Vivace ed agitato

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a heading or, in songs, at a sudden change of mood within the piece, and in force until the next tempo word. Ed is the form of e used before a vowel; scores also print Vivace e agitato.

Also spelled: vivace e agitato

How Composers Use It

Lively and agitated: quick, restless motion with an undercurrent of distress. It suits outbursts within songs — a sudden memory, a storm of feeling — as well as headings for unsettled pieces. Unlike Presto agitato, vivace keeps the speed below the extreme and stresses liveliness, while agitato supplies the anxiety. Syncopation, tremolo or driving repeated notes convey agitation more directly than the words alone.

Example

Robert Franz, Sechs Gesänge, Op. 16, “Um Mitternacht”, voice, m. 12: “Vivace ed agitato” at f, breaking into a song that opens “Larghetto”.

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