à tempo
French composer
Definition
In time, returning to the original tempo after a deviation. Saint-Saëns was notoriously strict about tempo and disliked lingering.
Interpretive Guidance
Saint-Saëns reportedly said that the French style requires the return to tempo to be immediate and unambiguous. After any expressive deviation, re-establish the pulse at once. Unlike Romantic practice, there is no gradual easing back into time.