Performance
Con amore
With love, tenderly.
What it means
Con amore, Italian for “with love,” is a performance marking calling for a warm, tender expression. It fixes neither tempo nor volume, but an emotional stance: loving, devoted, with no harshness of tone.
Musical use
Con amore usually appears as a qualifier attached to a tempo marking, as in Andante con amore, and is found mainly in lyrical, singing passages. It should be distinguished from Con espressione, which means “with expression” in general, without the specifically tender, loving quality of con amore.
Performance practice
For con amore, shape the tone softly and sustained, with gentle transitions between phrases. Avoid sharp accents and instead aim for a rounded, warm sound that makes the tender character of the marking audible.