Fortississimo

Louder than Fortissimo

"Fortississimo" is an Italian musical term that translates to "very, very loud" or "extremely loud" in English. It is used as a dynamic marking in music to indicate that a passage should be played or sung with the highest possible volume and intensity.

"Fortississimo" is an intensified form of the dynamic marking "fortissimo", emphasizing an even greater level of loudness and intensity. In sheet music, it is often abbreviated as "fff". It guides performers to play a musical passage with the utmost power and energy. This dynamic marking is particularly rare and is used for exceptionally dramatic and climactic moments in the music.

When encountering a "Fortississimo" marking, performers are required to play with the highest achievable volume and intensity. It signifies a level of loudness that surpasses even "fortissimo", making it an indication for the most powerful and attention-grabbing moments in the composition.

Composers use "Fortississimo" sparingly, often reserving it for moments of extreme emotional intensity, grand climaxes, or moments of heightened drama in the music. By using this dynamic marking, composers aim to create a sensation of overwhelming power and impact that can resonate strongly with the audience.

Interpreting "Fortississimo" demands a robust and controlled approach. Musicians must summon their full energy and technical prowess to generate an exceedingly powerful sound while maintaining precision and clarity.

Example of Fortississimo

How Loud is Fortississimo FFFF? How Quiet is PPPP?

Tutor's Video (Shania Chan)

Tutors

Frankie Chan

California Baptist University (US), Hong Kong Baptist University

Master

Violin, Western Music Theory

Cyanne Chan

Cyanne Chan

Hong Kong Baptist University

Bachelor (Current)

Classical Vocal, Western Music Theory

Gala Shek

Gala Shek

National Taiwan University of Arts

Bachelor

Erhu

Miss So

Miss So

The University of Akron (US), The Cleveland Institute of Music (US)

Master

Classical Vocal, Pop Singing, Musical

Scarlett Ng

Scarlett Ng

Hong Kong Baptist University

Bachelor (Current)

Piano

Kelly Lam

Kelly Lam

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Bachelor

Clarinet

Articles

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Canon in D, one of the most widely known classical music pieces of contemporary times, is composed by German composer Johann Pachelbel. The original version of Canon in D is composed for three violins, accompanied by one (or more) bass instrument(s). Over time, the piece has been arranged into various versions, such as piano solo and orchestral versions. The exact date of its composition is not recorded but it is generally believed to be composed between 1680-1706.

Read the music carefully

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G Song

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As an iconic American composer, Terry Riley (born 1935) is always considered as a minimalist. However, this kind of thoughts would be ignoring part of his creativity. In fact, Riley added plenty elements in his compositions since 1970s, especially when he started collaborating with the Kronos Quartet. Riley’s composing style is very extensive, including improvisation, polyrhythm and jazz. He adopted classical elements, such as instrumentation, musical forms, structure and tonality. He also combined the elements from different periods to create unique musical textures. This research focuses on Terry Riley’s String Quartet, G Song. The research will be divided into two parts. The first part introduces Riley’s life and the background of G Song. The second part focuses on music analysis, including the musical structure “Two forms in one work”; The harmony “Unresolved Dissonance”; The rhythm “Metric Modulation”; The baroque “Canon”; The modern “Pointillism”. The purpose of this study is to discuss how Riley combined classicism and modernism into a work, and discuss why the statement “Terry Riley is considered as minimalist” would be ignoring part of his story.

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