laissez vibrer
French composer
Definition
\"Let vibrate.\" An instruction not to damp the sound after striking — allow the resonance to decay naturally. Abbreviated l.v. in scores.
Interpretive Guidance
In Crumb, laissez vibrer is essential to the music's otherworldly atmosphere. Hold the sustain pedal and resist the temptation to clear resonance between events. Silences in the score are filled with decaying sound — this is structural, not incidental.