senza sordino
Italian work
Definition
Without mute — Beethoven's instruction for the first movement of Op. 27 No. 2 to hold the sustain pedal throughout the movement.
Interpretive Guidance
On the fortepiano of Beethoven's time, senza sordino with the thinner, quicker-decaying strings produced a hazy, atmospheric blur that is much more saturated on a modern concert grand. Modern pianists must use judgment in applying this instruction — a lighter, more carefully managed pedal approximates the historical effect.