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Cantabile vs Crescendo - What's the difference?

cantabile | crescendo |

As nouns the difference between cantabile and crescendo

is that cantabile is a tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played in a lyrical manner while crescendo is an instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ).

As an adverb cantabile

is played in this style; singingly, lyrically.

As an adjective cantabile

is describing a passage having this mark; singable, lyrical.

As a verb crescendo is

to increase in intensity, to reach or head for a crescendo.

cantabile

English

Noun

(wikipedia cantabile) (en noun)
  • (music) A tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played in a lyrical manner
  • (music) A passage having this mark

    • Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (music) played in this style; singingly, lyrically

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (music) describing a passage having this mark; singable, lyrical

    • Anagrams

    * English borrowed terms ----

    crescendo

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Noun

  • (label) An instruction to play gradually more loudly, denoted by a long, narrow angle with its apex on the left ( < ).
  • (label) A gradual increase of anything, especially to a dramatic climax.
    • Their fighting rose in a fearsome crescendo.
  • The climax of a gradual increase.
    • Their arguing rose to a fearsome crescendo.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 20 , author=Michael da Silva , title=Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=With the Stoke supporters jeering Ziv's every subsequent touch, the pantomime atmosphere created by the home crowd reached a crescendo when Ziv was shown a straight red shortly after the break in extraordinary circumstances.}}

    Usage notes

    * The musical sense indicates that the figurative sense is an increase rather than the climax of the increase. The use of this word to mean the climax of an increase is nonstandard but commonplace.

    Antonyms

    * (music) decrescendo, diminuendo * (the climax of a gradual increase) climax, conclusion

    Verb

    (es)
  • To increase in intensity, to reach or head for a crescendo.
    • The band crescendoed and then suddenly went silent.
    ----