Presto, presto |

ital. – fast

Fast tempo notation. Applied from the beginning 17th century Initially, there was little or no distinction between R. and allegro; only in the 18th century. R. has become the designation of a faster tempo compared to the allegro. In the 18th century the designation R. was usually combined with the size designation alla breve (

); yet

at the pace of R. remained longer than

in allegro tempo. The difference between R. and allegro is also due to the fact that allegro, unlike R., originally served as an indication of the lively, cheerful nature of music. Designation “R.” often used in the finals of the classic. sonata-symphony cycles, as well as in opera overtures (for example, the overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila by Glinka). The term “R.” sometimes used in conjunction with additional qualifying terms such as P. assai, P. molto (very fast), P. ma non tanto, and P. ma non troppo (not very fast). See also Prestissimo.