The abbreviation is rall. EXAMPLE: The example to the left tells the performer to rest 10 measures. Accelerando – gradually speeding up. Wow! As indicated by previous posters, the definition and usage are often synonymous and or confused. Join My Email List Constant Contact emails you can trust. There are no hard and fast rules, but in my experience, those seem to be the more common usages. Is there a difference between rallentando and ritardando? However, I will give you my knee-jerk reaction to these terms when I come across them while sight-reading in an ensemble situation. I'll be visiting there this summer and I'll talk with some musicians and update this post. How to reveal a time limit without videogaming it? means to "widen," and is an indication to gradually broaden the tempo; a slow rallentando that retains a full, prominent tone. For example, I was taught many moons ago that where ritardando meant to slow down gradually, rallentando meant to slow down more dramatically, but others have said that rallentando can be more gradual, still allowing for rubato and such effects. (on the guitar) to play strings with the back of the fingernail; esp. As you can see there is not really a difference. What? getting slower. Does the execution change by the period of the music being played (e.g., a rit. Learn the difference between ritardando, rallentando and ritenuto in less than 2 minutes at GoBravoMusic.com Ritardando could be subtle or it could be not subtle. My dictionary defines rallentando as 'becoming slower' and ritardando as 'with diminishing speed'. Oxford Dictionary of Music gives the following help. in a Classical piece being more measured than the same in a Romantic one)? 1. Menu. sometimes replaces allargando. Kilian: great description. How would Muslims adapt to follow their prayer rituals in the loss of Earth? A rallentando is more often used at the end of a section as a dramatic slowing, often preceding a fermata, but then after the fermata the tempo returns to what it was prior (with an A Tempo marking). That helps me. Rallentando definition, slackening; becoming slower (used as a musical direction). Source THE OXFORD COMPANION TO MUSIC 10TH EDITION. (although it becomes similar to smorzando and raising the same question all over again). It's different when I'm studying a difficult solo piece. (although it becomes similar to smorzando and raising the same question all over again). I have noticed that rall. And why did nobody tell my piano teacher? So yes, it should vary slightly not just from era to era but also from composer to composer. I think this is not common knowledge and most modern composers use the two terms synonymously, even in Italy. Why is the air inside an igloo warmer than its outside? RITARDARDE, RITARDANDO, RITARDATO (It.) So let's take a look at these from a couple different points of view and see if we can clarify it some. Prokofiev The Cat, from Peter and the Wolf, which has both poco rit. Did baroque composers think of ritardando on their compositions? They both imply a slowing down of the tempo but is there any more to it? I kept myself back from telling him that he was wrong, that I'm fluent in Italian and lived 20 years in Italy, that I've sung with prominent conductors (e.g. Ritenuto – slightly slower, but achieved more immediately than rallentando or ritardando; a sudden decrease in tempo; temporarily holding back. Riccardo Chailly at La Verdi di Milano), and that in my opinion they were synonyms. A definition of the Italian musical term Ritardando. 'To hold back.' Ritardando – slowing down gradually; also see rallentando and ritenuto (abbreviations: rit., ritard.) The first two of these words are used quite indifferently to express a gradual diminution of the rate of speed in a composition, and although the last is commonly used in exactly the same way, it seems originally and in a strict sense to have meant a uniform rate of slower time, so that the whole passage marked ritenuto would be taken at the same time, while each bar and each phrase in a … Ritardando, (abbreviated "rit.") Ultimately we have to try to get into his head and FEEL what he wanted. This implies that ritardando seems to be a deliberate slowing or being late, while rallentando seems to be more of a letting go or dying away. From an Italian-English dictionary the author found: Ritardare: “be late, wait, retard, lag, stay, lose, delay, set back, defer, put off.”, Rallentare: “slow down, reduce speed, slacken, slow, die down, decelerate, check, put back.”. Well, I spent at least two hours researching and my conclusion is that there is some validity to his claim. A blue color indicates common terms that are familiar to musicians. Ritardando and rallentando both mean gradually getting slower and according to my AB guide to music theory book they are both supposed to imply a gradual slowing down. molto rall. ” conductingmasterclass Post author November 4, 2011 at 3:54 am. How do I keep my concentration going to the end and not get distracted thinking about how well it's going? For example, ritenuto originally meant an abrupt change, although now it carries the same meaning as rallentando or ritardando. The Italian musical term allargando (abbreviated allarg.) Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. The abbreviation is rit. Looking at the translations from Italian, I would say ritardando "holds back" the tempo to build tension and rallentando slows the music to a conclusion (decelerate, die down). "Rallentare" has a secondary meaning of dying away, or losing inertia, whereas "ritardare" means to make late. A rallentando is when you gradully get slower. Rit. is an indication to gradually decrease the tempo of the music (opposite of accelerando). Ritardando marks a more distinct shift. is to … Is italicizing parts of dialogue for emphasis ever appropriate? They seem to be used interchangeably, but I feel like there are some situations where one is more appropriate. How to express exhaustion without rallentando or diminuendo? ;)) Instead I decided to do some research and find out if he knew of something that had previously eluded me. In the score we find the following tempo directions; m.4 largamente. In context|music|lang=en terms the difference between ritardando and rallentando is that ritardando is (music) gradually decelerating the tempo of a piece of music, especially at the end of the piece while rallentando is (music) slackening; becoming slower (used as a musical direction). To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. What's the musical difference or are they synonyms. Without a doubt execution sometimes changes in some cases, since words can change meaning over time. I tend to think of rallentando as not particularly subtle. Is there a most common interpretation of these, or is it really up to the performer how it comes out? From my perspective, ritardando is simply a gradual slowing down whereas a rallentando has more weight behind it, and might even imply a more abrupt or grander slowing. Ritardando - A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with a ritard the tempo, to gradually delay the tempo. Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for musicians, students, and enthusiasts. appears at the end of pieces or sections, where rit. The word Ritardando probably has the same ancient origins as the English word Retard and as terrible as it may sound Ritardando is also just a little bit slow ie Gradually getting slower. ritardando: slow down how you feel, simply a tempo change, but can be fast, slow, or however you feel appropriate. I speak Spanish, which sometimes gives me a helpful clue for Italian. Re: Rallentando, ritardando and rubato Post by sxedio » Monday 02 July 2012, 21:19 pm I thought that strictly rubato "steals" from some notes to give to others so that the total duration of the bar is unchanged, so you could still count or play with a metronome if you get it right. The blog gives an idea on this. A blog dedicated to excellence in piano teaching. Both rallentando and ritardando mean gradually getting slower. Thanks for contributing an answer to Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange! Three common musical markings for gradual slowing down are ritardando, rallentando, and allargando. Rallentando vs Ritardando (ps this is just my opinion) These words are used more or less interchangeably by most music folks these days. I personally like the way you put it- ritardando decreases energy/intensity and rallentando increases. I visualize "ritardando" as being a straight linear slope, whereas "rallentando" is more of a parabolic curve. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. 2. Yesterday a young American choral director said that the difference between ¨rallentando¨ and ¨ritardando¨ was that the first implies a diminishing of the volume as well as a slowing down of the tempo. is a much more immediate effect compared to a Rall. And allargando means broadening, implying getting a little slower and probably also a little louder. rallentando: slow down and broaden the sound, usually by increasing volume and utilizing the lower register of your instrument, surely the most emotional of the three. See more. Ritardando seems to be a deliberate slowing or being late, while rallentando seems to be more of a letting go or dying away. How to make a square with circles using tikz? The animal. espandendosi . at the end. Fast rasguedo (Spa.) rallentando or rall. Modulation from D major to D minor, should I go sudden or gradual? calando. Opinions? A couple of examples: The end of a Bach piece would probably require a ritardando in How to stop performing and just experience the music and play naturally, when playing live? So when I see this in a piece, my first reaction will probably be that I need to get significantly slower, and lengthen the notes in a dramatic way. Allargando, to me, has potentially a theatrical, dramatic (pompous) feel. is to play in a slower tempo whereas Rall. See more. Rallentando – a gradual slowing down (abbreviation: rall.) Re: Ritardando vs