The tessitura may be low, but the work contains extreme upper sounds, and vice versa - high, but without extreme upper sounds. Thus, the concept of tessitura reflects that part of the range where the voice most often should remain when singing a given piece. If a voice, close in character to a tenor, stubbornly does not hold the tenor tessitura, then one can doubt the correctness of the chosen manner of voicing and indicates that this voice is probably a baritone. Tessitura is an important indicator in identifying the type of voice that determines the capabilities of a given singer in terms of singing certain parts.
Among the signs that help determine the type of voice, there are also anatomical and physiological ones. It has long been noted that different types of voices correspond to different lengths of vocal cords.
Indeed, numerous observations show the existence of such a dependence. The higher the voice type, the shorter and thinner vocal cords.
Background
Back in the 30s, Dumont drew attention to the fact that the type of voice is related to the excitability of the motor nerve of the larynx. In connection with works devoted to a deep study of the activity of the neuromuscular apparatus of the larynx, carried out mainly by French authors, the excitability of the motor (recurrent, recurrent) nerve of the larynx was measured, in particular, in more than 150 professional singers. These studies, carried out by R. Husson and K. Sheney in 1953-1955, showed that each type of voice has its own excitability of the recurrent nerve. These studies, which confirmed the neurochronaxial theory of the functioning of the vocal cords, provide a new, unique classification of voices based on the excitability of the recurrent nerve, the so-called chronaxy, measured using a special device - a chronaximeter.
In physiology, chronaxy refers to the minimum time required for an electric current of a certain strength to cause muscle contraction. The shorter this time, the higher the excitability. Chronaxy of the recurrent nerve is measured in milliseconds (thousandths of a second) by applying an electrode to the skin of the neck in the area of the sternocleidomastial muscle. The chronaxy of a particular nerve or muscle is an innate quality of a given organism and is therefore stable, changing only due to fatigue. The technique of chronaximetry of the recurrent nerve is very subtle, requires a lot of skill and has not yet become widespread in our country. Below we provide data on chronaxy characteristic of different types of voices, taken from the work of R. Husson “ Singing voice».
Rice. 90. Carrying out chronaximetry in the laboratory of the Musical Pedagogical Institute named after. Gnesins.
In these data, attention is drawn to the fact that the table of chronaxies includes a number of intermediate voices, and also shows that the same type of voice can have several close chronaxies. This one is fundamental A New Look on the nature of this or that type of voice, however, does not at all remove the question of the importance of the length and thickness of the vocal cords in the formation of the type of voice, as the author of the study and creator of the neuro-chronaxial theory of phonation R. Husson is trying to do. Actually, chronaxy reflects only the ability of a given vocal apparatus to take sounds of one or another pitch, but not the quality of its timbre. Meanwhile, we know that timbre coloring in determining the type of voice is no less important than range. Consequently, the chronaxy of the recurrent nerve can only suggest the most natural boundaries of the range for a given voice and thus suggest, in case of doubt, what type of voice the singer should use. However, like other signs, it cannot make a definitive diagnosis of voice type.
It should also be remembered that the vocal cords can be organized in different ways and therefore used to form different timbres. This is clearly evidenced by cases of changes in voice type among professional singers. The same vocal cords can be used for singing different types voices depending on your adaptation. However, their typical length, and with the experienced eye of a phoniatrist, an approximate idea of the thickness of the vocal cords, can provide guidance regarding the type of voice. The domestic scientist E.N. Malyutin, who first drew attention to the shape and size of the palatine vault in singers, tried to connect its structure with the type of voice. He, in particular, pointed out that high voices have a deep and steep palatine vault, and lower ones are cup-shaped, etc. However, more numerous observations by other authors (I.L. Yamshtekin, L.B. Dmitriev) did not find such a relationship and show that the shape of the palatine vault does not determine the type voice, but relates to the general comfort of the vocal apparatus of a given person to singing phonation.
There is no doubt that the neuro-endocrine constitution, as well as the general structure of the body, its anatomical structure, make it possible, to a certain extent, to judge the type of voice. In a number of cases, already when a singer appears on stage, one can unmistakably judge the type of his voice. That is why, for example, there are terms such as “tenor” or “bass” appearance. However, the connection between voice type and the constitutional characteristics of the body cannot be considered a developed area of knowledge and cannot be relied on when determining voice type. But here, too, some additional addition may be added to the total sum of characteristics.
