largo

Largo is a tempo marking in classical music that designates a slow, broad, and dignified pace. The term is Italian for broad or wide, reflecting an expansive character. In standard practice, a largo tempo is typically around 40 to 60 beats per minute, slower than adagio and usually slower than andante. The marking often appears at the start of a movement to establish a solemn or expansive mood; it is related to, but slower than, larghetto (a little faster) and larghissimo (very slow). Performers may adjust tempo within a largo passage for expressive effect.

Beyond its use as a tempo, the word largo has broader linguistic origins. In Italian, the adjective conveys breadth, and in related Romance languages it can denote length or width. In music theory, largo is part of a family of tempo markings that guide the perceived speed and character of a piece.

Largo is also a place name in various countries. Examples include Largo, Florida; Largo, Maryland; and Largo, Fife in Scotland. In everyday language, largo retains the general sense of length or breadth in Iberian languages, where it commonly appears as an adjective meaning long or wide and in related expressions.