Fantastico
“Exuberantly, fantastically” – Italian performance direction.
What it means
Fantastico is a rare Italian performance direction meaning “exuberant” or “fantastic.” It asks for a free, imaginative delivery that does not stick to a schematic rendering but gives room to the inspiration and whim of the moment.
Musical use
The marking occurs only occasionally and stands close to the expression of the fantasia, that is, a freely shaped manner of playing that seems improvised. It can refer to a whole piece or a short section and leaves tempo and volume open. The French counterpart is “fantastique,” known for instance from Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.
Fantastico should be distinguished from fanatico, which means a glowing, obsessed expression, and from capriccioso, which sounds rather whimsical and skittish. Fantastico stresses the imaginative and unbound.
Performance practice
Shape a section marked fantastico with rhythmic freedom: let the tempo breathe slightly and use tone colors deliberately. Stay within the style while doing so, since the freedom should not destroy the coherence of the phrase.