Fiery
With fire, passionately.
What it means
Feurig (“fiery”) is a German performance marking and calls for a spirited, rousing performance. It corresponds to the Italian con fuoco or con brio.
What is meant is a bundle of means: energetic articulation, distinct accents, a tempo with forward pull, dynamics without restraint. As with all character words, it is about an attitude that shows itself in several properties at once, not about a single prescription.
It differs from leidenschaftlich (passionate), which means great inner agitation, through outward energy; from energico, which asks for strength and decisiveness, through the rousing drive. The boundaries are fluid.
In the notation
The word stands above the staff at the beginning of a movement or section, in German-language editions in place of an Italian marking. It can become part of the movement's name and also appears as a qualification or intensification, for instance “not too fiery.” Typical neighbours are accents, syncopations, and strong dynamics.
Musical use
The designation is used in outer movements, in dance-like movements, and in sections of an incisive character. In the song and piano literature of the nineteenth century it stands over pieces of a spirited tone. It is also widespread in movements with echoes of folk music.
The German instruction corresponds to the Italian con fuoco and stands above all in music of the Romantic period, for instance in Schumann. It calls for a passionate, spirited performance with strong accents and urgent motion. The tempo is usually fast, the character more important than the exact speed.
Performance practice
Look for the fire in articulation and emphasis, not in tempo alone — faster is not more fiery. Keep the pulse stable so that temperament does not turn into haste. Bring out accents on weak beats and syncopations distinctly. And keep reserve in the dynamics so that climaxes can still intensify.