abbassando

Abbassando is a musical term of Italian origin meaning "lowering." It is used as a performance instruction to gradually reduce the volume of a passage, describing a dynamic process rather than specifying a single loudness level. The word comes from abbassare, “to lower” or “to bring down,” and is related to other expressive terms such as diminuendo or decrescendo.

In practice, abbassando indicates a gradual decrease in loudness over a span of notes or measures. The exact target dynamic depends on the musical context and interpretation, and it is often realized as a smooth, sustained softening that may accompany a change in timbre or phrasing. It should not be confused with tempo changes; rallentando or tempo rubato would be used to signal a slowing of tempo, whereas abbassando concerns dynamics.

Usage and context vary across periods and genres. It appears in vocal music, orchestral and chamber scores, and keyboard literature, particularly in Romantic-era notation and earlier editions. In modern editions, editors may replace abbassando with the more explicit diminuendo or decrescendo, but the original instruction remains informative for performers familiar with historical performance practice.

Related terms include calando, which combines softening with a more gradual slowing, though calando emphasizes both dynamics and tempo. Overall, abbassando serves as a directive to shape a phrase by progressively lowering its loudness, contributing to expressive contour and phrasing without prescribing a fixed dynamic level.