word. It lasts until the next tempo marking; a gradual broadening is written en élargissant instead.

How Composers Use It

Large means broad, so plus large asks for a wider, more spacious tempo with fuller, weightier sound — the French counterpart of più largo. It suits climaxes, where the music should gain grandeur as it slows; Bizet sets it at a fortissimo, where broadening and power reinforce each other. Decide whether the change is sudden (plus large) or gradual (en élargissant), since performers read them differently.

Example

Bizet, 20 Mélodies, Op. 21, “L’esprit saint”, piano, m. 81: “Plus large”, at ff.

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