BREVE, in music, the note of greatest time-value (the equiva lent of two semibreves) in our existing Western notation, repre sented by the sign or . It is, however, now seldom used, the semibreve having taken its place for practical purposes, although it is not quite obsolete, Brahms for instance having employed it in his German Requiem. Formerly there were other notes longer still, namely, the large or maxima and the long or Tonga; in contrast with which the breve (brevis, brief) received its name, but these disappeared many centuries ago. (See MUSI