Musicians all over the world know this well: Allegro is an agogic indication, which is placed between Moderato and Presto, and therefore indicates at what speed a piece should be performed. In the Italian language, however, "allegro" also has another meaning, of very common use: it is an adjective that means joyful, happy; in a good mood.

The title of this score is, accordingly, a word game, because in this case Decisamente allegro means both that the music must be performed at a certain speed and that the mood suggested to the performers and listeners is that of happiness, joy and contentment.

Commissioned in 2021 by Riccardo Chailly and the Filarmonica della Scala on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its foundation, Decisamente allegro is a piece that I composed with an enormous pleasure; and, after all, it’s a declaration of love for the symphony orchestra, one of the most powerful, fascinating and perfect creations of Western culture.

(Nicola Campogrande, January, 2022)