Phrase break
Caesura, melodic interruption.
What it means
A phrase break (German Einschnitt) is a caesura in the musical course: the place at which a phrase ends and a new one begins. It can be clearly marked — by a rest, a cadence, or a change of material — or only hinted at, so that the music keeps running and yet seems articulated. Phrase breaks are the joints at which the form is built: from them arise phrases, periods, and larger sections.
In the notation
Phrase breaks become visible in rests, phrasing slurs, double bars, and cadential formulas. The sign for an explicit caesura is two slashes above the staff. Often, however, the break is not designated separately and has to be inferred from harmony, melody, and the structure of the text.
Musical use
The art of articulation consists in making phrase breaks audible without destroying coherence. In singing music they usually coincide with the sense divisions of the text; in instrumental music, cadences take on this task. Composers play deliberately with expectation: a break can fail to appear, so that two phrases interlock, or it can appear at an unexpected place and disturb the flow. Whoever overlooks such places when working up a piece plays without form, even if all the notes are right.
Performance practice
When studying, mark the phrase breaks in the score and decide for each how distinct it should be; not every phrase boundary demands the same treatment. Shape caesuras through time, not through volume — a tiny intake of breath works more strongly than a drop in dynamics. Take care that rests are really held. In an ensemble, agree on the most important breaks so that everyone breathes together. Practise transitions across phrase breaks so that the music carries again afterwards.
Bear in mind that not every phrase break is equally strong: a caesura within a period weighs less than the conclusion of a part of the form, and the shaping should make this gradation audible. Order the breaks by weight, therefore, before you shape them. Watch for places where an expected break fails to appear, because tension arises there. In an ensemble, breathing together is the most effective means; agree on the most important places and practise the transitions across them.