: 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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebWith 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