pp = pianissimo (very soft), mf = mezzoforte (medium strong). One of my old conductors would say “it’s not about volume, it’s about feeling”, so intensity is a good word, although it often refers to volume. One of the main jobs of the conductor is making sure the music is interpreted in a way that fits the venue; pianissimo can be quite loud (but ‘soft’) in a big auditorium.
Die doesn’t mean anything - at least, not too me as a violinist. Might just be a percussion instruction to let the sound die away, rather than muffling it.
Ritardando = slowing down, it’s a tempo notation.
pp = pianissimo (very soft), mf = mezzoforte (medium strong). One of my old conductors would say “it’s not about volume, it’s about feeling”, so intensity is a good word, although it often refers to volume. One of the main jobs of the conductor is making sure the music is interpreted in a way that fits the venue; pianissimo can be quite loud (but ‘soft’) in a big auditorium.
Die doesn’t mean anything - at least, not too me as a violinist. Might just be a percussion instruction to let the sound die away, rather than muffling it.
“Die” is the lyric for that group of notes. It’s German for “the.”