Tous

As Printed on a Score

Printed over a section part where all players resume after a solo, a single desk or a divided passage, often with arco or unis., and in phrases such as tous div. en 2 (everyone divided in two). It stays in force until the next reduction (seul, la moitié, div.).

How Composers Use It

Tous is the French tutti and works mostly as a cancellation: it brings back the full section after seul, one desk or half the players. Mark it explicitly, because players otherwise continue the reduced scoring. Combine it carefully with div. — tous div. means everyone plays, divided — and give a new dynamic, since the full section will sound much bigger.

Example

Boulanger, D’un matin de printemps, cellos, m. 161: “Tous”, printed with “arco”, two bars before an f.

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