FR expressif character core term Support my free tools
How is expressif played?
The performer interprets the line with shaping, nuance and emotional commitment, exactly as for the Italian espressivo. French composers from the late nineteenth century onward — Fauré, Debussy, Ravel and their contemporaries — frequently use French-language directions in their scores, so 'expressif' (and the feminine 'expressive') appears where an Italian composer would write espressivo. It is commonly qualified, as in 'très expressif' or 'doux et expressif', and pairs naturally with French dynamic and character words. The choice of French over Italian is partly idiom and partly national tradition rather than a difference in meaning.
How does expressif sound?
The listener hears a phrase played with audible warmth, flexibility and feeling.
In context
Expressif is the standard French direction meaning 'expressive', the counterpart to Italian espressivo. It is generic to the French repertoire rather than tied to one work, and empty composer attribution is appropriate.
Equivalent terms
- IT espressivo
- DE ausdrucksvoll
- EN expressive