passaggio

Passaggio is an Italian noun meaning transition, passage, or doorway. It derives from the verb passare (to pass), via the Latin form passare, and is used in a range of fields to denote a move from one state, place, or register to another.

In music, particularly vocal music, passaggio refers to a transition between vocal registers—where the voice shifts from one resonance area to another, such as from chest voice to head voice. Singers often identify several passaggi that vary by voice type (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass). Negotiating the passaggio requires technique to maintain a consistent timbre and pitch as the larynx and vocal mechanism adjust; singers may use mixed voice, breath support, and vowel shaping to smooth the transition.

In everyday Italian, passaggio can denote any passage or crossing, such as a doorway, a corridor, or a pedestrian crossing (passaggio pedonale). It also appears in phrases like passaggio di livello or passaggio da una scena all’altra to indicate a transition moment in life, literature, or cinema—the linking of parts in a narrative or text.

Beyond language, passaggio functions as a general term in various disciplines for transitional segments, passageways, or steps that connect larger structures, scenes, or processes. The precise sense is determined by context.