MMD > Archives > March 1999 > 1999.03.16 > 15Prev  Next


Sforzando
By D. L. Bullock

In music, Sforzando is a suddenly loud piano note or chord.  Short but
not necessarily staccato.  It may sound like pizzicato, but Sforzando
is not a pizzicato effect when used by pipe organs.  It was used more
in the early part of this century on pipe organs to mean all the stops
on, or most of the stops.

Most modern, new organs call it Tutti.  The Tutti or Sforzando left
off the soft stops, took off the celestes and tremolos, and put on all
couplers and all loud stops except, perhaps for the Trompette encham-
ade, or the Bombarde.  These two are the icing on the cake and require
putting them on separately.

D. L. Bullock    Piano World    St. Louis
Dallas Pipe Organ Service



(Message sent Tue, 16 Mar 1999 00:14:30 -0600 , from time zone -0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Sforzando