The standard abbreviation for Sforzando is which of the following?

• A. sfz
• B. rfz
• C. Con amore
• D. Con grazia

Answer: (A)

A sudden, strong emphasis on a note or chord is what sforzando signals. The standard shorthand for that marking is sfz, widely used across scores to show a sharp, forceful attack. Some editions may use rfz to indicate rinforzando, which is a related idea of reinforcing the accent, but sfz is the conventional abbreviation for sforzando. The other markings, Con amore and Con grazia, are expressive directions about character—play with warmth or with grace—not about a sudden heavy accent. So the familiar sfz is the correct abbreviation.