prestissimo
prestissimo — adverb
1. a direction printed on a musical score telling the performer that the passage wh
a direction printed on a musical score telling the performer that the passage which follows must be played at the greatest speed physically possible.
The composer wrote prestissimo at the start of the final movement of the sonata.
written marking on a score
Dario ignored the prestissimo marking and played the passage at a much slower tempo.
The violinist saw prestissimo above her solo and took a deep breath before playing.
Naoko smiled at the prestissimo marking — her teacher rarely let her attempt such fast pieces.
- as fast as possible
English equivalent used in informal musical directions
- at the greatest speed
less technical but avoids the Italian term
用法筆記
Refers only to the written tempo instruction on a musical score. To describe how music sounds during a live or recorded performance, use the second adverb sense.
常見錯誤
2. at the fastest tempo a player can achieve, referring to the actual speed heard d
at the fastest tempo a player can achieve, referring to the actual speed heard during a live or recorded performance rather than to a written instruction on a score.
The pianist played the last section prestissimo, amazing everyone in the concert hall.
describes actual performance speed
Shirin smiled after playing the passage prestissimo — she had never moved her fingers so fast.
The music critic wrote that the string section played prestissimo throughout the symphony.
Bilal practiced the passage for weeks but still could not play it prestissimo without mistakes.
- at breakneck speed
informal equivalent; carries a sense of daring or recklessness
- at lightning speed
common idiomatic alternative, though less precise in music contexts
- lentissimo
Italian marking for extremely slow; the tempo opposite of prestissimo
用法筆記
Common in concert reviews, programme notes, and descriptions of actual performances. Unlike the first adverb sense, this one does not imply that the speed was requested in the written score.
prestissimo — adjective
1. of a musical passage or section: played or sung at the greatest possible speed,
of a musical passage or section: played or sung at the greatest possible speed, faster than presto.
The prestissimo passage in the Moonlight Sonata finale needs fingers faster than most pianists have.
modifies 'passage' — a typical noun for this sense
Yael's fingers stumbled over every note of the prestissimo section during the orchestra rehearsal.
The conductor marked the final movement as prestissimo, and the string players exchanged nervous glances.
Henry opened the concert with a short prestissimo piece that left the audience breathless.
- extremely fast
non-technical English equivalent that any reader will understand
- lightning-fast
informal; suitable for programme notes but not academic writing
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun such as 'passage', 'section', 'movement', or 'tempo'. Does not change form for singular or plural — 'prestissimo passages', 'prestissimo sections'.
常見錯誤
prestissimo — noun
1. a musical passage meant to be played at the maximum possible tempo, or the actua
a musical passage meant to be played at the maximum possible tempo, or the actual tempo a performer adopts for playing such a passage.
The final prestissimo of the concerto brought the whole audience to its feet.
refers to a section of a piece
Rohan wiped his palms before the prestissimo, knowing one mistake could ruin the whole performance.
The middle section of the symphony is a prestissimo lasting just over a minute.
Antonia's teacher circled the prestissimo, telling her to play slowly until every note was clean.
- fast movement
broader term; a fast movement may not be at prestissimo speed
- rapid section
more general; useful for avoiding the Italian loanword
用法筆記
As a countable noun, it takes an article ('a prestissimo', 'the prestissimo') and can be modified by adjectives ('a long prestissimo', 'a difficult prestissimo'). The context usually makes clear whether the speaker means the passage itself or its tempo.