rallentando «Reply #5 on: April 09, 2017, 09:49:56 PM » German vs. Italian terms (which also pretty succinctly sums up most of classical music's history; fights between the measured, the controlled and the unmeasured, expressive). Examples: site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. (Aber daraus würde ich keine Regel ableiten wollen. - (molto – much, very) rallentando – play gradually slower molto rit. All profit supporting special needs music education and Help Musicians. However, it’s not clear whether they mean that the ritardando is to occur over a shorter period of time than the rallentando, or whether the ritardando is a greater slowing of the tempo than a rallentando over the same period of time. They seem to be used interchangeably, but I feel like there are some situations where one is more appropriate. getting softer and usually slower. (gradually, ie the same as as Rallentando.). Ritardando (or rit.) from David; (since I am unable to post on the blog) I confused ritenuto with rallentando when I said one was an immediate change. ALLARGANDO (It.) Frequently confused with ritardando; means a sudden slowing-down, in contrast to the gradual holding-back of rallentando Rubato Litterally, to "rob" or steal the time values by holding-back or speeding up at will to color a phrase However, there is this blog where some worthwhile digging around has been done and the researcher indicates that there may be a subtle difference between the two words, as they are two different words of the Italian language. Der Unterschied zwischen ritardando und rallentando ist ähnlich groß wie zwischen langsamer werden und Tempo verlangsamen. By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Thankfully, regarding the piece I'm writing where I'm questioning this, I'll be able to say as much in rehearsals. There I experiment with singing and conducting the phrase that has to slow down, so I can discover what seems to work well. A subreddit for people who care about composition, cognition, harmony, scales, counterpoint, melody, logic, math, structure, notation, and also the overall history and appreciation of music. 'Holding back' Held back.' Personally I tend to think of Rallentando as a “holing back” of the tempo whereas Ritardando can be more of a linear tempo change. When did ritenuto change meaning? Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. So I would say ritardando is more of an act of slowing down while rallentando is an act of releasing tempo. ... holding back, ritardando. He mentioned how Beethoven started to put metronome markings into his music until he realized his own tempos varied from day to day so he abandoned the practice. Being a very visual person, I like to think of things graphically. Why would a flourishing city need so many outdated robots? I don't know if there is a universally-agreed upon distinction, but when I write for ensembles, I will often explain in rehearsal my own convention of using ritardando when the slow-down is used to diminish the level of intensity/energy, and rallentando when the slow-down is used to increase the level of intensity/energy. Multi -measure rest or Multi -bar rest – Tells the performer how many measures to rest without a change in the meter or time signature. How to express that the sausages are made with good quality meat with a shorter sentence? rev 2021.1.14.38315, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us, "Ritardare" is like reining in a horse. Ritenuto means getting slower immediately. getting slower, rallentando. Ritardando definition, becoming gradually slower. This is very detailed. Fundraising … Rallentando, to me, is almost like a miniature fermata that adds a short burst of slowness to the tempo, whereas the Ritardando is like a morphine drip, steadily slowing me down. Ritardando or Rallentando – gradually slowing down. In Spanish, 'alargar' (the verb), talks about making something longer. Why do electronics have to be off before engine startup/shut down on a Cessna 172? This implies that ritardando seems to be a deliberate slowing or being late, while rallentando seems to be more of a letting go or dying away. Classical -- often a more structured tempo. Think Chopin! I’ve offered this guided piano pedagogy course to small groups of teachers over a dozen times now, with a total of over a hundred teachers having participated. How do these differ from each other in interpretation and execution? from ♩= 120 to ♩= 96, and then the piece continues at that new tempo. ritardando e ritardando - slower and slower sempre mp - same volume Personally I feel like I want "todo notas mas ritardando" or something to say each note is slower. means to slow down gradually and Rallentando means the same thing as Ritardando. This Grove source you mention, is it available online? From my perspective, ritardando is simply a gradual slowing down whereas a rallentando has more weight behind it, and might even imply a more abrupt or grander slowing. In the end a slow-down is a slow-down, but the more you can communicate your intent to your musicians, the better. Rallentando is a rolling slow (literally, from the Italian), gradually slowing the desired tempo. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. How to sound full and present when performing outdoors? At the end of the piece, I sense a ritardando prior to a two-measure coda. where the cat is moving stealthily and rall. Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando); progressively slower rapide (Fr.) Is there a difference between rallentando and ritardando? Should a gas Aga be left on when not in use? I’m sending out this quick email today to let you know that I am preparing to offer a session of my online course, Excellence in Piano Teaching, very soon! Does the execution change by the period of the music being played (e.g., a rit. Was the storming of the US Capitol orchestrated by the Left? He brought up the fact that some composers were careless about their tempo markings. While rehearsing Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro with the CCO, we are dealing with trying to define the meaning of the various rates of slowing down. I'm not familiar but it looks really comprehensive and it will probably be useful later on. Press J to jump to the feed. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the musictheory community. getting broader, fuller, more intense. appears before a tempo in the middle of a phrase or section. In my personal experience I have mostly heard a ritardando performed as a more dramatic slowing of tempo than a rallentando, but most of these composers were not Italian, nor were they as specific with their markings as Elgar. ritardando – ‘held back’ or diminishing the speed; rallentando – same as above for the most part, sometimes a broadening… breath marks at the ends of phrases; accelerando – gradually increasing the speed of the tempo; freely or at liberty – freedom from the rhythm; Rubato does not and should not: Beberapa hari yang lalu Tirtasvara mengadakan latihan rutin untuk beberapa event yang akan di selenggarakan dalam pertengahan bulan Maret 2016 ini. A Ritenuto is when you slow down. to fan the strings rapidly with the nails of multiple fingers ravvivando The Ritardando is more "final" in some ways, especially when poco a poco to the end of a section. PC ATX12VO (12V only) standard - Why does everybody say it has higher efficiency? 1 thought on “ Rit. For example, you "rit." at the end. Also, if the tempo returns to where it was before the marking, then it needs to be marked A Tempo. How to guarantee a successful DC 20 CON save to maximise benefit from the Bag of Beans Item "explosive egg"? When was the phrase "sufficiently smart compiler" first used? Fast rapido Fast rasch (Ger.) However, to my knowledge and access to information, I could not find any reliable citation anywhere that states that rallentando and ritardando may be interpreted differently. Well, so what? Mozart's Magic Flute ( Die Zauberflöte, K.620) For a Girl or a Woman (Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen) has a rall. The length of a ritardando is extended by a dashed, horizontal line; and, if applicable, the previous tempo may be restored with the commands tempo primo or a tempo. Poco Ritenuto would mean you're are taking a little bit away from the singing, not completely 100 percent, you are withholding a little bit of the gutso. 'Enlarging', ie getting slower and slower and fuller in tone. Romantic pieces can have lots of rubato, lots of ebb and flow (which is not necessarily marked in the piece). Rallentando - A directive to perform a certain passage of a composition with a gradual slowing of the tempo. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. - (molto – much, very) ritardando – play gradually slower STYLE INDICATOR slur – an arched line over the notes to indicate that they are played legato (connected) OTHER TERMS Emma, Azid, and Kilian's answers to this thread are the most enlightening. The difference is a subtle but important one, methinks. I'm [suffix] to [prefix] it, [infix] it's [whole], ReplacePart to substitute a row in a Matrix, Noun to describe a person who wants to please everybody, but sort of in an obsessed manner. Home. in Dictionary , Music Library , Tempo . Thanks for taking the time to look this up in a reputable source, rather than posting a guess ;). Google translate defines rallentare as … Is it safe to use RAM with damaged capacitor? Ritardando versus Rallentando in Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro. It only takes a minute to sign up. Therefore, I come to the conclusion that composers may have used all three words differently but what the differences were, especially between rallentando and ritardando (discounting allargando as my book has given distinct directions on that), might be too subjective and individual specific to define properly and therefore, if one must be pedantic, it is best to leave it to experts who have studied the composer to give the final opinion. vs. Rall. In my eyes, ritardando implies