stretto

Stretto is a musical term from Italian meaning "tightened" or "narrow." In polyphonic music, particularly fugues, stretto refers to a technique in which entries of the subject—the principal thematic material—occur in close succession and overlap, with a new entry beginning before the previous one has completed. The effect is a compressed texture and heightened momentum as the voices chase the subject around the tonal space.

Typically, the second entry of the subject occurs at a different pitch, often higher, though other transpositions are possible. Subsequent entries may follow in rapid sequence, producing a double or even triple stretto when three or more appearances overlap. Stretto contrasts with the earlier exposition, where subject entries are more clearly separated, and with non-subject episodes that pass between statements of the theme.

Stretto is a hallmark of Baroque fugue writing and is widely associated with composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, though the technique appears in earlier and later music as well. It serves to intensify drama and propel the music toward a climactic conclusion, while demanding careful voice-leading to maintain coherence and balance among the overlapping lines.

In analysis, stretto is discussed as a device within fugues and can be found in canons and other contrapuntal forms. Performers realize stretto by aligning rhythm and melody so that the overlapping entries remain clear and the counterpoint remains legible, even as the texture becomes more compact.