Quasi presto

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a heading, or in parentheses after another tempo word — Allegro vivace (quasi presto) — where it narrows the first word toward greater speed. Inside phrases such as Stretta quasi presto or più allegro quasi presto it marks an accelerated final section, in force until the next tempo word or the end.

How Composers Use It

Almost presto: very fast, just short of a full presto. Liszt used it repeatedly — in parentheses for the Mephisto Waltz, and for the stretta of his B-minor Sonata. Its approximation is useful when you want to refine another tempo word or point toward a speed without committing to the extreme. Used alone it can seem vague, so a metronome mark helps.

Example

Liszt, Grandes études de Paganini, No. 6 in A minor, m. 1: “Quasi Presto.” heads the theme and variations, at p.

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