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Immediately slower (not gradually). Abbreviated riten.
Unlike ritardando (gradual), ritenuto means an immediate reduction in tempo — a sudden gear change. Use it for dramatic pauses in momentum, sudden shifts to gravity, or when a subito piano also needs a tempo drop.
Verdi uses ritenuto in his opera arias at moments of dramatic revelation — the tempo drops suddenly to underscore a character's realization.
Ritenuto 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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