Delicato
A mark for delicate, finely shaded playing
Related
Delicato asks for a fine touch, transparent colour and careful phrasing. It does not mean "weak"; it directs attention to the smallest details: the weight of an ornament, the length of a breath, a slight change of colour as the harmony turns.
In piano and chamber music it often appears beside dolce and leggiero, though the three differ: dolce leans sweet, leggiero light, delicato precise. Delicacy suffers most from forcing; add weight to be heard and the texture coarsens. It is lightness achieved by control, not weakness by default.
Sources
- 术语的释义与用法，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians（Oxford Music Online）相关条目；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.