Secondo
The “second” player in four-hand piano writing.
What it means
Secondo, in four-hand piano writing, designates the player who takes the lower half of the keyboard and sits on the left. Bass and harmony belong to this player, often also the rhythmic leadership. The designation as “second” means position, not rank: in practice the responsibility for tempo, pulse, and harmonic clarity largely lies with this player.
In the notation
In printed editions the secondo part stands on the left side of the double page, the primo part on the right, so that both players turn the page at the same time. The part consists of two staves, usually both in the bass clef, changing into the treble clef at a higher register. Cue notes in small print occasionally show what the partner plays at this point, so that shared entries succeed. The pedal is usually operated by the secondo, because it belongs to the harmonic foundation; some editions note this explicitly.
Musical use
In the four-hand repertoire of the nineteenth century — original works as well as the numerous arrangements of orchestral music — the lower part carries the framework: bass foundation, middle voices, often the continuous movement. In arrangements it typically takes on what, in the orchestra, string basses and wind harmonies achieve. That the melody usually lies with the partner demands dynamic restraint from the secondo, without the foundation being allowed to become thin.
Secondo plays the lower registers and often takes on the bass accompaniment. In four-hand playing at one instrument, the secondo sits to the left of the primo. The secondo player usually operates the right pedal and is thereby responsible for the sound of the whole.
Performance practice
Lead the tempo audibly but not pressingly — the partner takes their bearings from your pulse, especially in passages where the upper voice seems free. Keep the bass clear and the middle voices light; chordal accompaniment in the low register quickly becomes thick. With the pedal, take your bearings from the harmony and listen to the upper voice, so that melody notes do not run into one another. Clarify beforehand who turns the pages, and practise entries after rests together, instead of each counting them separately.