rallenta

Rallenta is an Italian term meaning slows down. It is the present indicative form of the verb rallentare, which means to decelerate or to reduce speed. In general language, it can describe any thing or action that becomes slower.

In music, rallenta is a tempo directive used to request a gradual decrease in tempo. It is closely related to rallentando, which is typically understood as a gradual slowing, and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably depending on editor or tradition. In practice, rallenta may serve as a direct instruction within a passage to slow the pace, often followed by a new tempo marking or by the performer’s interpretation.

The exact timing and execution of a rallenta depend on context, genre, and performer interpretation. It commonly appears in scores for instrumental and vocal music and can affect phrasing, expression, and dramatic contour, especially in Romantic and early 20th-century repertoire.

Etymology traces rallenta to rallentare, meaning “to slow down,” from Italian roots related to reducing pace. The term reflects the historical use of Italian tempo markings in Western classical music.

See also: rallentando, accelerando, tempo markings, rubato.