IT energico character common Support my free tools
How is energico played?
The performer attacks the music with energy and firmness, giving each note clear weight and forward momentum. Composers most often pair energico with a tempo word (the standard combination is 'Allegro energico'), where it shades a fast tempo toward muscular, accented playing rather than lightness. It is a character qualifier rather than a tempo of its own, so it modifies whatever speed it is attached to. Used alone in the body of a score, it marks a passage that should suddenly gather force.
How does energico sound?
Firm, vigorous and forward-driving, with strong accents and a sense of muscular purpose.
In context
Energico is defined in standard glossaries as 'energetic, strong'. A well-documented example is Franz Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor (1853), whose forceful octave theme is marked 'Allegro energico'.