Allegrezza

What it means

Allegrezza denotes liveliness and joy, and in music it is used as a performance direction mostly with the preposition con: “con allegrezza” means “with liveliness, with cheerfulness.” An older music dictionary sums it up as follows: “Allegrezza, or Allegria (Italian), meaning briskness, cheerfulness, occurs as a performance direction in combination with the preposition con.”

Linguistically, allegrezza is related to the more familiar tempo word allegro, but it does not primarily indicate a fast tempo; rather, it describes a bright, buoyant expressive character that is possible even at a moderate tempo.

Musical use

The direction con allegrezza appears mainly in vocal and instrumental music of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries as an addition to a tempo marking, refining its character: a movement might be headed allegro con allegrezza, adding a sense of joy and spirit to the plain tempo indication.

Allegrezza differs from related terms such as gioioso or giocoso in carrying a slightly more elevated, festive tone: where giocoso sounds more playful and jesting, allegrezza emphasizes the exuberant, jubilant side of cheerfulness.

Performance practice

Play with a lightness of attack and bow stroke or touch that makes the joyful undertone audible without slipping into a rushed feel. A smile while playing often helps more than a purely metronomic correction in capturing the intended expression.