prestissimo
tempopreh-STIS-see-moh
The fastest tempo marking; extremely fast, over 200 BPM.
Prestissimo is the fastest standard tempo marking, 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.