Très retenu

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff where a strong holding back takes effect, at once; it is often brief and is released by au Mouvt, a tempo or a new tempo word, sometimes only two bars later. It may recur at successive phrase-ends of a song.

Also spelled: tres retenu

How Composers Use It

Very held back: the French molto ritenuto. It weights a moment heavily — the last words of a phrase, a cadence — and because it is immediate rather than gradual, it makes a strong expressive point without a long slowing. Use it sparingly, and pair it with a clear release, or the performer cannot tell how long the held-back tempo lasts.

Example

Debussy, Trois Chansons de France, “Rondel: Pour ce que Plaisance est morte”, voice and piano, m. 15: “Très retenu”, released by “au Mouv.” two bars later and marked again at m. 18.

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