Perpetuum Mobile

(moto perpetuo), a 19th-century term for a virtuoso instrumental music piece, the melody of which is developed in notes of short duration at a tempo that is rapid throughout. The most widely known of these virtuoso pieces are Mendelssohn’s Perpetuum mobile for piano (Opus 119) and N. Paganini’s Moto perpetuo: Allegro de concert for violin and orchestra (Opus 11).