alla breve

Alla breve (Italian: " after ( = according to ) the brevis " Germanized also Allabreve ) is a time signature in music. Alla breve is short for Tactus alla breve. This notation for the 2/2-Takt (small Allabreve ) and 4/2-Takt (large Allabreve ) refers to the fact that the Semibreve according to the breve ( = alla breve ) was playing. In this modern notation, the half notes to beat and the two spellings correspond.

The sign of the letter C similar two- thirds of the circle was a sign of the so-called mode imperfectus (1 breve = 2 semibreves ) cum prolatione imperfecta ( binary division of the basic beat) of the mensural notation of the 15th and 16th century. The vertical bar means diminution: the small Alla Breve is the diminution of Quaternaria ( 2/4), the great Alla Breve of the Octonaria (4 /4).

In the English -speaking world and in popular music Alla breve is also known as cut time.