What is the meaning of the tempo marking meno mosso?

• A. Less motion
• B. More motion
• C. Heavy; Weighted
• D. Very fast; faster than Vivace

Answer: (A)

Meno mosso tells you to slow down and move with less motion than what came before. Mosso means movement or tempo, and meno means less, so together they indicate a gentler, calmer pace rather than a continuation of the previous speed. It’s a relative instruction—the tempo eases back from the prior marking, not an absolute BPM.

This isn’t about weight or character; that would be something like pesante for a heavy feel. It also isn’t about speed being fast; that would point to terms meaning more movement, such as piu mosso or molto mosso. So the marking clearly points to reducing motion, i.e., a slower, more tranquil pace.