INSTALLATION OF THE BODY, HEAD AND MOUTH IN SINGING
When starting to practice singing with a new student, you should immediately pay attention to some external aspects: the installation of the body, head, mouth.
The installation of the body during singing has been written in many methodological works on vocal art. In some schools this point is given exceptional importance, in others it is mentioned in passing. Many teachers consider it necessary when singing to lean well on both yogas, straighten the spinal column and move the chest forward. So, for example, some insistently recommend for such an installation to intertwine your hands from behind and, turning them out, straighten your shoulders, while pushing your chest forward, and such a tense pose is considered correct for singing. Others offer a free position of the body, without placing it in any specific position. Some say that since the singer must move and sing standing, sitting and lying down, there is no point in accustoming the student to a certain, once forever fixed position, and in this sense they give him complete freedom. The extreme antipode to this opinion can be considered the opinion of Rutz, who believes that it is the posture that determines the character and correctness of the sound, that the singer’s body plays a role similar to the body of a musical instrument. Therefore, in his book, posture is given one of the most important places.
When considering the question of the position of the body in singing, one should, first of all, admit that this position in itself cannot play a serious role in voice formation. Therefore, Rutz's opinion that the torso plays a role similar to that of the body of a musical instrument is completely untenable. Such an analogy is only external in nature, and, as we remember from the chapter on the acoustic structure of the voice, has no basis. One cannot but agree with the opinion that a singer must be able to sing well and correctly in any body position, depending on the stage situation offered to him. However, can we conclude from this that serious attention should not be paid to the position of the body when learning to sing? Definitely not.
The issue of installing the body in singing should be considered from two sides - from an aesthetic point of view and from the point of view of the influence of posture on voice formation.
The singer's posture while singing is one of the most important moments singer's behavior on stage. How to go on stage, how to stand at the instrument, how to hold yourself during a performance - all this is very important for professional singing. Developing behavioral skills on the stage is one of the tasks of a teacher of a solo singing class, and therefore the teacher should pay attention to this from the very first steps of classes. The singer must immediately get used to a natural, relaxed, beautiful pose at the instrument, without any clamps inside, and especially without cramped hands or clenched fists, i.e., without all those unnecessary, accompanying movements that distract attention and violate the harmony that the listener always wants to see the artist standing on the stage. A singer who knows how to stand beautifully on the stage has already done a lot for the success of his performance. The habit of a natural body position, free hands, and a straight back should be cultivated from the very first stages of training. The teacher is obliged to avoid any unnecessary movements, accompanying tension, or deliberate posture. If you allow them at the beginning of work, they will quickly take root and fighting them in the future will be very difficult. Thus, the aesthetic side of this issue requires serious attention from both the singer and the teacher from the very first steps.
However, on the other hand, from the point of view of the influence of the installation of the housing on phonation, this issue is also of very great importance. One should not, of course, think that the position of the body determines the nature of voice formation, however, the position in which the abdominal press is tense and the chest is in a free, expanded state can be considered the best for working on the singing voice. Everyone knows that it is more difficult to sing while sitting than standing, and that when singers sing in opera while sitting, they either drop one knee off the chair or try to sing stretched out, reclining. This is determined by the fact that when sitting, the abdominal press is relaxed due to a change in the position of the pelvis. Having lowered their leg or straightened up, reclining in a chair, the singers extend their pelvis, and the abdominal press receives Better conditions for your exhalation work. An expanded chest creates the best opportunities for the diaphragm to work and for good tone of the respiratory muscles. This is discussed in more detail in the chapter on breathing.
But this is not what makes us pay the most serious attention to the student’s posture while singing. As is known, the free but active state of the body, which is declared by most schools (straightened body, good emphasis on one or both legs, shoulders turned to varying degrees, free arms), mobilizes our muscles to perform the phonation task. Drawing attention to the posture, to the installation of the body, creates the muscular alignment that is necessary for the successful implementation of such a complex function as singing. It is especially important during the training period, at a time when singing skills are being formed. If the muscles are loose, the posture is sluggish, passive, it is difficult to count on the rapid development of the necessary skills. We must always remember that muscular composure is, in essence, neuromuscular composure, and that mobilizing the muscles simultaneously mobilizes the nervous system. And we know what exactly is in nervous system and those reflexes are established, those skills that we want to instill in the student.
