Allegro

Allegro is arguably the single most important tempo marking in Western art music. The literal Italian meaning is ‘cheerful’ or ‘lively’, and the marking originally described affect rather than speed — a piece marked allegro was meant to sound bright and happy. Over time it acquired its modern role as a tempo designation, conventionally associated with metronome marks of about 120–168 BPM.

Allegro is the standard tempo for a vast quantity of repertoire: Baroque concerto outer movements, Classical sonata first movements and finales, Romantic overtures, virtually every movement that wants to sound active and forward-moving. It is so common that it functions almost as a default — when a composer wants something faster, they qualify (allegro molto, allegro vivace) or substitute (presto, vivace).

Despite its ubiquity, allegro is not a single fixed speed. The exact tempo depends on the music, the era, and the performer’s judgment. A Bach allegro is typically slower than a Brahms allegro, which is slower than a Stravinsky allegro. Performers should always consider context before settling on a tempo.

Italian, ‘cheerful, gay, merry’, from late Latin alacer (‘brisk, cheerful’). Originally an indication of mood; the tempo association developed in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Decide tempo from context, not from a metronome chart. A Mozart allegro and a Mahler allegro are different beasts. Listen to recordings of authoritative performances of similar repertoire to calibrate.