Tempo di valse

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a heading, often where a waltz section begins inside a larger work (a ballet number, an operetta finale); it lasts until the next tempo word. The Italian form Tempo di valzer also appears.

Also spelled: tempo di valzer

How Composers Use It

It calls for the swing of a waltz: three beats with a strong downbeat and lighter second and third beats, felt one to a bar at most speeds. Waltz tempi vary widely — from a slow, lilting valse lente to a fast Viennese waltz — so the phrase tells performers how to phrase more than how fast to go. Write the characteristic accompaniment clearly and add a metronome mark if the speed matters.

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