Dramatic tenor development. Male and female singing voices. Who can sing tenor

The young man’s vocal career at the present stage, in dreams and reality, is associated with such a concept as the male voice as tenor ital tenore. In professional circles, this fact is traditionally determined by the influence of fashion, as well as the use of a vocal repertoire created, for the most part, for high-pitched male voices.

In an effort to implement plans for a musical career, any young man needs not only to know what type of voice he has, but also to select the most correctly repertoire that correlates with the capabilities of his own body. Do not neglect natural data for the sake of fashion. High notes that do not correspond to the capabilities of the existing voice are a direct path to overstrain, and, consequently, diseases of the vocal organs. As a result of the latter, you can end up completely losing your voice.

Tenor is the main feature of the voice range

Any reference material from the field of musical art can tell you that tenor is a type of high male voice. In reference sources you can also find range limits: the tenor’s singing voice is limitedC minor and the same note of the second octave. You should not assume that an experienced tenor will not be able to hit higher or lower notes: the human body is capable of much, but no one can vouch for the quality of sound. Indeed, in this case, the head voice register will work, but without its characteristic purity, and as an addition to the chest register. That is, a classic male voice can be called a tenor. It cannot be considered correct to call the voice of a performer working with pop or rock repertoire a tenor.

To clarify the term tenor, it is worth paying attention to several important aspects. For example, vocal works of the classical type, developed directly for the tenor, are written within the above-mentioned range and rarely go beyond it.

As for another aspect, it raises the issue of limited use in the classical versionpure male head voice. In this regard, range limitations are indicated.

The third aspect concerns the field of classical vocal performance technique, which is very different from others and has a number of features.

Tenor: what is it like?

Counter-tenor is a type of voice with the highest possible register of sound, divided into alto and soprano; often appears to have a thin boyish voice, which can remain after a period of mutation, while additionally acquiring a lower chest timbre; this type of voice can be developed if you strive to stay in the niche of your favorite style of performance;

The lyric tenor is characterized by impressive mobility, softness, subtlety and tenderness;

The dramatic tenor seems to be the lowest sounding option in this category of performing voices, characterized by a timbre close to that of a baritone, with its inherent powerful sound.

Experts always strive to note the fact that within the vocal range, the sound of a male tenor varies in timbre. Consequently, it is precisely this that must be recognized as the main characteristic capable of correctly dividing male voices into types.

The tenor is distinguished by its timbre

It must be remembered that the first and main feature that distinguishes tenor voices from others is its timbre.

Experts note that beginning performers quite often, in an effort to determine their voice type, make the mistake of relying only on the range criterion. To make a correct determination, it is necessary to listen not only to the range sound, but also to its character. And to accurately determine this parameter, you cannot do without specialists. Professionals note that beginning performers, within the framework of their insignificant singing experience, do not have the proper level of auditory concepts that can help them distinguish soundsmedium and high male voice in a certain part of the range. And an experienced vocal teacher can often easily understand this issue.

What is noteworthy is that professionals do not focus on the criterion of knowledge of voice type if the performer seeks to perform modern repertoire. Vocal teachers today prefer to classify performers by low, medium or high voice type. It is noted that the tenor belongs to the type of high voice.

Tenor: a voice type with transitional notes

The presence of transitional sections or notes is recognized as another feature that distinguishes the tenor from other types of voices. The location of these notes on the pitch scale occupies the segment MI, FA, SOL of the first octave. Moreover, experts state this arrangement of transitional notes only for voices characterized by development and delivery.

“Location” is determined by another criterion, reflected in the structure of the vocal apparatus, that is, the vocal folds: the thinness and lightness of this instrument is capable of determining the pitch of sound and the location of the transition section.

Professionals recommend not focusing on traditional parameters and height indicators. This instruction is based on the fact that tenors, thanks to the characteristics of their voices, can do a lot. And the main thing here is the level of experience of the performer. The more experienced the performer, the more seasoned and stronger his voice, and, therefore, he can “shift” transitional notes upward.

As a conclusion

A dramatic tenor, the strongest of the high male voices, the timbre of this voice is often hard, steely, and the sound is usually “laser” direct. These are usually the most powerful sounding voices. It is also worth adding that a true dramatic tenor is a rather rare beast, and tenors such that their voices resemble battering rams are generally born once every century.

Mario Del Monaco (1915-1982), according to many testimonies, had the strongest, darkest voice, already close to a baritone in depth of sound. Monaco did not sing almost lyrical parts, except for Rudolf from Puccini's La Bohème and Alfredo from Verdi's La Traviata. His crowning role was the role of Othello in Verdi's opera of the same name. In this part, Monaco’s voice sounded as free as possible, with all its characteristic power.

Dio mi potevi "Otello" Verdi
Here Monaco allows himself to show the entire dynamic range of his voice, from a relatively light and quiet sound to a thunderous forte at the end. It is worth paying attention to the clarity of transitions between notes, to the volume of the voice, to its “directness” in the good sense of the word.

Di quella Pira "Trovatore" (The Troubadour) by Verdi.
The famous “Stretta Manrico” in which Mario completely freely enters the upper C, just as freely he sings all the rather awkward short notes in this aria, everything sounds precise and clear, but with the feeling that the singer is going to the limit of his capabilities, that it wasn't like that at all. Singers such as Mario Del Monaco were also called tenore di forza.

Che gelida manina "La Boheme" by Puccini. In this aria, Monaco tries very hard to sound lyrical, which he almost succeeds. But at the climax, on the upper C, the nature of his voice takes its toll.