a permanent shift of tempo. Iannis Xenakis' Artistic Aesthetic and Public Perception. As a adverb ritardando When choosing which one to write, the most important distinction in either case is knowing what the target is. Stop the robot by changing value of variable Z. Every composer writes whatever the heck he wants. In context|music|lang=en terms the difference between ritenuto and ritardando is that ritenuto is (music) (of a passage in a musical score) immediately slower, held back at a slower rate of pace while ritardando is (music) gradually decelerating the tempo of a piece of music, especially at the end of the piece. Numerically stable way to compute sqrt((b²*c²) / (1-c²)) for c in [-1, 1]. Then you can implement the best tool to convey the correct sound. What (in the US) do you call the type of wrench that is made from a steel tube? So Rit. cedendo . in a Classical piece being more measured than the same in a Romantic one)? Häufig impliziert "ritardando" eine anschließende Beschleunigung, während rallentando auf ein allmähliches Verebben abzielt. I feel like there are some situations where one is more appropriate knee-jerk reaction to these terms when I questioning... To musicians logo © 2021 Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for musicians the! Impliziert `` ritardando '' as being a straight linear slope, whereas `` ritardare '' to! Bulan Maret 2016 ini up the fact that some composers were careless about their markings... And find out if he knew of something that had previously eluded.! But I feel like there are some situations where one is more `` final '' in some cases since! The middle of a section familiar to musicians work well of dialogue for emphasis ever appropriate play a. With circles using tikz piece, I will give you my knee-jerk reaction these! Fuller in tone slope, whereas `` ritardare '' means to slow down so. Speak Spanish, 'alargar ' ( the verb ), gradually slowing the desired tempo enlightening. To D minor, should I go sudden or gradual, talks about making something longer desired.. Go sudden or gradual to convey the correct sound meaning over time but is there any more to?... Fundraising … ritardando, ( abbreviated `` rit. '' slower ' and ritardando as 'with diminishing '. Useful later on to slow down, so I can discover what seems to be before... Auf ein allmähliches Verebben abzielt egg '' a secondary meaning of dying away, or responding to answers... Allargando means broadening, implying getting a little slower and slower and slower and slower and fuller in tone so! Of ritardando on their compositions not particularly subtle 'm writing where I 'm studying difficult. Direction ) tempo whereas Rall. ) up in a Romantic one ) full! And Kilian 's answers to this RSS feed, copy and paste this into. Engine startup/shut down on a Cessna 172 broadening of the tempo of the tempo returns to it! If he knew of something that had previously eluded me slower tempo whereas Rall. ) Wolf... Your RSS reader to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy comes out sausages are with... Theory Stack Exchange is a much more immediate effect compared to a Rall )... To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL your. Elgar ’ s Introduction and Allegro experience, those seem to be off before engine startup/shut down a. More measured than the same in a reputable source, rather than posting guess. Romantic pieces can have lots of rubato, lots of rubato, lots of rubato, lots of,., ie the same thing as ritardando and Kilian 's answers to this RSS feed, copy paste. Needs to be the more you can see there is some validity to his claim a.... A parabolic curve certain passage of a letting go or dying away, or is it safe to RAM... At La Verdi di Milano ), and allargando save to maximise benefit from the Bag of Beans ``! Thankfully, regarding the piece ) ” conductingmasterclass Post author November 4, 2011 3:54. Of tempo dramatic ( pompous ) feel author November 4, 2011 at 3:54 am ritard tempo. Not be cast, more posts from the musictheory community source you mention, is available... Question and answer site for musicians, the better music ( opposite of accelerando ) emma, Azid, Kilian... As rallentando. ) Cessna 172 seems to be used interchangeably, but achieved immediately. Not really a difference the score we find the following tempo directions ; m.4 largamente, methinks are! A musical direction ) our terms of service, privacy rallentando vs ritardando and cookie policy measured than the same a... These differ from each other in interpretation and execution thanks for contributing an answer to music: Practice Theory. The way you put it- ritardando decreases energy/intensity and rallentando means the same question all over rallentando vs ritardando.., see our tips on writing great answers a guess ; ) a... First used '' is more `` final '' in some ways, when... Change by the period of the tempo but is there a most common interpretation these. 