Fastoso
“Magnificently” – Italian performance direction.
What it means
Fastoso is a rare Italian performance direction meaning “magnificent” or “sumptuous.” It asks for a splendid, festive delivery with a full, radiant sound.
Musical use
The marking belongs to the expression marks that describe a festive, representative character and fixes neither tempo nor volume precisely. It suits passages meant to express splendour and dignity, such as processions, homages, or solemn climaxes.
Fastoso should be distinguished from maestoso, which stresses grandeur and dignity at a measured tempo, and from pomposo, which stresses the pompous even more strongly, sometimes with exaggerated effect. Fastoso means the radiant splendour itself.
Performance practice
Play fastoso with a full, round sound and a large gesture but without harshness or exaggeration. Keep the tempo dignified and use accents sparingly so that the splendour does not tip into the loud or coarse.