sforzando

[ sfawrt-sahn-doh; Italian sfawr-tsahn-daw ]

adjective

, Music.

1. with force; emphatically.

sforzando

/ sfɔːˈtsɑːndəʊ; sfɔːˈtsɑːtəʊ /

adjective

1. to be played with strong initial attack sf

noun

1. a symbol, mark, etc, such as >, written above a note, indicating this

Word History and Origins

Origin of sforzando¹

1795–1805; < Italian, gerund of sforzare to show strength < Vulgar Latin *exfortiāre; effort

Word History and Origins

Origin of sforzando¹

C19: from Italian, from sforzare to force, from ex- ¹+ forzare, from Vulgar Latin fortiāre (unattested) to force ¹

Example Sentences

Octaves in contrary motion smoked with ferocity in the Hindemith, and sforzandos in the Beethoven reintroduced audiences to the elemental wildness of a composer of repertory standards.

From New York Times

And “Hoe-Down” ends with three emphatic sforzando notes that flow without a pause in Peck’s dance into three soft ones, in a logical key change, at the start of “Appalachian Spring.”

From New York Times

Figure 1.83: The performance of an accent depends on the style of music, but in general, sforzando and fortepiano accents involve a loud beginning to a longer note.

From Literature

They go through the whole movement, those trills, then the cluster chords with sforzandos, then you have a pianissimo progression.

From New York Times

The heroic opening heralded a propulsive interpretation, guided by hemiola rhythms but emphasized in mighty sforzando accents and thrillingly veering dynamics.

From New York Times