Sostenuto
Sustained, steady
"Sostenuto" is an Italian term that translates to "sustained" or "steady" in English, conveying the meanings of "continuation" or "support".
In music, "sostenuto" is used as an instruction to guide performers to play with sustained and prolonged notes or phrases, creating a sense of continuity and expression.
In other words, when interpreting "sostenuto", performers should aim to create a musical performance where certain notes or phrases are played with a sustained and lingering quality, allowing the audience to experience a musical ambiance that reflects the extended duration and expressive character of the sustained elements in the piece being played.
Example of Sostenuto
Common Expression Markings
| Musical Terms | Meaning |
| Affettuoso | Affectionate, expressive |
| Agitato | Agitated, restless |
| Animato | Animated, lively |
| Appassionato | Passionate, emotional |
| Brillante | Brilliant, shining |
| Brioso | Lively, vivacious |
| Bruscamente | Abruptly, suddenly |
| Buffo | Comic, humorous |
| Cantabile | Singing, song-like |
| Celere | Fast, quick |
| Colossale | Colossal, enormous |
| Comodo | Comfortable, convenient |
| Con amore | With love, affectionately |
| Con brio | With vigor, with spirit |
| Con forza | With force, with strength |
| Con fuoco | With fire, with passion |
| Con grazia | With grace, with elegance |
| Con moto | With motion, with movement |
| Con spirito | With spirit, with energy |
| Dolce | Sweet, gentle |
| Doloroso | Sorrowful, painful |
| Drammatico | Dramatic |
| Energico | Energetic, forceful |
| Espressivo | Expressive |
| Feroce | Fierce, ferocious |
| Festoso | Festive, joyful |
| Furioso | Furious, violent |
| Giocoso | Playful, joyful |
| Grandioso | Grand, majestic |
| Grazioso | Graceful |
| Lacrimoso | Tearful, weeping |
| Leggiero | Light |
| Maestoso | Majestic |
| Marcato | Emphasized, accentuated |
| Misterioso | Mysterious |
| Pesante | Heavy, weighty |
| Risoluto | Resolute, with determination |
| Scherzando | Jokingly, playful |
| Semplicemente | Simple, plainly |
| Slancio | Impulse, momentum |
| Solitario | Solitary, lonely |
| Sonore | Sonorous, resonant |
| Sostenuto | Sustained, steady |
| Sotto voce | Soft voice |
| Tranquillo | Calm, peaceful |
| Volante | Flying, light |
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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.