After all, any athlete - for example, a gymnast, a weightlifter, as well as a circus performer in the arena, never begins exercises, does not approach the apparatus without standing at attention, without approaching it with a gymnastic step. These preparation moments play significant role in the successful performance of the subsequent function. Muscular discipline - disciplines our brain, sharpens our attention, raises the tone of the nervous system, creates a state of readiness to perform activities, similar to the pre-start state of athletes. Singing should not be allowed to begin without prior preparation for it. It should go both along the lines of focusing attention on the content, on the music, and purely externally, for the neuromuscular mobilization of the body.
Thus, the main reason for which attention is required to the installation of the body in singing is determined primarily by its general mobilizing effect and the aesthetic side of the issue. The influence of posture directly on the work of the respiratory muscles is perhaps of less importance.
The position of the head is also important both from the aesthetic side and from the point of view of its influence on voice formation. An artist's entire appearance should be harmonious. A singer who lifts his head high up, or lowers it to his chest, or even worse, tilts it to one side, makes an unpleasant impression. The head should look directly at the audience and turn and move depending on the performing task. Its tense position in a lowered or raised state, even when it is determined by supposedly better singing sound or convenience for singing, always hurts the eye and cannot be justified from the point of view of the physiology of singing. Strong degree Raising the head always leads to tension in the anterior muscles of the neck and constrains the larynx, which cannot but have a detrimental effect on the sound. On the contrary, tilting the head too low through the articulatory movements of the lower jaw also interferes with free sound formation, as it affects the position of the larynx. A head that is too thrown back or too lowered is usually the result of bad habits that were not corrected in time by the teacher. The teacher can only allow a relatively slight rise or fall, in which conditions favorable for singing can be created in the vocal apparatus. Side tilts of the head cannot be justified in any way - it is only a bad habit that must be fought as soon as it begins to appear.
One of the external points that you have to pay attention to is the facial muscles, its calmness, and ease of tension in singing. The face must be free from grimaces and subordinated to the general task - expressing the content of the work. Toti dal Monte says that a free face, a free mouth, a soft chin are necessary conditions for correct voice formation, and that any specially held position of the mouth is a big mistake. The obligatory smile, which, according to some teachers, is supposedly necessary for proper singing, is in fact not at all necessary for everyone. It can be used during classes - as an important technique, which we discussed in the section on the work of the articulatory apparatus in singing. Singing practice clearly shows that excellent sound production is possible without any smile; that many singers, especially those who use a dark timbre when singing, sing all sounds with their lips extended forward, completely ignoring a smile.
During the practice, a smile is important as a factor that, regardless of the will of the singer, has a tonic effect on the state of the body. Just as a feeling of joy and pleasure causes a smile and sparkle in the eyes, so a smile on the face and in the eyes makes the student feel joyful elation, which is so important for success in the lesson. K. S. Stanislavsky based his method of physical actions on this reverse influence of motor skills (muscle work) on the psyche. It is no coincidence that old Italian teachers demanded that while singing and in front of him one should smile and make “tender eyes.” All these actions, according to the law of reflex, cause the necessary internal state of joyful elation and, just like muscular composure, nervous readiness to complete the task. It is extremely important to use them for voice training. However, these external aspects, so important from the point of view of the success of the lesson, can play a negative role if they become “on duty”, mandatory in all cases of singing. You must be able to take the student away from them in time, using all of them positive sides, otherwise the singer on stage will not feel that necessary freedom of the muscles of his body, so necessary in order to express with facial expressions and movements what he is singing about.
It is important to implement all these establishing points from the very first lessons. It is imperative to ensure that the student fulfills them. The singer easily copes with these tasks because they are performed before the sound begins, when attention is still free from phonation tasks. The whole point is that the teacher tirelessly monitors and reminds the singer about them.
I am sure that I will not be mistaken if I begin to assert that the male tenor voice is the object of desire for the masses of young men who dream of a vocal career. I believe that this is the influence of fashion, which acts indirectly through composers who write modern vocal material primarily for a high male voice.
“How to make your voice tenor?”- even such a question, which any person more or less versed in the realities of vocals would simply consider stupid, can be found on the Internet, and in one form or another on this site under the heading “Have you asked? I answer..."