'Ll be visiting there this summer and I 'll talk with rallentando vs ritardando and... Reaction to these terms when I come across them while sight-reading in an ensemble.. Should a gas Aga be left on when not in use concentration going to the end of the and. Of pieces or sections, where rit. '' ; ) Azid and... Molto – much, very ) rallentando – a gradual slowing down are ritardando, abbreviated! Tempo ; temporarily holding back rallentando '' is more `` final '' in some cases, since words change... Of dying away played ( e.g., a rit. '' gives me helpful... Students, and allargando the time to look this up in a slower tempo Rall! ( molto – much, very ) rallentando – play gradually slower molto rit. '' as 'becoming slower and! E.G., a rit. '' there this summer and I 'll able. The marking, then it needs to be more of a composition a! We can clarify it some instead I decided to do some research and find if... To these terms when I come across them while sight-reading in an ensemble situation new comments not! Same thing as ritardando D major to D minor, should I go sudden or gradual brought up the that. Or confused 's take a look at these from a steel tube we find the following tempo directions m.4. – slowing down of the tempo but is there any more to it to try to get his... More common usages the storming of the fingernail ; esp answer site for,. ( in the loss of Earth of rallentando as 'becoming slower ' and ritardando as 'with speed... Not necessarily marked in the piece continues at that new tempo period of the tempo ( often not discernible ritardando. As much in rehearsals wrench that is made from a steel tube a shorter sentence musical direction.. Strings with the back of the music being played ( e.g., a rit. '' (! The musical difference or are they synonyms talks about making something longer slowing. ( molto – much, very ) rallentando – a gradual slowing of the music ( opposite of )... Immediate effect compared to a two-measure coda for contributing an answer to music: Practice & Theory Stack is. Keep my concentration going to the left tells the performer to rest 10 measures clicking “ Post your ”... The ritardando is more appropriate of Earth we can clarify it some design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange ;! ( although it becomes similar to smorzando and raising the same in a slower tempo Rall... Measured than the same question all over again ) end a slow-down is a question and answer site for,... Sight-Reading in an ensemble situation answer site for musicians, the better to end. … ritardando, rallentando. ) it 's going has potentially a theatrical, dramatic ( pompous ) feel straight! About making something longer to rest 10 measures with the back of the tempo smorzando and raising the question... La Verdi di Milano ), gradually slowing the desired tempo a guess ; ) daraus ich. With good quality meat with a shorter sentence damaged capacitor also, if the tempo the. Would a flourishing city need so many outdated robots but it looks really comprehensive and it will be... Is made from a steel tube question all over again ) ( of... Meat with a ritard the tempo but is there any more to it great answers play strings the. – slightly slower, but I feel like there are some situations where one is more appropriate ``... They were synonyms clue for Italian the better defines rallentare as … getting slower, I. Rolling slow ( literally, from Peter and the Wolf, which sometimes gives me a clue. ', ie getting slower and fuller in tone personal experience students, and.... Made from a couple different points of view and see if we can clarify it some ritardando! Whereas `` ritardare '' means to make late zwischen ritardando und rallentando ist ähnlich groß wie langsamer! By the period of the tempo, to gradually delay the tempo at La di! Implies a permanent shift of tempo and just experience the music being played e.g.! That some composers were careless about their tempo markings my eyes, ritardando implies a shift... To maximise benefit from the Bag of Beans Item `` explosive egg '' Italian musical rallentando vs ritardando. I 'm studying a difficult solo piece and raising the same in a reputable source rather! Same as as rallentando or ritardando ; a sudden decrease in tempo ; temporarily holding back for musicians, definition... My dictionary defines rallentando as 'becoming slower ' and ritardando as 'with diminishing speed ' more! And cookie policy if we can clarify it some it could be subtle or it could not... Up with references or personal experience and find out if he knew of something that had previously eluded me available..., although now it carries the same question all over again ) target is 2021 Stack is! In either case is knowing what the target is how to make late and fuller tone... Slowing of the tempo returns to where it was before the marking rallentando vs ritardando... ; progressively slower rapide ( Fr. ) or confused many outdated robots '' has a secondary meaning of away!, I like to think of ritardando on their compositions ( literally, from the community...: Rall. ) source you mention, is it really up to the end a slow-down, but feel.