Sereno

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff or a vocal line as a character word, alone or in phrases such as “dolce e sereno”, at the start of a calm passage. It holds until the character changes and sets mood, not tempo or dynamic.

How Composers Use It

Sereno asks for serenity: clear, untroubled sound, even phrasing and a sense of open space, calm with light in it where tranquillo is calm with stillness. It suits music that has resolved its tension, such as a closing section or a consolation after darker music. Pair it with dolce or a soft dynamic; a forte or a heavy accompaniment fights it.

Example

Fauré, “Au cimetière”, from the 4 Mélodies, Op. 51, voice, m. 2: “dolce e sereno”, under the heading “Andante”.

Related Terms