A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Meno mosso

by J. A. Fuller-Maitland

MENO MOSSO, lit. 'with less motion'; hence, rather slower. A direction, which, like Più lento, generally occurs in the middle of a movement, the latter term properly being used where the whole movement is already a slow one, and the former in a quick movement. These terms, however, are constantly used for one another. Beethoven uses 'Meno mosso e moderato' in the Fugue for strings in B♭, op. 133, and 'Assai meno presto'—'very much less quick'—in the Trio of Symphony No. 7. It occurs frequently in Chopin's Polonaises, etc., and the Scherzo, op. 39. Schumann uses 'Poco meno mosso,' with its German equivalent 'Etwas langsamer,' in Kreisleriana, Nos. 2 and 3. When the former time is resumed, the direction is Tempo primo.

[ J. A. F. M. ]