Sempre leggiero

As Printed on a Score

Printed above or below the staff as sempre leggiero or sempre legg. (modern spelling sempre leggero), usually at the start of a piece or passage, often with p. It applies throughout, until another articulation or character word or a heavier dynamic intervenes.

Abbreviations: sempre legg.

Also spelled: sempre leggero

How Composers Use It

Asks for lightness to be maintained where the music might grow heavy — accumulating textures, repeated patterns, louder moments inside a delicate piece. It makes a natural heading for a buoyant accompaniment. If a later passage must weigh more, cancel it with a contrasting word rather than relying on dynamics alone.

Example

Berlioz, Les nuits d’été, Op. 7, “Villanelle”, piano, m. 1: “sempre leggiero” at p, beside the heading “Allegretto”.

Related Terms