Con impeto

As Printed on a Score

Printed beside the dynamic at a forceful entry or the start of an outburst, often with f or ff and accents. It colours the passage it opens and lapses at the next character direction; impetuoso is the adjectival form.

Also spelled: impeto

How Composers Use It

Con impeto asks for impetus: a sudden, headlong surge, as if the music were thrown forward. It suits outbursts, rushing upbeats and passionate climaxes. It describes momentum and attack, not tempo, so if you want the music to press forward in time, add stringendo or accel. explicitly. Keep it for moments; impeto sustained over a long passage becomes mere loudness.

Related Terms