Strepitoso

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a character word, usually at a loud, climactic passage, alone or after a tempo word. It lasts until the music changes character; the dynamic is marked separately and is usually forte or louder.

How Composers Use It

Strepitoso asks for noise and clamour: boisterous, brilliant, full-throated playing, the opposite of refinement. It belongs to climaxes and codas where sheer sound is the point. Unlike fortissimo it names a character, so it gives players licence for rougher attack and more abandon; reserve it for moments when you want that excess, and mark the dynamic as well.

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