Allegro con fuoco

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a movement or section heading, sometimes with further qualifiers (Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo); it governs until the next tempo word.

How Composers Use It

Fast and fiery: the heading asks for passion and attack along with speed. Romantic composers favour it for finales and stormy études; Chopin’s Étude Op. 25 No. 10 starts p under it, showing that the fire can be held in reserve. Make sure the dynamics and accents you write support the heading, so the fire is not left entirely to the performer’s imagination.

Example

Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”), fourth movement, m. 1: “Allegro con fuoco”, with the double basses marked ff in the first bar.

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