So, would someone tell me the different words used to indicate the speed at which a musical composition is supposed to be played? From slowest to fastest, for example, and the English translations for each?
Grave - Very Slow
Largo, Lento - Slow
Larghetto - A little faster than Largo
Adagio - Moderately Slow
Andante - “Walking” Tempo
Andantino - A little faster than Andante
Allegretto - A little slower than Allegro
Allegro - Fast
Vivace - Lively
Presto - Very Fast
Prestissimo - Very Very Fast
Moderato - Moderate(ly)
Molto - Very
Accel., Accelerando - Gradually becoming faster
Rit., Ritardando - Gradually becoming slower
According to my metronome (in beats/minute):
Largo: 40-60
Larghetto: 60-66
Adagio: 66-76
Andante: 76-108
Moderato: 108-120
Allegro: 120-168
Presto: 168-200
Prestissimo: 200-208
But it’s just a cheap piece of electronics, and tempo markings aren’t an exact science, anyway.