A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Marcato
MARCATO. 'In a marked, decisive manner.' The principal use of this direction is to draw the attention to the melody or subject when it is in such a position that it might be overlooked, as for instance, 'Il basso ben marcato,' in Chopin's Krakowiak, op. 11; or when there are two subjects both of which are to be brought prominently forward, as in the 9th Symphony of Beethoven (last movement) where the two subjects come together in 6-4 time, the words being 'Freude, schöner Götterfunken,' and 'Seid umschlungen,' etc.; and in the Études Symphoniques of Schumann, No. 2, 'Marcato il canto' and 'Marcato il tema.' Beethoven also uses 'Queste note ben marcato' in the string quartet, op. 18, No. 6, slow movement, and 'Melodia marcata,' in the Trio, op. 9, No. 2.
'Marcatissimo' is used by Chopin, Étude, op. 25, No. 11, at the end, and by Schumann in the last movement of the Sonata in F♯ minor, op. 11, and in No. 8 of the Études Symphoniques. The latter composer is the only one of note who uses this direction at the beginning of a movement, to denote the character of the whole. This he does frequently, as 'Allegro marcato,' in the third of the Intermezzi, op. 4; and 'Ben marcato,' in Nos. 1 and 3 of the Romances, op. 28. As a rule Marcato is coupled with a certain degree of force, as in Schumann's first Novelette, 'Marcato con forza (Markirt und kräftig)'; but in the grand Sonata, op. 14 (last movement), we find 'Leggiero marcato,' and near the end, 'Leggierissimo marcando.' The sign which is equivalent to Marcato is
over the separate notes, but this refers to the notes themselves, and Marcato to the whole passage [ J. A. F. M. ]