crescendos

Crescendo is a musical direction indicating that the volume should gradually increase over a passage. The term comes from the Italian crescere, meaning to grow, and is used across many musical traditions to create emphasis, drive, or building tension.

In notation, a crescendo may be marked with the words cresc or crescendo, or indicated by a hairpin opening to the right. The opposite dynamic, diminuendo or decrescendo, signals a gradual decrease in loudness. Composers may also specify the target dynamic, such as cresc. from a soft dynamic to a louder one (for example, from p to f), or apply the marking over a longer phrase.

Performance considerations include the length of the swell, the starting dynamic, and the surrounding musical context. A well-shaped crescendo preserves the line and rhythm, requiring appropriate breath or bow control in wind instruments and strings, or careful phrasing in voice. A poorly placed crescendo can disrupt melodic shape or balance within a passage.

Related concepts include the messa di voce, a technique in which a singer or instrumentalist swells the volume on a single sustained note. Crescendi also serve structural purposes in music, signaling impending climaxes, transitions, or heightened emotion within a section.

Historically, crescendo notation became standardized during the Common Practice period and appears in Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern scores, reflecting a common intention to guide expressive growth within a musical line.