prestissimo

Definition of the Italian term prestissimo in music:

  1. extremely fast (140–220 beats per minute), faster than presto
  2. movement, section, or piece marked prestissimo
Language
Italian
Singular
prestissimo (m)prestissima (f)
Plural
prestissimi (m)prestissime (f)
Abbreviation
prestmo

Tempo analysis

An analysis of 100 recordings of classical works marked prestissimo indicates that prestissimo is typically performed at a tempo between 140 and 220 beats per minute (BPM). The average tempo is 179 BPM.

The diagram below shows the tempo of each recording. The dataset includes works from the 18th to 20th centuries, where available, with no more than three recordings of the same work and no more than six by the same composer.

18th century
19th century
20th century

Combinations

Italian musical terms that include prestissimo:

Musical examples

Music scores that include prestissimo:

Related terms

Italian musical terms related to prestissimo: