Pl. tempi. [It.,:—L. tempus time.]
1. Mus. Relative speed or rate of movement; pace; time; spec. the proper or characteristic speed and rhythm of a dance or other tune (in phr. tempo di gavotta, tempo di marcia, tempo di minuetto, etc.).
Tempo primo, first or former time; a direction to resume the original speed after an alteration of it. Tempo rubato, ‘robbed or stolen time; time occasionally slackened or hastened for the purposes of expression’ (Stainer & Barrett).
1724. Short Explic. For. Wds. in Mus. Bks., Tempo, Time. Thus, Tempo Di Gavotta, is Gavot Time, or the Time or Movement observed in playing a Gavot. Tempo Di Minuetto,… Tempo Di Sarabanda.
1839. Longf., Hyperion, IV. iv. In his hurry he got the tempo about twice too slow.
1866. Engel, Nat. Mus., ii. 63. They sing in a more subdued tone; the tempo is slower.
1884. F. Taylor, in Grove, Dict. Mus., IV. 82. Verbal directions as to tempo are generally written in Italian.
1888. Athenæum, 17 March, 349/1. The composer has reconsidered the tempi of some portions…; he also indulged … in the tempo rubato.
† 2. A term in fencing: see quot. Obs. rare.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xix. (Roxb.), 159/2. A Tempo, is to take heed neuer to make a thrust or blow at aduersarie, without thou hast a faire opportunity to hit, or within measure, that he be within thy reach.
