fortissimo
1
8.4
- noun
- /fɔrˈtɪsɪmoʊ/
- Specialized
:
fortísimo
- Prior to the performance, we had established our goal: after the piano pizzicato passage, we would surprise our audience with the subsequent fortissimo chords.
Examples
-
Part's "Magnificat" features powerful six-part chords in mm. 38-46, where all of the voices are written in the upper register and the composer asks for the text to be projected at fortissimo.
Academic text (2001) -
Every year, the piano gets more fortissimo.
Fiction book (2001) -
We discussed how to set up the surprise with an extremely soft dynamic (as Beethoven indicates) before startling the audience with the subsequent fortissimo chords.
Academic text (2014) -
After quieting the bassoons, he might highlight the baritone saxophone, followed by the bass clarinet, before combining the low woodwinds at the fortissimo dynamic level.
Academic text (1990) -
In musical notation, fortissimo indicates that a passage should be played very loudly.
-
During the concert, the conductor signaled for the orchestra to play fortissimo at the climax of the piece.
-
You can recognize a section marked fortissimo by its intense volume compared to the surrounding music.
Synonyms
1
7.7
A loud part of a piece of music
Antonyms
How Loud
- Specialized
1
8.4
- Specialized
1
7.7
- Specialized
24
3.1
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Etymology
Fortissimo comes from the Italian word forte, which means 'loud' or 'strong', and the ending -issimo, which means 'very'. So a fortissimo is a passage in music that is meant to be played very loudly.