A musical direction meaning 'very' or 'extremely,' used with other tempo or expression markings like 'very fast' or 'very softly.'
From Italian 'assai' (very, enough), possibly from Latin 'ad satis' (to sufficiency) or influenced by medieval Latin 'ad satis.' This term became standard in musical notation during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Every classical musician knows that when a composer writes 'allegro assai,' they really mean business—the word 'assai' adds urgency and intensity, and it's one of the few Italian words that non-musicians recognize from concert programs.
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