Stringendo il tempo

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff, written out in full, where the tempo starts to tighten; it may sit inside a longer direction (Poco allegro, stringendo il tempo, sempre più allegro) and runs until the new tempo is reached.

How Composers Use It

The full phrase makes clear that the tempo itself, not just the intensity, is to be pressed — a useful distinction, since stringendo alone is sometimes read as a tightening of tension. It works as a written-out transition into a faster tempo, so name the tempo it leads to. In an orchestral score, print it at the top of the score and over the strings so every section accelerates together.

Example

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, fourth movement: “Poco allegro, stringendo il tempo, sempre più allegro.”, the direction that leads into the finale’s closing Prestissimo.

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