FWIW: by my dictionary (Merriam Webster's New Collegiate that is probably 30 yrs old) "mezza voce" is no longer only Italian. It has also come into the English language.
This is a key point when dealing with terms like "tutti". I had a composition teacher in grad school who used to insist that I use "tutte" in the viola section and "tutti" for the other strings. I refused on the grounds that "tutti" is a perfectly good English word that is gender-free (as are "violin" and "viola"). My dictionary backs me up. Some people object to this line of reasoning saying that these words are just commonly used Italian words. But I say that every word in every language came into the language from some other language, and musical terms in English are no exception. On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 5:50 PM, John Howell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > At 10:56 PM +0200 5/29/08, dc wrote: >> >> Is there an English equivalent for "mezzo voce"? >> >> Thanks, >> >> Dennis > > The English equivalent of Mezza voce would be 'half-voice,' according to New > Grove. The French would be à demi or à demi voix, but is more an 18th > century usage. In both vocal and instrumental music it is an instruction to > produce a quiet, restrained tone. > > However, it would be more normal to see the Italian term (with mezza, not > mezzo) even in English-speaking countries. > > It should not be confused with Messa di voce, an ornament in which a long > note begins very quietly and then swells, and is found nowadays more often > in jazz than in classical style. > > John > > > -- > John R. Howell, Assoc. Prof. of Music > Virginia Tech Department of Music > College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences > Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 > Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 > (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) > http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
