Prestissimo

What it means

Prestissimo is the superlative form of presto and designates the fastest possible tempo. The ending -issimo intensifies the base word, which by itself already means a very fast tempo. Numbers are occasionally given but say little: what is possible depends on the instrument, the note values, and the manner of writing. The word therefore designates a limit, not a value.

In relation to the related superlatives it holds: vivacissimo stresses liveliness, allegrissimo heightened cheerfulness, prestissimo pure speed. It is the fastest common tempo marking of all and correspondingly rare.

Bear in mind that “fastest possible” does not mean “as fast as can conceivably be managed” but as fast as the texture can still bear. Where the structure becomes unrecognizable, the limit has been overstepped.

In the notation

The marking stands above the first staff of a movement or section and can become the movement's name. Typical is proximity to continuous eighths or sixteenths, to alla breve bars, and to beamings that group into large units. Metronome numbers next to it usually come from the editor.

Musical use

The designation is used in closing movements and codas that are to be driven to the utmost, as well as in virtuoso pieces whose appeal lies precisely in the speed. It often stands only toward the end of a work, after a presto has preceded it, and then marks a final intensification.

Prestissimo is the fastest common tempo. It demands great lightness, so that the music does not blur. Beethoven writes it, for instance, in the finale of the piano sonata op. 2 no. 1.

Performance practice

Determine the tempo from the most difficult passage and not from the beginning. Keep all movements small: at this tempo, the distance travelled by finger, bow, or tongue decides success. Count in large units, often whole bars, otherwise the movement falls apart into individual beats. Practise slowly with the same articulation and increase in small steps. And take care that the metric accents remain audible — without them, even the fastest tempo sounds uniform.