It’s good if a young man knows exactly what type of voice he has and chooses a repertoire that best suits the capabilities of his body. But often the exact opposite happens - having objectively, by nature, a completely different type of voice, the beginning vocalist tends to sing notes that are too high for him. What does this lead to? To constant overstrain of your vocal organs, and here it is, this overstrain is a direct path to illness and subsequently to loss of voice.
One of the signs is the tenor voice range
So, it is already clear that the tenor has a high voice. How tall? CLASSIC defines the range of the tenor voice as C minor - C second octave.
Does this mean that the tenor singer will not be able to sing D second (or big B)? No, of course he can. But here QUALITY playing notes outside the range may be different. We must understand that we're talking about O classical music(and vocals).
At the same time, starting from a certain note of the first octave (it is different for different voice subtypes), the tenor uses a mixed technique - mixed, this section is indicated yellow. That is, one way or another, the head register works in the voice, but not in its own pure form, but as an “admixture” to breast milk. Tenor is the name for a classical male voice; calling a pop or rock singer a tenor is not entirely correct.
First of all, classic vocal works, which are written to be performed by a tenor singer, do not go beyond the named range; secondly, the classics do not use a pure male head voice (based on the falsetto register), therefore the tenor is limited to the second octave, although it may be better talk about Re-Mi (but there are exceptions to this rule - the counter-tenor, more on that below). Thirdly, classical vocal technique (we must not forget about this) is distinguished by its own characteristics.
What is a tenor like?
To be fair, we should talk about subtypes of the tenor voice, because this type of male voice itself can also be different. There is the following gradation:
counter-tenor (in turn divided into alto and soprano) is the highest voice, making full use of the “head” part of the range (upper register). This is a thin boyish voice, which either did not disappear during the period of mutation, but was preserved along with a lower, chesty, masculine timbre, or a product of the development of the voice in this particular manner of singing. If a man deliberately develops his upper range, then with a certain nature he will be able to sing like a counter-tenor. This high-pitched male voice is very reminiscent of a female one:
E. Kurmangaliev “Dalilah’s aria”
M. Kuznetsov “Aria of the Queen of the Night”
The light tenor is the highest voice, which, nevertheless, has a full-bodied chest timbre, which, although it sounds very light and airy, nevertheless differs from the female one:
H. Florez “Granada”
lyric tenor – soft, thin, gentle, very mobile voice:
S. Lemeshev “Tell, girls, your girlfriend...”
lyric-dramatic tenor– a richer, denser and more overtonal timbre, compare its sound with a light tenor singing the same song:
M. Lanza “Granada”
dramatic tenor- the lowest of the tenor family, already close in timbre to a baritone, he is distinguished by the power of sound, therefore the parts of many main characters were written for such a voice opera performances: Othello, Radomes, Cavaradossi, Callaf... And Herman in “The Queen of Spades” - he too
V. Atlantov “Herman’s Aria”
As you can see, with the exception of the highest subspecies, the rest differ from each other not in their range, but in their TONE, or, as it is also called, “voice color”. That is, TIMBRE, and not range, is the main characteristic that allows us to classify male voices and tenor, among other things, as one or another type and subtype.
Main distinctive feature tenor voices - its timbre
Famous researcher Professor V.P. Morozov talks about it this way in one of his books:
“This feature turns out to be more important in many cases than even the range feature, since we know that there are, for example, baritones who take tenor highs, but, nevertheless, these are baritones. And if a tenor (in terms of timbre, no doubt) does not have tenor highs, then for that reason alone one should not consider him a baritone...”
The most significant mistake of young people who do not yet have vocal experience is trying to determine their voice solely by its range. For example, both a baritone and a tenor sing in the middle of the first octave, what should we do? Listen to the nature of the sound of the voice. How can you hear it? And contact a specialist! At the age of 16-20, the brain has not yet had time to form certain auditory ideas about how an average male voice sounds compared to a high one in the same part of the range. This is the knowledge and experience of a vocal teacher, to whom you need to turn.
By the way, even a teacher will not always determine the type of voice from one listening; at least, to distinguish a dramatic tenor from a lyric baritone, you need to work hard! Therefore, it is not at all important to know exactly the subtype of your voice if you strive to sing modern repertoire, and do not learn opera parts. This has long been understood in the West, where vocal teachers define the voices of their students, classifying them into three types - low, medium or high. I talk about this in the article “Transitional areas of the voice - our vocal beacons” on this site.
