Loading…
Loading…
Stating a theme in shorter note values (e.g., halving all durations), making it faster and more energetic.
Diminution compresses a theme in time, increasing urgency and energy. It can create a sense of acceleration without actually changing tempo. Often used near the end of a fugue, combined with stretto, for maximum excitement.
Bach uses diminution in the final pages of his fugues — the subject in diminution creates a sense of virtuosic acceleration.
Diminution is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
Browse the full dictionary →