piu tosto

Rather; somewhat — a qualifier modifying a tempo or character instruction. In \"Tempo di minuetto più tosto allegro\" (Op. 44, third movement) it means \"in minuet time, but rather on the fast side\" — specifying that the minuet should not be stately but brisk. Similarly \"più tosto presto\" modifies an allegro upward. Dussek uses this nuance to distinguish his intended pace from either a strictly slow or strictly fast interpretation.

When you see \"più tosto\" before a tempo qualifier, it is an instruction to lean toward the modifier rather than the base marking. \"Più tosto allegro\" in a menuet context means choose the faster end of what menuet tempo allows; the character should feel lively and forward-moving rather than ceremonial. This is Dussek calibrating the tempo precisely: respect the specificity.