Presto con fuoco

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a heading or as the start of a coda, and in force until the next tempo word, which in a coda is usually none. Its arrival may be prepared by a poco riten. or a fermata just before.

How Composers Use It

Very fast and fiery: the most extreme of the con fuoco headings, demanding brilliance, power and abandon. Chopin used it to open his First Scherzo and to unleash the coda of his First Ballade. It is best reserved for climaxes or sections whose technical difficulty is itself part of the drama. At presto, heavy textures turn to noise, so make sure the figuration stays clear.

Example

Chopin, Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, m. 208: “Presto con fuoco.” launches the coda at ff, two bars after “il più forte possibile” and one after “poco riten.”

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