Adagio
[ə-ˈdä-j(ē-ˌ)ō]
Part of speech: adverb
Origin: Italian, late 17th century
1.
At a slow tempo or pace
2.
In music, a direction to play at a slow tempo
Examples of Adagio in a sentence
"The piece, performed adagio, served as a calming relief after the fast-paced introduction."
"The innovative musician takes compositions with fast tempos and performs them adagio for new effect."
About Adagio
Adagio can also refer to a musical composition itself, performed at a slow tempo. One of the most famous musical adagios, "Adagio in G Minor," was recently discovered to have been written not by assumed composer Tomaso Albinoni, but by contemporary Remo Giazotto.
Did you Know?
The term adagio is borrowed directly from Italian, where it literally means "at ease."
