This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

Sotto voce (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsotːo ˈvotʃe], literally "under voice") means to speak under one's breath. In music, a dramatic lowering of the vocal or instrumental tone — not necessarily pianissimo, but with a hushed quality. An example of Sotto voce is in the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor. The singers lower their volume in order to attain the 'hushed' quality desired.

The term may also denote muttering in literary, theatrical or film scripts (related to the aside). For example, in Jane Eyre Chapter 4, Charlotte Brontë uses this term to describe Mrs. Reed's tone after arguing with Jane.

This music theory article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e