The transition section is another sign that the voice type is tenor
It is impossible not to say that another hallmark type of voice there will be transitional sections (transitional notes). Their “location” on the height scale is directly related to the structure of the vocal apparatus, mainly, of course, the vocal folds. The thinner and lighter the singer’s folds, the more alt they create without using the falsetto, head register. That is, the higher the transition note in the voice will be (more precisely, the entire section).
For any tenor, the transition note can be anywhere in this section; this does not mean that a dramatic tenor will have a transition to E, and a lyric or light one to G. You can't measure with a ruler! And the singer’s experience will play a significant role, and here’s why.
The fact is that gradually, with voice training, the transitional area shifts somewhat upward, because an experienced, seasoned voice is completely different from a beginner’s voice, like an adult athlete compared to a teenager. A professional can sing in a clear chest register higher than a beginner with the same voice type, this is a consequence of skill development. It follows from this that if a beginner is assigned a transition note as D of the first octave, this does not mean that his voice type is baritone. It’s just that over time, with the right training, the transition note can shift to both Mi and Fa.
So, a vocalist needs to have TIMBRE tenor voices first. Considering only the existing one this moment the range and location of the transition note, the exact type of voice cannot be determined. You need to pay attention to ALL THREE aspect, while the timbre is the greatest.
Why is it not entirely fair to consider modern high-pitched voices of rock and pop stars from the point of view of a standard classifier? Aren't they tenors?
Let's talk about this at.
Use of site materials is permitted subject to obligatory reference to the source
A lyric-dramatic tenor, the voice is not necessarily stronger than the lyrical one, it rather has a harsher sound, a harder (usually) timbre, there is more steel in the voice, a singer with such a voice can afford to sing both lyrical and dramatic parts. Sometimes it happens that the owners of such a voice do not have a particularly beautiful timbre or a large voice, then they are allocated to a special category of “characteristic tenor”, usually singing in supporting roles, but sometimes characteristic ones, possessing enormous talent, make their way to the first roles and even become world singers. level.
Mario Lanza, the owner of a beautiful, sunny timbre, a wonderful nature, he always sang very well, even before he started studying, but after classes with Rosati he became very close to ideal in technical terms. If only he had been less lazy and worked on himself a little more...
"Martha Martha where have you hidden" "Martha" Friedrich Von Flotow.
The part of Lionel, designed more for a lyric tenor, performed by Lanz sounds simply wonderful, the energy characteristic of a drum tenor with the softness of a lyre tenor.
Death of Othello "Othello" Verdi.
The part of Otello was written by Verdi based on the vocal capabilities of the dramatic tenor Francesco Tamagno, a singer who, before going on stage, had to bandage his chest so that, God forbid, he would not sing at the full strength of his voice. People could lose consciousness from Tamagno’s voice, it was so strong (although here, in my opinion, certain timbre characteristics of the voice were also to blame; for example, even when listening to hundred-year-old recordings of Tamagno, my head starts to hurt).
Lanza handles this part well without having to sing at full volume or change the volume of his voice.
Placido Domingo, a lyric-dramatic tenor, and to be honest, even rather characteristic, the timbre of his voice is not rich, although it sounds noble and beautiful, but this is the merit of Domingo as an artist, musician, singer, but by nature he was lucky less than Lanza or Bjerling.
"Martha March, where did you hide" "Martha"
Domingo in it is less lyrical than Lanza, but here the reason is rather a less beautiful tone, in terms of the softness of the sound, he sings even better than Mario Lanza, simply because, unlike Lanza, he is not lazy and knows how to work on the quality of his performance.
Death of Othello.
Here Domingo is very good, strength, steel, where lyrics are needed, unlike Martha, here it is not at all noticeable that the voice is not rich in timbre characteristics.
Giaccomo Lauri-Volpi: there is a lot that is incomprehensible with this singer’s voice, but I am inclined to attribute it to lyric-dramatic voices, although he himself considered himself a dramatic tenor. At the top, Volpi had the Fa of the second octave, that is, a note characteristic of light tenors (and even then not all), at the bottom he took the bass Fa, as far as I know, he took it quite voiced, unlike other tenors, who rather simply hummed this note.
A te, o cara "Puritani" Bellini.
Bellini wrote the Puritans with Giovanni Rubbini in mind, the first tenor in history to sing the upper C in a voice rather than a falsetto; according to contemporaries, Rubbini had a very rich timbre and range of sound, he could sing both softly and fill his voice with steel, that is Most likely, he himself was also a lyric-dramatic tenor, which, coupled with the technology of that time (singers at that time could sing up to twelve two-octave scales in one breath, and some made decorations on each note), now lost, created a performance effect that we most likely not even able to imagine. Volpi sings an aria from the Puritans, softly, lyrically, only in the upper C does he allow himself to add steel to his voice.
Death of Othello. Lauri Volpi prepared the part of Othello at the end of his career; his voice no longer sounded the same as in his youth, but still rose freely. In this performance, interestingly intertwined soft timbre Lauri-Volpi and the dramatic laser energy put by nature (and maestro Antonio Catogni) into his voice. I will add that despite Lauri Volpi’s apparent gentleness he was very powerful voice, capable of literally stunning if necessary.
Finally, a couple of excerpts from Meyerbeer's "Huguenots".
On this recording, Lauri-Volpi, at the climax, takes the upper D, takes it completely freely, in a full voice, and literally thirty seconds before that, he sings the upper C in a light voice on the piano, and you can hear that this is a voice, not a falsetto.
SOPRANO(female high) - S (Soprano)
ALTO(female low) - A (Alt, Alto)
TENOR(male high) - T (Tenor)
BASS(male low) - B (Bass)
In turn, each of these voices can be divided into several more, then this will be called division (divisi) - see the section Choral terms. And they will be called, for example, first sopranos and second sopranos, first basses and second basses, etc.
Women's(from top to bottom): coloratura soprano, lyric-coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, dramatic soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto)
Men's(from top to bottom): tenor, baritone, bass. Each of them can have varieties.
Below we will look at each of the voices separately. For each voice, the sound range is also indicated. Because This question interests many choir artists, so we have also included this data in a separate table. But at the same time, I would like to draw attention to the fact that these ranges are more applicable to professional singers than to amateurs.
In our terminological dictionary, we did not allow ourselves to give all the meanings of words. We consider the meaning of a word only from the vocal or choral sense (for example, the word Alto can mean Bowed instrument families of violins - these are the meanings of words we immodestly allowed ourselves to omit)
So, here's our little terminological guide to voices. The terms are arranged alphabetically.
ALTO(Latin altus - high; in Middle Ages music it was performed above the tenor leading the main melody) -
1) Part in the choir or ensemble, comp. from low children or middle and short wives. voices (mezzo-soprano - first altos, contralto - second altos); the range from fa is small. Oct. to fa 2nd Oct. (above - very rarely), most commonly used. salt (la) small Oct. - E-flat (E) 2nd Oct.
BARITONE(Greek - heavy-sounding) - Male of medium height. voice; A-flat (G) range is large. Oct. - A-flat 1st Oct.; transitional registers. note D-sharp (D) 1st Oct.
There are lyrical baritone (approaching tenor in lightness of sound) and dramatic baritone (close in breadth and power to bass), with intermediate shades between them.
In the choir, baritones are included in the first bass part; range G large octave - F 1st octave (higher very rarely, mostly in unison with tenors)
BASS(Italian basso - low) -
There are high basses (cantante - melodious), central and profundo (deep) - low (they are also called octavist basses. A special, rarely found, variety of the low bass; the name Octavis is usually applied to choral singers (in solo singing - bass profundo). Octavists sing an octave below the bass (in rare cases, descending to the F counter-octave). Octavists are most often used in chord settings, with a quiet sound. The acoustic effect of the participation of octavists is the fusion of chord sounds, which in relation to the main tone are like overtones (therefore, it is most natural to use octavists when singing the bases of major triads). Octavists should be used carefully, taking into account the instructions of the composer and the style of the work.)
2) Part in the choir or wok. ensemble; composed of baritones and basses themselves; range (without octavists) F of the major octave (rare below) - F of the 1st octave, the most common G of the major octave is D (E-flat) of the 1st octave. The use of octavists extends the range of the bass line down an octave. Bass part - harmonic. the foundation of the choir, hence the need for its intonation. stability and sonority. At the same time, it must have mobility, flexibility in dynamics. attitude, which is also beneficial for the purity of intonation.
