Un peu retenu

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff where a slight holding back takes effect, at once; it is usually brief and released by au Mouvt or a Tempo within a bar or two. In more gradual passages it may be followed by en élargissant or cédez.

How Composers Use It

The French poco ritenuto: a small immediate easing, ideal for marking the end of a phrase or giving a word in a song a moment of weight. It is gentler than retenu and more definite than cédez, which suggests yielding over a span. Release it promptly; its effect depends on the tempo returning.

Example

Debussy, Trois Chansons de France, “La Grotte” (Auprès de cette grotte sombre), voice and piano, m. 13: “Un peu retenu”, released by “a Tempo” at m. 15.

Related Terms