Calando vs Crescendo

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Calando	Crescendo
Definition	Decreasing in both volume and tempo; winding down.	Gradually getting louder
Category	expression	dynamics
Pronunciation	kah-LAHN-doh	kreh-SHEN-doh
Origin	Italian	Italian
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	winding down subsiding	getting louder increasing volume
Antonyms	Crescendo Accelerando	diminuendo decrescendo
Usage	A calando passage brings the turbulent development section to a peaceful close.	The orchestra builds through a long crescendo over eight bars before the climax.

Definition: Decreasing in both volume and tempo; winding down.
Category: expression
Pronunciation: kah-LAHN-doh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: winding down subsiding
Antonyms: Crescendo Accelerando
Usage: A calando passage brings the turbulent development section to a peaceful close.

Definition: Gradually getting louder
Category: dynamics
Pronunciation: kreh-SHEN-doh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: getting louder increasing volume
Antonyms: diminuendo decrescendo
Usage: The orchestra builds through a long crescendo over eight bars before the climax.