# "Andantino"?



## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

I need enlightenment from the knowledgeable, please. Last night I was listening to Malcolm Arnold's Symphony No. 1, an all-round lovely piece to my ear. The second movement on this CD is called "andantino" which, of course, means "fast and light-hearted. There was nothing fast or light-hearted about this slow, drowsy float down a quiet river (my imagination at work there).

Will someone who has heard this please tell me what you hear in this "andantino"? Thank you.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Based on my experience I can say that "Andante"s are more like "Adagio"s and are somewhat slow or are the medium. An "Andantino" should be something between Slow-Moderate. Comparing to Largo, Adagio, Allegro, Presto.


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## Krisena (Jul 21, 2012)

Andantino is a slightly faster Andante, which again is faster than Adagio. You've probably heard the song right and misunderstood the word Andantino.

Adagio - Andante - Andantino - Moderato - Allegro


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Arsakes said:


> Based on my experience I can say that "Andante"s are more like "Adagio"s and are somewhat slow or are the medium. An "Andantino" should be something between Slow-Moderate. Comparing to Largo, Adagio, Allegro, Presto.


It is slow, yes, almost dreamy. Perhaps the definition in my music dictionary is wrong. It is still a lovely piece. I was just curious about that description. Knowing that the word 'andante' means 'walking', it got my attention.

Thanks.


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Krisena said:


> Andantino is a slightly faster Andante, which again is faster than Adagio. You've probably heard the song right and misunderstood the word Andantino.
> 
> Adagio - Andante - Andantino - Moderato - Allegro


Perhaps but it didn't sound either fast or light-hearted to me. Especially not fast. A matter of personal interpretation, maybe?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Andante is 'walking'. Andantino (note the diminutive) is a shorter legged person keeping up. This is so easy, eh?


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

If you move over to position 12:01, you'll hear Andantino. So slow and easy. Somehow I expect 'andantino' to dance. Wrong expectation?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Hazel said:


> If you move over to position 12:01, you'll hear Andantino. So slow and easy. Somehow I expect 'andantino' to dance. Wrong expectation?


If you keep ignoring the experts, you won't learn!


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

"In future, if there are any andantinos among the melodies you send me for setting, I would beg you to indicate whether that andantino is intended to be faster or slower than andante, because that word, like many others in music, is of such imprecise meaning that on one occasion andantino can be close to allegro and on another almost like adagio."
-- Beethoven, in a letter to his Edinburgh publisher George Thomson, on 19 February 1813

Expert indeed. I'd say, slow but lively might be a better interpretation.


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

quack said:


> "In future, if there are any andantinos among the melodies you send me for setting, I would beg you to indicate whether that andantino is intended to be faster or slower than andante, because that word, like many others in music, is of such imprecise meaning that on one occasion andantino can be close to allegro and on another almost like adagio."
> -- Beethoven, in a letter to his Edinburgh publisher George Thomson, on 19 February 1813
> 
> Expert indeed. I'd say, slow but lively might be a better interpretation.


Bless Beethoven's little heart. I am in good company. Thank you very much.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

In one of my music dictionaries, it had this definition (paraphrased):

"Andantino is a notoriously arbitrary phrase because in some contexts it means faster than Andante, and in other contexts slower. If you are a musician, make your own judgement, but if you are a composer, avoid the term." 

Glazunov's Lyric Poem was originally called Andantino (it uses that tempo marking), and in that case, is almost an *Adagio *tempo, a very leisurely, thoughtful andante. Although he didn't change the tempo, good thing he changed the name hehe.


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Someone (I don't recall who) once suggested that only the author should read his own poetry aloud until everyone understood how it was meant to be read. Might I suggest the same for composers? If a new piece is introducted by the composer himself, there would be no misunderstanding as to what he meant to say and wants said. Of course, that would open more wars with the bigwigs of Hollywood who are constantly re-writing history as they want it to have happened.


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

Hazel said:


> Someone (I don't recall who) once suggested that only the author should read his own poetry aloud until everyone understood how it was meant to be read.


Are there _any _poets (The wonderful Ted Hughes aside) who are/were even competent reciters?

This is a typical (unbearable) example:








> Might I suggest the same for composers? If a new piece is introducted by the composer himself, there would be no misunderstanding as to what he meant to say and wants said. Of course, that would open more wars with the bigwigs of Hollywood who are constantly re-writing history as they want it to have happened.


It is often the case that a composer will say that performers found meanings in their music which they (the composers) hadn't been aware of and ways of performing it which hadn't occurred to them. We know that there is no one way of performing any piece of music.


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## Hazel (Oct 23, 2010)

Well, it takes some getting used to but then it's fine. By the way - I'm sure you know this but it is amazing how many do not - T S Eliot was not British-born. He was born right here in St Louis. I love springing that on the unwary. 

I have several LPs with the authors reading their own poems. Robert Frost is my favourite. Then, Carl Sandburg does a good job. I am not too enthused with J R R Tolkien reading his poems but Donald Swann does a very good job with the songs.

You make a good point, but is it possible that we might not like a poet's own recitation simply because it is not being read the way we'd do it? Somewhat like telling an artist he has used the wrong colors in a scene. They are his colors/words/music. I often think I understand something better once I know more about the artist/author. There is the (unavoidable, I suppose) danger of putting outselves in the place of the original creator of the work.

Do I make sense?


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

Jeremy Marchant said:


>


Wow, T.S. Eliot has a very pitched voice! He sounds, at times, like he is speaking a tonal language. I'm tempted to transcribe the melodies of his speech and see what results.


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