Velocissimo

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff, alone or combined (rinforzando velocissimo), at a passage of rapid figuration; it lasts for that passage or until a new tempo word.

How Composers Use It

The superlative of veloce: as fast as possible. It usually describes the speed of figuration rather than a new beat — an unmeasured run, a flourish within the bar. Use it for brief passages where brilliance matters more than pulse, and expect players to take it as licence for their utmost speed.

Example

Liszt, Gnomenreigen, the second of the Two Concert Études (Zwei Konzertetüden), S. 145, m. 33: “rinforzando velocissimo” with an sf, in a study headed “Presto scherzando”.

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