Tempo I subito

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff at the exact bar of the return, often right after a slowing (rit., Etwas zurückhaltend); subito tells the player to make no transition — the first tempo starts on that downbeat.

Also spelled: Tempo I. subito

How Composers Use It

Use subito when the return to the main tempo should be a jolt — a surprise, or a dramatic cut back into the main material. Without subito, players often ease back gradually after a ritardando. Make sure the preceding slowing is marked, so the snap back is audible.

Example

Mahler, Symphony No. 5, second movement, flutes, m. 141: “Tempo I subito.”, three bars after “Etwas zurückhaltend.”, as ff gives way to p — the movement’s “Stürmisch bewegt” returns at once.

Related Terms