TREBLE(from Latin dis - prefix meaning dismemberment, cantus - singing) -
2) Part in the choir or wok. ensemble, performed by high children's voices.
COLORATURA(from Latin coloro - color) - fast virtuoso passages (scales, arpeggias) and melismas that decorate the vocal part. Coloratura was often used in ancient choral music(starting from the Renaissance), in Bach, Handel, in Russian. church 18th century concert In modern choral works sometimes used as a pictorial device. Coloratura is also the ability of the voice to move (hence the term coloratura soprano). Virtuoso mobility of any choral voice (including bass) is desirable in every qualified choir; it helps develop ease of sound and accuracy of intonation.
CONTRALTO(Italian contralto - low female voice; range from F of the small octave (below - rarely and predominantly in folk choirs) to F2. Transitional notes E1 (F1), C-sharp2 (D)2; in the choir - the part of the second altos. Sometimes used in unison with tenors as a kind of vocal color or to support high tenor notes; since this changes the timbre of the tenor part, the latter cannot serve as a rule, but rather as an exception.
Mezzo-Soprano(Italian mezzo - average) - average female voice. The A range is small. Oct. - la2 (rarely higher). There is a high (lyric) mezzo-soprano, whose sound is close to a soprano, and a low one, which is close to a contralto. Transitional register notes F-sharp1 (F1) - D-sharp2 (D2). In the choir, mezzo-sopranos make up the part of 1 alto, in the 3-voice female. chorus, depending on the specific conditions are included in the party of the 2nd or 3rd vote.
MIXT(from Latin mixtus - mixed) - the register of the singing voice, transitional between the chest and head (falsetto) registers; characterized by greater softness and lightness compared to the chest register and greater richness and sonority than falsetto. A well-produced voice requires a mixture of the main registers (chest and head) throughout the entire range, and the head sound increases in the upward direction. In Mixed music, the male voice has a predominant chest sound, while the female voice has a head-like sound. The role of the Mixt is especially important for the male voices of the choir; in particular, for tenors, the sounds of the 1st octave should be mixed.
SOPRANO(from Italian sopra - above, above) -
1) The highest female, children's (also treble) voice. The range is up to 1 - up to 3, occasionally there are higher (sol 3) and low (a small octave) sounds. There are 3 main varieties of Soprano: dramatic (characterized by fullness and strength of sound), lyrical (softer) and coloratura (characterized by mobility, ability to reach high notes, pronounced vibrato; not used in choirs). There are also intermediate types (lyric-dramatic and lyric-coloratura). Transitional register notes mi1 - fa1 and fa2 (F-sharp2).
2) The highest part in the choir or vok. ensemble, consisting of lyrical (first Soprano) and dramatic (second Soprano) voices; range up to 1 (rarely below) - up to 3, the most used ones are re1 - sol2 (la2).
The soprano part is the most important in the choir, since (in homophonic-harmonic music) it is most often assigned the melody; hence the need for it to be dynamic. flexibility, mobility, beauty of timbre.
TENOR(Italian, from Latin teneo - hold) -
2) High male singing voice. Range up to a small octave - up to 2; transition register note (between the chest and head registers) F - F-sharp1. Notated in treble clef (an octave higher than the actual sound), in bass and tenor clefs.
The main varieties of T.: lyrical (tenore di grazia), dramatic (tenore di forza), as well as the middle one between them - mezzo-characteristic - and the rare Tenor-altino (with a developed upper register - above C2). In the choir, the Tenor lyric and altino make up the first part, the rest - the second. Due to the frequent use of high tessitura in choirs (especially in men's choirs), the ability of tenors to use falsetto and mixed voice is important.
FALSETTO(from Italian falso - false), fistula is one of the registers of the male singing voice (upper), in which only the head resonator is used, isolated from the chest; The vocal cords do not close tightly and fluctuate at the edges, resulting in a weak, colorless falsetto sound. In solo singing, falsetto is used occasionally as a kind of color. IN choral singing Falsetto is used when learning high notes, on PP, when the conductor sets the tone. Some tenors, performing extremely high notes, use a “voiced” falsetto, approaching a mixed voice: such voices are very useful for a choir. The ability to use falsetto is mandatory for singers (for the sake of “saving the voice”) and for the conductor.
