Glorioso

/ɡlɔːriˈoʊsoʊ/ adverb

Definition

A musical direction meaning to play or sing in a grand, magnificent, or glorious manner.

Etymology

From Italian 'glorioso,' meaning glorious, directly borrowed into English musical terminology. Italian was the language of classical music composition and instruction, so Italian directions became standard in sheet music.

Kelly Says

Conductors use 'glorioso' to tell orchestras to play with maximum emotional grandeur—Mahler and Strauss marked their most triumphant moments this way, making it a cue for maximum theatrical effect.

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