Editing Perpetuum mobile (section)

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{{about|the musical term||Perpetuum Mobile (disambiguation)|and|Perpetual motion (disambiguation)}}{{See also|Round (music)|Canon (music)}}{{One source
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In music, '''''perpetuum mobile''''' (English pronunciation /pərˌpɛtjʊəm ˈmoʊbɪleɪ/, /ˈmoʊbɪli/; Latin, literally, "perpetual motion"), '''''moto perpetuo''''' ([[Italian language|Italian]]), '''''mouvement perpétuel''''' ([[French language|French]]), '''''movimento perpétuo''''' ([[Portuguese Language|Portuguese]]) '''''movimiento perpetuo''''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]), is a term used to describe a rapidly executed and persistently maintained figuration, usually of notes of equal length.  Over time it has taken on two distinct applications:  first, as describing entire musical compositions or passages within them that are characterised by a continuous stream of notes, usually but not always at a rapid [[tempo]]; and second, as describing entire compositions, or extended passages within them that are meant to be played in a repetitious fashion, often an indefinite number of times.<ref>Apel, Willi, ed.; ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'', 12th ed.; Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass.:  1960. p. 560</ref>