smorzando

dynamicssmor-TSAHN-dohfrom Italian

Dying away; getting softer and slower.

In Depth

Smorzando means dying away or extinguishing, instructing the performer to gradually reduce both volume and tempo until the sound seems to vanish.‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌ It is similar to morendo, though some musicians consider smorzando to imply a slightly more abrupt fading. The marking creates an evocative ending effect, as though the music is being gently extinguished like a candle flame. It appears at the conclusions of pieces or sections where the composer wants the sound to dissolve into silence rather than end with a definitive cadence. The effect requires exceptional control to maintain musical quality as the sound approaches nothingness.

Did you know?

Liszt used smorzando at the end of several of his late piano works, creating an effect of the music literally evaporating into thin air — a signature of his final, mystical style.