Sforzando
To play with prominent stress or accent
"Sforzando" is an Italian musical term that translates to "sudden strong accent" in English. It indicates that a specific note or phrase in the music should be played with a sudden and pronounced emphasis, causing an immediate increase in volume. This marking is typically used to create a dramatic and impactful musical effect.
"Sforzando" is an articulation marking that guides performers to emphasize a particular note or phrase by playing it with a sudden and strong accent. This marking highlights a specific musical element, making it stand out prominently in the music. The notation "sf" or "sfz" is used to indicate a sforzando in sheet music.
When encountering an "Sforzando" marking, performers are instructed to increase the volume abruptly on the designated note or phrase, creating a sudden emphasis. This sudden accent can add a dramatic and expressive quality to the music, drawing attention to the highlighted element.
The "Sforzando" marking goes beyond merely increasing volume; it also includes a strong artistic expression. Performers should ensure accuracy and musicality while executing the emphasized element, seamlessly integrating the accent into the musical context.
Interpreting "Sforzando" requires performers to accentuate a specific note or phrase with a sudden increase in volume, ensuring both musical fluidity and emotional expression. This abrupt emphasis can infuse the music with drama and dynamics.
Example of Sforzando
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.
Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.
Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.
As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.
