Which term means 'in the style of' and is often used to imitate a composer?

• A. Concerto
• B. Andantino
• C. Alla
• D. Animato

Answer: (C)

Think about a directive that tells you to approach the music in a particular composer’s manner. In Italian musical terminology, that sense of “in the style of” is expressed with the word that literally means “in the manner of.” When you see a marking like this, it signals the performer to emulate the phrasing, articulation, and musical language associated with that style or composer, often pairing the word with a name (for example, “alla Mozart” or “alla polacca”). This is why it’s the best fit for indicating imitation of a composer.

The other terms describe form, tempo, or character rather than a directive to imitate a composer: a concerto is a large-scale work for a solo instrument with orchestra; Andantino is a tempo marking; Animato is a lively, animated character marking. None of these instructs imitation of a composer, so they don’t match the meaning described.