Molto stringendo

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as molto string., stringendo molto or in full, often followed by dashes and a crescendo; it runs until a new tempo word, a climax or a fermata.

Abbreviations: molto string., stringendo molto

How Composers Use It

A strong tightening of tempo and tension together, usually driving toward a climax. It is about intensity as much as speed, so it tends to come with a crescendo or a sustained forte. Because ensemble music can come apart under such pressure, give it a clear arrival point and keep the texture rhythmically simple while it lasts.

Example

Liszt, 2 Konzertetüden, S. 145, No. 1 (“Waldesrauschen”), m. 71: “stringendo molto e sempre fortissimo ed appassionato.”

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