Sforzando in music means “suddenly or
strongly”.
I suppose you could have a sforzando
moment on Halloween night if someone jumped out from behind a bush and scared
the bejesus out of you.
It could also happen if you were in an
airplane and without warning the engines died, but let’s not dwell on that
one.
One of my favorite techniques in choral
conducting is to ask for a “sforzando piano”.
That means I’m asking for a very strong attack on a note and then the
music dies down immediately to piano or pianissimo. That would be like being scared out of one’s
wits and then the one doing the scaring would immediately take off her mask and
you would find instead your Mom.
Some Mom’s do that to their kids, or so
I’m told.
Sforzando! For emphasis.
P Michael
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Offering Up-Moments
One Moment at a Time