Senza

As Printed on a Score

Never stands alone: it prints in front of what it removes — “senza sord.”, “senza Ped.”, “senza vibrato”, “senza tempo” — and the removal lasts until the opposite instruction returns (con sord., Ped., vibrato, a tempo). In early piano music, Beethoven’s “senza sordini” means without dampers, that is, with the sustaining pedal held.

How Composers Use It

Senza is the universal negator in musical Italian. It cancels whatever follows: senza sordino removes mutes, senza pedale removes sustain pedal, senza vibrato removes vibrato. It is the standard way to return to normal after a special effect.

Example

Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”), second movement (Largo), horns, m. 96: “[senza sord.]” at ff removes the mutes put on with “con sordini” at m. 42 (the brackets are the edition’s).

Related Terms