Terraced dynamics

Steps like terraces

On a terrace you stay at the same height until a staircase reaches a new level. In the same way in terraced dynamics the loudness stays the same until it jumps to a new level. There is no gradual swelling or fading, but clearly delimited sections, say in alternation of forte and piano. The changes usually come where a new phrase or a new section begins.

Why Baroque?

Terraced dynamics is regarded as a hallmark of Baroque music. This also has to do with the instruments: on organ and harpsichord the loudness cannot be changed continuously by the touch, but it can be by changing stops or manuals. In the concerto grosso too the alternation of tutti and solo stands for two loudnesses. In Baroque scores the change is often notated only with the written-out words “forte” and “piano” in the parts.

Contrast with the crescendo

With the Classical and Romantic periods the continuous swelling and fading, the crescendo and the diminuendo, move more into the foreground. Terraced dynamics is the opposite of that: it works with contrast instead of gradual change. The echo too, in which a phrase is repeated more softly, is a case of terraced dynamics.

Common mistakes

• Blending the levels: In terraced dynamics the loudness jumps, it does not glide.
• Wavering within a level: Each terrace stays at its height.
• Applying terraced dynamics to everything: It suits the style; in Romanticism it often seems foreign.