Mässig

A word instead of a number

Tempo words are old agreements, not measurements. The building block Tempo describes them as elastic: “Andante” describes an attitude of calm walking rather than an exact value. The same holds for “Mässig”. The word asks for a pace in the middle of the scale that leaves room for expression. In the table below it takes the place of the Italian Moderato, between Andante and Allegro.

The order and the short meanings come from the building block Tempo. A table with approximate beats per minute, though without a row for Moderato, is on the page Rhythm in the section on tempo.

Mässig or mäßig?

The scores in the archive write “Mässig” with a double s. The word meant is the same one that is written “mäßig” today. Anyone searching for the marking in the score text should know both spellings. The same holds for related additions: the songs below contain “Etwas geschwinder” and “Mässige Bewegung”.

How a tempo word becomes a pace

The same word can turn out very differently in different time signatures, as the three songs already show: in the first the basic beat is the half note, in the second a 12/8 bar swings in four groups of three eighth notes each, in the third two quarter notes go into a bar. “Moderate” therefore never means a fixed number of eighth notes per minute, but a pace in which text, accompaniment figure and breath fit together naturally.

The building block Tempo calls this the character: every piece has a right tempo in which its movement seems natural; too fast it seems rushed, too slow sluggish.

Three songs with the marking

These songs carry the marking in the score. How it looks in each case is shown by the description with each sheet.

Voice and piano

• Der Tod und das Mädchen Franz Schubert, D. 531 · voice and piano · 2 pages

  “Mässig.” is written above the first bar, followed by the metronome number: half note = 54. The piece is in alla breve time with one flat. In bar 8 the girl begins to sing, and there is “Etwas geschwinder.” (somewhat faster); at the words of Death follows “Wie oben.” (as above).

• Die junge Nonne Franz Schubert, D. 828 · voice and piano · 7 pages

  Here “Mässig.” appears without a number above the first bar, in 12/8 and with four flats in the key signature. The vocal line rests for the first eight bars and enters at the end of bar 9 with an upbeat note.

• Suleika 2 Franz Schubert, D. 717 · voice and piano · 16 pages

  The marking reads “Mässige Bewegung.” (moderate motion), in 2/4 with two flats in the key signature. Here too there is no metronome number; the word alone fixes the pace.

The building block Tempo also points out that the felt tempo depends on the interplay of the other building blocks: dense note values make a piece seem faster, calm notes slower, without the pulse changing.