''A capriccio'' (Italian: "following one's fancy") is a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
marking indicating a free and
capricious approach to the tempo (and possibly the style) of the piece. This marking will usually modify another, such as ''lento a capriccio'', often used in the
Hungarian Rhapsodies
The Hungarian Rhapsodies, S.244, R.106 (, , ), are a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes, composed by Franz Liszt during 1846–1853, and later in 1882 and 1885. Liszt also arranged versions for orchestra, piano duet and pia ...
of
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
. Perhaps the most famous piece to use the term is
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
's ''Rondò a capriccio'' (Op. 129), better known as ''
Rage Over a Lost Penny
The "" in G major, Opus number, Op. 129 (Italian for "Rondo in the Hungarian .e. gypsystyle, almost a caprice"), is a rondo for piano written by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is better known by the title Rage Over a Lost Penny, Vented in a Capric ...
''.
See also
*
Capriccio (music)
A or caprice (sometimes plural: ''caprices'', ''capri'' or, in Italian, ''capricci''), is a piece of music, usually fairly free in form and of a lively character. The typical ''capriccio'' is one that is fast, intense, and often virtuoso, virtuo ...
External links
References
*"Capriccio, a", ''
Grove Music Online
''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language '' Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and t ...
'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed 28 April 2006)
Music performance
Musical notation
Rhythm and meter
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