stretto

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“
After this a few bars in 6/4 time, fiercely wild (stretto) at first, but gradually subsiding, lead to the repeat in B flat major of the second subject--the first subject does not appear again in its original form.

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Definitions (5)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun Music A close succession or overlapping of statements of the subject in a fugue, especially in the final section.
  2. noun Music A final section, as of an opera, performed with an acceleration in tempo to produce a climax. Also called stretta.

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Examples (25)

  • After this a few bars in 6/4 time, fiercely wild (stretto) at first, but gradually subsiding, lead to the repeat in B flat major of the second subject—the first subject does not appear again in its original form. —  Frederic Chopin as a Man and Musician, Volume 2
  • L'opera architettonica e urbanistica di Armando Brasini dall'urbe Massima al Ponte sullo stretto di Messina published in 1979, an enormous and rather flimsy paperback edition of which I purchased in Rome when I was studying there. —  New Liturgical Movement
  • She plunged into her apostrophe with most self-sacrificing vigor at the beginning of the scene, and was prodigal in the use of her voice in its early moments; but when the culmination of its passion was reached, in what would be called the stretto of the piece in the old nomenclature, she could not respond to its increased demands. —  Chapters of Opera Being historical and critical observations and records concerning the lyric drama in New York from its earliest days down to the present time
  • After this a few bars in 6/4 time, fiercely wild (stretto) at first, but gradually subsiding, lead to the repeat in B flat major of the second subject--the first subject does not appear again in its original form. —  Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician — Complete
  • And if they are not found important enough to demand mention in this peroration and stretto, as it were, of the whole matter, in which special prominence should be given to the special feature of the work, where ought they to be made important Mr. Darwin immediately goes on: "A ratio of existence so high as to lead to a struggle for life, and as a consequence to natural selection, entailing divergence of character and the extinction of less improved forms;" so that natural selection turns up after all. —  Luck or Cunning?
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Italian, narrow, stretto, from Latin strictus, strict; see strict.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Italian, from Latin strictus, drawn tight: see strait, strict.
 

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/ˈstrɛttə/
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