Fioco

What it means

Fioco is a rare Italian performance direction meaning “hoarse,” “dull,” or “weak.” It asks for a muted, powerless sound, as if the performer were exhausted or the voice affected.

Musical use

The marking describes a sound quality, not a fixed tempo, and occurs only occasionally. In singing it can mean a veiled, dull voice and on instruments a powerless, blurred tone. It stands close to terms such as morendo or sotto voce without being identical with them.

Fioco should be distinguished from piano, which only asks for a soft volume but may well be clear and carrying, and from dolente, which means the plaintive, painful expression. Fioco stresses the weak, dull tone color itself.

Performance practice

At fioco, take the strength out of the tone without losing intonation: bow or blow with little pressure and let the sound come slightly veiled. Make sure the dull tone stays deliberately shaped and does not seem like a mistake.