ritardate

Ritardate is a musical tempo marking used to indicate a slowdown in tempo. It is a relatively uncommon or older term, and in modern notation it is typically supplanted by ritardando or rallentando. The form derives from the Italian ritardare, meaning to delay, with the -ate ending functioning in various editorial practices as a past participle or imperative form in some scores.

In practice, ritardate instructs the performer to decelerate over a passage, often allowing for a flexible or expressive slowdown rather than a strictly metronomic change. The exact interpretation can vary by edition, and some editors treat ritardate similarly to ritardando, while others may imply a more gradual or deliberate deceleration. Because it is not widely used in contemporary literature, encounters with ritardate are more common in older scores or historical editions.

For performers, the term signals an expressive slowing rather than a precise rhythmic prescription. When modern editors or players come across ritardate, they frequently substitute ritardando or rallentando in performance notes to align with current practice, unless the edition provides specific tempo guidance that preserves the historical intention. Overall, ritardate sits within a family of tempo markings that guide gradual tempo changes, alongside ritardando, rallentando, and allargando, with usage that depends on period, edition, and editor.