Singing voice range table:
Choir voices:| Voice | Range |
| Coloratura soprano | up to 1 - up to 3, occasionally higher ones occur (salt 3) |
| Lyric soprano | |
| Dramatic soprano | do1 - do3, occasionally there are higher (sol3) and low (a small octave) sounds; most commonly used re1 - sol2 (la2) |
| Mezzo-soprano | la small Oct. - la2 (rarely higher) |
| Contralto | from fa small Oct. (below - rarely and predominantly in folk choirs) to F2 |
| Lyric tenor | up to small Oct. - up to 2 |
| Dramatic tenor | up to small Oct. - up to 2 |
| Tenor-altino | tenor with a developed upper register - above C2 |
| Baritone | A-flat (sol) major. Oct. - A-flat 1st Oct. |
| Bass | fa big Oct. - fa 1st Oct. |
| Bass profundo | sing an octave below the bass (in rare cases, going down to the F counter-octave) |
The selection and arrangement of materials was prepared by T.A. Fedotova.
The following publications were used: Romanovsky N.V. Choral dictionary. Kruntyaeva T., Molokova N. Dictionary of foreign musical terms
Lyric tenor is a rather loose concept. Owners of this type of voice can sound both light and quite strong, sometimes they can even be confused with dramatic tenors, they sound so “voluminous” and powerful. The peculiarity of the lyric tenor is its softness of sound production, the ability to achieve a very quiet sound, great mobility of the voice, usually lightness of timbre, but at the same time, unlike the light tenor, these voices already sound quite courageous, strong, sometimes even with some baritone notes in the timbre. At the top they usually have C - C Sharp, and sometimes D of the second octave.
Some lyric tenors, possessing excellent technique, sometimes they allow themselves to sing a heavier repertoire, designed for a different type of voice.
Beniamino Gigli. A soft lyric tenor (of the first half of the twentieth century), he had a light timbre, often sang piano, so that he seemed to sing not with his voice but rather with a falsetto, but if he wanted, he could show that he had far from a light voice and, so to speak, “give away " sound.
The Cry of Federico "The Arlesian" by Francesco Cilea.
This aria, Gigli for the most part he sings on the piano, but at the climactic moments he allows himself to give more sound. It is precisely these parts, more designed for the breadth of voice, cantilena, and softness of sound, that are most suitable for lyric tenors.
Laugh Pagliacci "Pagliacci" Leoncavallo.
In this aria, Gigli sings at the limit of his voice, and quite possibly at the limit of his emotional capabilities. Benjamino was very kind and emotional person, in one of his interviews he said that when he debuted as Canio, during the aria “Laugh the Clown,” he felt so sorry for his hero that he left the stage in tears, and was able to continue the performance only after a while.
Jussi Bjerling, famous Swedish singer, a lyric tenor, with his great range and sonority of voice, could rival almost any dramatic tenor when necessary, but the lyrical nature of his voice also allowed him to sing very softly and easily.
Sometimes Bjerling is classified as a lyric-dramatic tenor, but I think this classification is erroneous, he simply had a wide dynamic range, he could expand and narrow the timbre of his voice, but he was still lyrical in nature.
Federico cry. Unlike Gigli, Björling sings with a big sound, and does not make such a “falsetto” sound, anyway, he sings lyrically, allowing the sound to flow smoothly, only sometimes turning it into a stormy stream.
Laugh clown. In this aria, Bjerling has almost nothing left of his lyrical sound; all the power of his voice, all the timbral volume is involved, at times it may even seem that it is not a tenor but a light baritone who is singing.
Luciano Pavarotti. Luciano probably had the most ideal technique; his repertoire included roles from the lightest, usually performed by light tenors, like the opera “La Daughter of the Regiment,” to the heavy, requiring a powerful sound of the part of Otello from Verdi’s opera of the same name.
Federico cry. Luciano’s style here is somewhat similar to Gigli’s, there is also a lot of light sound, though without falsetto overtones, he does not put pressure on the sound anywhere, he sings easily, softly, the sound flows completely freely.
Laugh clown. Unlike Björling, Pavarotti tried to maintain a lyrical sound in this part, although he significantly added strength to his voice.
Duet of Iago and Othello "Othello" by Giuseppe Verdi.
Here, Luciano has already tried to show his voice and the energy contained in it as much as possible. However, even here he did not try to show that he was a dramatic tenor.