prestissimo

tempopreh-STIS-see-mohfrom Italian

The fastest [tempo marking](/term/tempo%20marking); extremely fast, over 200 BPM.

In Depth

Prestissimo is the fastest standard [tempo marking](/term/tempo%20marking), indicating speeds above 200 BPM. At this pace, individual notes blur into rapid passages that test the absolute limits of a performer's technique. The marking is rare because few musical passages can be played meaningfully at such extreme speeds. Prestissimo passages tend to be brief — extended playing at this tempo is physically exhausting and risks sacrificing clarity for speed. When it does appear, it typically marks a thrilling conclusion or a passage of virtuosic display. The final pages of many Romantic-era piano works accelerate to prestissimo for a dazzling finish.

Did you know?

The finale of Chopin's Sonata No. 2 (the Funeral March sonata) is marked Presto — but many pianists push it to prestissimo. The entire movement lasts barely over a minute.