alla breve

[ ah-luh brev-ey; Italian ahl-lah bre-ve ]

adverb

, Music.

1. using the half note as the basic time unit; 2/2 time. : 

alla breve

/ ˈælə ˈbreɪvɪ; ˈalla ˈbrɛːve /

noun

1. a musical time signature indicating two or four minims to a bar

adjective

1. twice as fast as normal

Word History and Origins

Origin of alla breve¹

1800–10; < Italian: in short time, accelerated. See brief

Word History and Origins

Origin of alla breve¹

C19: Italian, literally: (according) to the breve

Example Sentences

Vogler then gave Beethoven a theme of three measures (the scale of C major, alla breve).

From Project Gutenberg