moderato

/ˌmɑdəˈrɑdoʊ/

When you see moderato in a piece of music, you know you should keep the pace right in the easy middle — neither fast nor slow, but at a medium tempo.

Moderato is Italian, but looks very much like the English word moderate, which is exactly what it means: performed at a moderate tempo, or a nice, easy, controlled pace that doesn't rush and doesn't drag. Many iconic works in classical music contain sections marked to be played moderato — including several passages in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the first movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Moderato is often played at roughly 108 to 120 beats per minute, although the exact tempo can vary by composer and piece. .

Definitions of moderato

1. adjective

   (music) meant to be performed at a medium tempo; not too fast or slow
   synonyms:

   slow

   at a slow tempo
2. adverb

   (music) at a medium tempo; not too fast or too slowly