mezzo

views updated May 14 2018

mez·zo / ˈmetsō; ˈmedzō/ • n. (pl. -zos) (also mez·zo-so·pra·no) a female singer with a voice pitched between soprano and contralto. ∎  a singing voice of this type, or a part written for one.• adv. half, moderately.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

mezzo

views updated May 21 2018

mezzo, mezza (It.). Half. mezza voce, half-voice, i.e. half the vocal (or instr.) power possible. (Not to be confused with messa di voce.) mezzo-forte, half-loud, i.e. neither loud nor soft.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE

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