Sotto voce (music)

In music, sotto voce (/ˈsɒtoʊ ˈvoʊtʃi, -tʃeɪ/,[1][2] Italian: [ˈsotto ˈvoːtʃe]; Italian for '"under the voice"') is a dramatic lowering of the vocal or instrumental volume — not necessarily pianissimo, but a definitely hushed tonal quality. Examples of sotto voce include:

  • In the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem, in which the singers lower their volume for emphasis.
  • At the beginning of the third movement of Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132, in which the strings play with a hushed quality before later playing with renewed strength.
  • The second part of Chopin's Nocturne in C minor, Op 48 No 1, which is marked sotto voce e sostenuto; this is used to 'hold back the drama and keep us in suspense'.[3]

References
  1. American Heritage Dictionary
  2. Collins English Dictionary
  3. "Nocturne in C minor, Op 48 No 1 - Hyperion Records - CDs, MP3 and Lossless downloads". www.hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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