PEE-ah-NEE-see-moh] In musical terminology, piano means "quiet" and forte means "strong" or "loud." So, if a singer is directed by the score to sing something pianissimo, (s)he should sing it so quietly that if there were any less air going through his/her chords there would be no sound at all. Sometimes Italian composers will mark a passage: fil di voce ("thread of voice"). Conversely, if a passage is marked fortissimo, depending on the singer, they may be able to thrill not just the Wortham Center audience, but Sharpstown and parts of Sugar Land as well.