Allegro facts for kids
Allegro is a musical term. It tells musicians how fast to play a piece of music. When a piece is marked Allegro, it means it should be played at a moderately fast speed. It's like a speed limit for music!
Allegro is an Italian word. It means "cheerful" or "lively." In music, it became a way to describe the speed, or tempo, of a song. Composers started using it in the 17th century. At first, it also described the mood of the music. But since the 1700s, it mainly tells you the speed.
How Fast is Allegro?
Allegro is faster than a tempo called Andante. Andante means "walking pace." But Allegro is slower than Presto, which means "very fast."
Most musicians agree that an Allegro piece should be played between 120 and 168 beats per minute (BPM). Imagine a metronome clicking that many times in one minute!
Some composers use different words for Allegro. For example:
- Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel used the French word vite, meaning "fast."
- Gustav Mahler used the German word Rasch, also meaning "fast."
- Benjamin Britten simply wrote Quickly.
Allegro in Music Titles
Sometimes, the word Allegro is part of the title of a musical piece. A famous example is the Allegro barbaro by Bela Bartok. This piece is known for its strong, fast rhythm.
Famous Examples of Allegro Music
Many famous classical pieces use Allegro. Here are a few:
- Eine kleine Nachtmusik, 1st Movement by W.A. Mozart – This movement is marked Allegro.
- Symphony No. 40 in G minor, 1st movement by W.A. Mozart – This one is marked Molto allegro, meaning "very fast."
- 5th Symphony, 3rd movement by Ludwig van Beethoven – This movement is also an Allegro.
- Étude Op. 25, No. 6 by Frédéric Chopin – This challenging piano piece is played Allegro.
See also
In Spanish: Allegro (desambiguación) para niños
