largo

¹ American  

[lahr-goh] / ˈlɑr goʊ /

adjective

1. slow; in a broad, dignified style.

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noun

plural

largos

1. a largo movement.

Largo ² American  

[lahr-goh] / ˈlɑr goʊ /

noun

1. a town in W Florida.

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largo British  

/ ˈlɑːɡəʊ /

adjective

1. to be performed slowly and broadly

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noun

1. a piece or passage to be performed in this way

Etymology

Origin of largo

From Italian, dating back to 1675–85; see origin at large

Explanation

Music played or sung largo is slow and dignified, giving it a serious or solemn vibe. There isn't a lot of hurried movement between beats in a largo piece, so you probably won't see many eighth or sixteenth notes. Largo literally means "wide" or "broad" in Italian — but what does "broad" mean in music? It means that performing the music slowly shouldn’t result in a greater focus on the individual notes and chords. Rather, the focus should be on the "big picture" of the music, giving a sense of each musical phrase and its place in the flow of the whole piece. In that way, even though the music is slow, the listener feels swept along on a current of movement.

Example Sentences

En particular, Sheinbaum Pardo quiere trabajar con negocios extranjeros para impulsar la inversión privada en investigación, con el objetivo a largo plazo de remodelar la economía de México.

From Science Magazine • May 8, 2024

Esas directrices identificaron dos formas de ayuda gubernamental como señales de que una persona era o sería una carga financiera: beneficios en efectivo y atención institucional a largo plazo.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2023

Ambos se han criticado mutuamente a lo largo de los años por incidentes con los cohetes SpaceX de Musk, los escándalos de privacidad de datos en Meta y más.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2023

El presidente Obama apareció varias veces a lo largo de los años.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2023

By comparing this to the longest-lasting written notes of the period, researchers have painstakingly teased out what composers might have expected from slower directions such as largo and adagio.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall