alla
alla — noun
- allasingular
- allasplural
1. a mark written at the start of sheet music — a capital C crossed by a vertical l
a mark written at the start of sheet music — a capital C crossed by a vertical line — that tells a performer to count two minim beats per bar
The conductor pointed to the alla at the beginning of the second movement.
countable: the + alla
Imani noticed the alla symbol printed above the first bar of the flute score.
often followed by 'symbol' for clarity
In much Baroque music, an alla replaces the common time signature.
Nikhil learned that an alla means two minim beats per measure instead of four.
The teacher drew an alla on the board and asked the class to name it.
- cut time
the everyday English name for the same symbol; 'cut time' is more common among non-classical musicians
- common time
the four-crotchet-beat time signature that the alla replaces
文法句型
the + alla
an + alla
用法筆記
The visual symbol resembles a cut common-time C; non-musicians may not recognise it, but the term is standard in professional scores.
常見錯誤
2. a composition or section of a larger work that is written with a brisk two-minim
a composition or section of a larger work that is written with a brisk two-minim pulse, giving the music a quick two-beat feel
The orchestra opened the concert with a lively alla by Vivaldi.
collocation: 'a lively alla' + composer
Camila prefers practising the slow sarabande over the fast alla.
The choir performed the alla with crisp energy and clear phrasing.
Kian found an old alla for organ in the music library.
The last section of the symphony is written as a brisk alla.
- cut-time piece
less formal term used among performers for the same type of composition
- adagio
a slow piece, opposite in tempo and feel
文法句型
play/write + an alla
用法筆記
This sense refers to the piece or section itself, not the notation mark — distinguish from sense 1 (the symbol).
常見錯誤
alla — adjective
- allapositive
- more allacomparative
- most allasuperlative
1. describes music that is performed in a brisk two-minim-beat style, where the pul
describes music that is performed in a brisk two-minim-beat style, where the pulse falls on the half note rather than the quarter note
The quartet played the final movement in alla style.
position: before noun — 'alla style'
The conductor asked the orchestra for an alla interpretation of the fugue.
Anya marked her flute part with the words 'alla breve' at the tempo change.
The band decided to play the wedding march in alla tempo.
Tuan prefers conducting pieces written in alla metre rather than common time.
- cut-time
the everyday English equivalent, interchangeable in most contexts
- common-time
describing music in 4/4 with four crotchet beats
文法句型
alla + [noun]
in alla + [time/meter/style]
用法筆記
The adjective almost always appears in musical contexts and is typically placed directly before a performance-related noun (e.g. 'alla style', 'alla tempo').