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Without. Used as a prefix: senza sordino (without mute), senza vibrato (without vibrato), senza tempo (without strict tempo).
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.
After a con sordino passage, "senza sordino" tells the strings to remove their mutes.
Senza 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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