Ruhig

As Printed on a Score

As a heading (Ruhig, Ruhig bewegt) it sets a calm, unhurried tempo; mid-passage, often after a rit., it marks a settling of tempo and mood that lasts until the next tempo word. Attached to a technique (ruhig gestrichen) it describes manner, not speed — calm, even bowing.

How Composers Use It

The German tranquillo, covering both speed and temperament. As a tempo word it sits around Andante; it says as much about the absence of agitation as about pace, so it can also apply inside a faster tempo. Add nicht schleppend if you fear the calm will sag, as Mahler does.

Example

Wolf, Eichendorff-Lieder, “Nachtzauber”, voice, m. 22: “ruhig”, at pp, one bar after a rit., in a song headed “Sanft fliessend”.

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