Etwas drängend

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff where the music should push forward slightly; it continues until the next tempo word, often a rit. or a tempo a few bars later. Webern also writes zart drängend.

How Composers Use It

A slight forward push — poco stringendo — ideal for the rise of a phrase in slow music. Mahler and Webern use it to keep a slow tempo alive without changing its character. It works best when the push is short and answered by a relaxation.

Example

Mahler, Symphony No. 5, fourth movement (Adagietto), harp, m. 28: “etwas drängend”, in a movement headed “Sehr langsam.”

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