A gradual decrease in musical volume or loudness, or the instruction to make something gradually softer; the opposite of crescendo.
From Italian 'decrescendo' (becoming less), composed of 'de-' (down) and 'crescendo' (growing). Musicians adopted this term during the Renaissance when Italian musical notation became standard.
If 'crescendo' is the dramatic build-up in movies and music, 'decrescendo' is the emotional comedown—it's how composers make you feel sad or peaceful by fading things away!
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