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Crescendo vs Descrescendo - What's the difference?

crescendo | descrescendo |

As nouns the difference between crescendo and descrescendo

is that crescendo is crescendo while descrescendo is (music) an instruction to play gradually more softly, the opposite of a crescendo.

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.
    ----

    descrescendo

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (music) An instruction to play gradually more softly, the opposite of a crescendo.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2007, date=June 9, author=Craig R. Whitney, title=Amid the Shirts and Socks, a Concert Can Break Out, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=“It’s probably the most difficult piece I’ve ever done,” he said before trying out several movements at a Wednesday evening concert, his fingers slinking from keyboard to keyboard and darting restlessly over the 729 stop-control tablets as phrase seamlessly followed phrase and crescendo climaxed and faded into descrescendo . }}