Intrepido
“Intrepid” – bold, fearless in delivery.
What it means
Intrepido is a rare Italian performance direction meaning “intrepid.” It asks for a bold, fearless delivery, shaped without hesitation and with confident bearing.
Musical use
The marking describes an attitude, not a fixed tempo or volume, and suits passages meant to express courage, resolve, or heroic character. It stands close to con fuoco and feroce but stresses inner fearlessness more than mere wildness or fire in the delivery.
Intrepido should be distinguished from franchezza, which means openness and unconcern, and from feroce, which expresses rather raw wildness. Intrepido stresses the courageous, heroic attitude.
Performance practice
Play intrepido with a firm, confident tone and clear accents, without hesitating or holding back. Keep posture and embouchure steady so that the music seems resolute and without uncertainty.