lugubre

dynamicsloo-GOO-brayfrom Italian

A performance direction meaning mournfully, with dark and gloomy character‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍

In Depth

Lugubre asks for a sound of profound darkness and desolation, heavier and more oppressive than lacrimoso.‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍ The tone should be deep and hollow, the tempo deliberate, and the dynamics generally subdued with occasional swells of anguish. It evokes funeral processions, tolling bells, and the weight of irrevocable loss. The term appears in orchestral works, piano music, and sacred compositions dealing with death and mourning.
Did you know?

Liszt's Funérailles opens with a lugubre bass octave passage that evokes the sound of muffled funeral drums — a tribute to friends killed in the 1849 Hungarian uprising.

Related Terms

lacrimoso

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brillante

A performance direction meaning brilliantly, with sparkling virtuosity

calando

Gradually decreasing in both tempo and volume.

crescendo

A gradual increase in volume.

decrescendo

A gradual decrease in volume. Synonymous with diminuendo.

diminuendo

A gradual decrease in volume. Synonymous with decrescendo.

dolce

An Italian musical direction meaning "sweetly," indicating a gentle, tender, and singing quality of expression.

dolcissimo

A performance direction meaning very sweetly, with the utmost tenderness

dynamics markings

The standard system of Italian abbreviations indicating volume levels from softest to loudest

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