con brio

[ kon bree-oh, kohn; Italian kawn bree-aw ]

adverb

1. with vigor; vivaciously (used as a musical direction).

con brio

/ kɒn ˈbriːəʊ /

adjective

1. music (to be performed) with liveliness or spirit, as in the phrase allegro con brio

Word History and Origins

Origin of con brio¹

Borrowed into English from Italian around 1890–95

Word History and Origins

Origin of con brio¹

Italian: with energy

Example Sentences

If the first bar is like that, it’s not con brio at all; it’s allegro comodo or allegro pesante or something like that.

From New York Times

Telemundo, using the marketing power of many NBCUniversal networks, wants to attract viewers with a different sound: Cantor’s cantabile con brio.

From Seattle Times

Grover Gardner, veteran narrator of the Montalbano series, delivers a marvelous performance, serving up the many Spanish and Italian phrases con brio.

From Seattle Times

Stravinsky himself called the menage a “trio con brio.”

From Washington Post

The sound in “Canto” was grainy and malleable, and in “Deciso, con brio” bright and incisive.

From New York Times