Adagissimo

Adagissimo is a tempo marking in music that indicates an extremely slow pace, slower than adagio. The term is Italian, formed from adagio with the superlative suffix -issimo, signaling the highest degree of slowness.

In practice, adagissimo is used to convey a profound, contemplative, or solemn character in a passage. It is relatively rare compared with adagio or adagio molto, and when encountered, it is often interpreted as either an extremely slow adagio or as a slightly slower alternative to adagio molto, depending on the context and the performer’s feel for the music.

Notationally, adagissimo appears above the staff as a tempo indication and may be accompanied by a metronome marking to clarify the intended speed. Because Italian tempo terms are descriptive rather than precise, the exact tempo for adagissimo can vary between composers, eras, and performances.

Adagissimo sits at the slow end of the tempo spectrum alongside other markings such as grave, lento, and adagio. It is part of the broader tradition of Italian tempo markings that use the -issimo suffix to denote heightened degrees of expressiveness, similar in spirit to largissimo or pianissimo in their respective realms of speed and dynamics.