Quasi Tempo I

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff where the music returns close to, but not exactly at, the opening tempo; it lasts until the next tempo word.

How Composers Use It

Quasi Tempo I asks for an approximate return — near the first tempo, but allowing a slight difference, often a little slower after a climax. It is useful when a reprise should feel like a homecoming without mechanical exactness. If the difference matters, give a metronome mark.

Example

Berg, “Nacht”, Sieben frühe Lieder, voice, m. 36: “quasi Tempo I”, three bars after “Zeit lassen”, in a song headed “Sehr langsam”.

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