Stretto describes which technique in the context of fugue?

• A. The ending of a fugue with a concluding cadence
• B. Pertaining to the fugue, the overlapping of the same theme or motif by two or more voices a few beats apart
• C. A slow, expansive passage in a fugue
• D. The use of a cantus firmus in augmentation

Answer: (B)

Stretto is the technique where the same theme enters again in a different voice before the previous entrance has finished, so two voices overlap the theme by only a few beats. This tightens the texture and heightens momentum as the fugue moves toward its end. The other descriptions refer to different ideas—concluding cadences imply an ending, a slow expansive passage describes a broad, dilated section, and augmentation with a cantus firmus involves lengthening note values rather than overlapping entrances.