Allegro moderato
Allegro moderato is a compound tempo marking: a restrained Allegro, so not quite as fast as Allegro, but more mobile than Moderato. On the Maikstrings tempo table it lies between the ranges 108–120 bpm (Moderato) and 120–156 bpm (Allegro).
- Components
- Allegro (fast, lively) + moderato (moderate)
- Placement
- between Moderato and Allegro
- Tempo ranges
- Moderato 108–120 bpm, Allegro 120–156 bpm
- In the archive
- Carcassi, Burgmüller, English songs
Two words, a tempo in between
The page Tools lists in its tempo table Moderato (“moderate”, 108 to 120 bpm) and Allegro (“lively, fast”, 120 to 156 bpm). Allegro moderato is not in the table; it combines both words: Allegro names the basic character, “moderato” damps it. The page Tempo reminds us that such words are elastic and leave room to the performer.
| Marking | Meaning | bpm |
|---|---|---|
| Andante | at walking pace | 76–108 |
| Moderato | moderate | 108–120 |
| Allegro moderato | between the two words | not fixed, between the neighbouring ranges |
| Allegro | lively, fast | 120–156 |
| Vivace | vivacious | 156–176 |
Allegro moderato in the score
Two sheets from the archive show the marking. It also appears in the songs “Air (Rocco)” and “O Mistress Mine”.
Guitar
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Etüde Nr. 15 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 15 · guitar · 3 pages
“Allegro moderato” above the first system, 4/4, no key signature, beginning with mf, then “cresc.” and f, chords C, G7 and Am.
Piano
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La Candeur Friedrich Burgmüller, op. 100 No. 1 · piano · 1 page
“Allegro moderato” at the top left, 4/4, no key signature, beginning with p and “dolce”, later “cresc.” and sf.
Both pieces build up over the course of the piece with “cresc.”. The tempo marking says nothing about that; the dynamics are written separately in the score.
Common mistakes
- Equating Allegro moderato with Allegro: The “moderato” brakes.
- Expecting a fixed number: The marking is a range, a metronome number in the score takes precedence.
- Taking the tempo too fast at the start: The metronome uncovers it.