Attacca

How Composers Use It

Attacca creates dramatic continuity between movements. Use it when the emotional or musical flow demands no break — a turbulent scherzo erupting directly into a triumphant finale, or a slow movement dissolving into a fast one. It prevents applause between movements in concert performance.

Example

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 — attacca between the third and fourth movements, the pianissimo timpani transition leading without break into the blazing C major finale.

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