stretto

noun

stret·​to ˈstre-(ˌ)tō 

variants or less commonly stretta

ˈstre-tə 

plural stretti ˈstre-(ˌ)tē  or strettos

1

a

: the overlapping of answer with subject in a musical fugue

b

: the part of a fugue characterized by this overlapping

2

: a concluding passage performed in a quicker tempo

Examples of stretto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With his gestures, Widmann underscored Mozart checking off various contrapuntal tricks, inverting his subject and layering its entrances closely in stretto. —Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2019

Word History

Etymology

stretto from Italian, from stretto narrow, close, from Latin strictus, past participle; stretta from Italian, from feminine of stretto — more at strict

First Known Use

circa 1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1a