mezza voceadv.adj.n.

1776 Ann. Reg. 1775 Characters 64/2 Instead of singing her airs as other actresses do, for the most part she only hums them over, a mezza voce.

1786 T. Busby Compl. Dict. Music Mezza Voce, an expression signifying that the movement before which it is written is to be sung or played with a moderate strength of tone, and in a delicate, pleasing manner.

1792 C. Smith Desmond I. v. 60 Interrupting a tune he had been humming, a mezza voce.

1875 Appletons' Jrnl. 14 667 He does not hesitate in the high notes, written to be sung mezza voce.

1938 O. Thompson Internat. Cycl. Mus. (1942) 1145/2 To sing mezza voce is to sing with only half the usual power or volume.

1983 C. Osborne How to enjoy Opera 149 Mezza voce, the Italian term for ‘half voice’ is used as a direction to the singer to sing with moderate force.

1853 G. W. Hervey Rhetoric of Conversat. 69 But what did you think of the mezza voce shake in the hymn?

1958 Times 10 Nov. 14/3 She..impressed upon her excellent accompanist..a similar mezza voce treatment.

1973 Guardian 12 Mar. 8/3 A clear, mezza voce climax.

1877 G. B. Shaw How to become Musical Critic (1960) 29 The critics will fall into raptures over his exquisite management of the mezza voce.

1927 Sunday Times 6 Mar. 7/3 Though he can achieve an extraordinary mezza voce at times, his voice is really far too big for a small hall.

1954 C. K. Scott Fund. Singing iii. 163 This is the principle of mezza voce which gives perhaps the most appealing sound that can be made.

1955 Times 29 June 3/1 He does not suffer from the common fault of Italian tenors of yelling continuously; his mezza voce is pleasing.

1978 Daily Tel. 31 Mar. 15/6 Her control of mezza voce was exemplary in Seiber's four French songs.

1991–2 Opera Q. Winter 149 The role of Flammen is challenging in that it requires much use of mezza voce while still calling for some stirring climaxes.