Franco Corelli (1921-2003): Was perhaps the only one who could compete with Monaco in terms of sound power. His voice was lighter, softer, and if necessary, Corelli could make it sound almost lyrical. In addition to excellent vocal abilities, Franco was the owner of a deep musical, and not only musical, culture. Corelli became a legend during his lifetime. What’s interesting is that, despite Franco’s thunderous voice, he did not sing Othello (the reason, as he himself admitted, was that this part seemed to him too nervous and psychologically difficult), and one of Corelli’s favorite parts was Rudolf from La Bohème, performed by his is much better than that of Monaco, and that of many lyric-dramatic and lyric tenors. Also one of Corelli's amazing vocal abilities was the smooth deminuendo (gradual decrease in sound volume) on high notes, from thunderous forte to light piano.

Ah, si ben mio. Di quella pira! "Troubadour"
Despite the fact that Monaco performed this part perfectly, in my opinion Corelli sings it stronger, more emotionally, more subtly.

Che gelida manina "Bohemia".
The role of Rudolph, as mentioned above, was one of Corelli’s favorites.
Despite the power and volume of his voice, he sings everything as lyrically as possible, although nature cannot be ignored, a big voice is a big voice.

Celeste Aida "Aida" Verdi.
Mentioning Corelli, one cannot help but touch on his magnificent deminuendos. At the end of Radamès's romance "Sweet Aida", Corelli makes a smooth deminuendo on the upper B, from forte to a barely audible piano, while the voice does not go into falsetto on the piano.

Aureliano Pertile (1885-1952): Possessing a large, sonorous, dramatic voice, Aureliano Pertile sang almost the entire tenor repertoire, from Othello to Arturo from “The Puritans” (although he was forced to sing the last part a tone lower than written by the composer).
Pertile's timbre is specific; his contemporaries called him a croaking tenor, due to his harsh, sometimes even seemingly unpleasant voice. But excellent technique, musicality, literally mathematical precision in performance, make you forget about some unpleasant timbre nuances. Usually, after listening to several things, one gets the impression that Aureliano had a voice with the noblest sounding timbre.

Dio mi potevi "Otello" Verdi.
In this work, in accordance with traditions, Pertile sings powerfully, but sometimes goes into a light sound, in lyrical places.

Di quella pira "Trovatore"
Here Pertile's timbre is very clearly audible, as well as his clarity and thoughtfulness of each phrase; the free and powerful upper notes, rich in timbre, are impressive.

Mein Lieber Schwan "Lohengrin" Richard Wagner.
In the part of Lohengrin, Pertile sings very softly, lyrically, on the piano, but sometimes he comes out on the forte, which seems even more powerful because of the piano preceding it.

- (Italian tenore). High male voice. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. TENOR high male voice. A distinction is made between the heroic t. (the strongest) and the lyrical t. (the most gentle). Dictionary of foreign words... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

And (obsolete) TENOR, tenor, husband. (Italian tenore from Latin teneo I hold (implies: I hold the main melody, cf. 4 meanings). 1. High male voice. Dramatic or heroic tenor. Lyric tenor. Lohengrin’s part was written for tenor. Sing ... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Modern encyclopedia

See singer... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. tenor tenorishko, tenor; voice, singer, instrument; trombone, dombra, saxophone, saxhorn Dictionary of Russian syn... Synonym dictionary

Tenor- (Italian tenore, from Latin teneo I hold, I direct), 1) a high male singing voice. There are lyrical, dramatic, lyric-dramatic tenors. 2) A wind musical instrument that is part of a brass band. 3) Composite... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Italian tenore from Latin tenor uniform movement, tension of the voice, from teneo I hold, direct),..1) a high male singing voice. There are lyrical, dramatic, lyric-dramatic2)] A brass wind musical instrument, part of ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

tenor- lively (Zlatovratsky); tall (Andreev); vagrant (Ertel); skittish (Leskov); sonorous (Andreev) Epithets of literary Russian speech. M: Supplier of His Majesty's court, the Quick Printing Association A. A. Levenson. A. L. Zelenetsky. 1913. tenor O... ... Dictionary of epithets

tenor- a, m. tenor, it. tenore. 1. The highest male voice. BAS 1. The loud tenor of the Dorpat student was no longer lonely, because in all corners of the room people started talking and laughing. Thick. Youth. 2. A singer with such a voice. BASS 1. Tenors rise to ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

TENOR, a, plural. a, ov and s, ov, husband. 1. High male voice. Lyrical t. Dramatic t. 2. A singer with such a voice. | decrease tenor, rka, husband (to 1 value). | adj. tenor, aya, oe (to 1 value). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu.... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

tenor- tenor, plural tenor, b. tenors and obsolete tenors, tenors. The pronunciation [tenor] is outdated... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian language

Books

• Tenor. Vladislav Piavko. From the chronicle of lives lived... , . A book dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the birth and 35th anniversary of the creative activity of the outstanding Russian singer Vladislav Piavko. Created in the genre of collage from the artist’s autobiographical notes, stories...
• Nikolay Figner. Tenor. Arias from operas. Nikolai Figner (1857-1918) - Russian singer (lyric-dramatic tenor). In 1887 he made his debut on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. In his first season he attracted attention as Othello, performing...

• Altino, lyric light and strong lyric tenor
• Lyric-dramatic and dramatic tenor
• Characteristic tenor
• Lyric and dramatic baritone

Tenor

Among the tenors, according to the given classification, it is customary to distinguish: altino, light lyric, strong lyric, lyric-dramatic, dramatic and characteristic tenor.

Voice range: from before small octave C before second octave. The tenor-altino has - before small octave - mi second octave. For dramatic tenors - from la big up before second octave. It is extremely rare to find voices whose range and timbre coloring allowed them to perform both tenor and baritone roles (for example, E. Caruso).

Altino ( A), lyrical light ( LL) and strong lyrical ( OK) tenor

In the first two types of voices, the lower part of the voice sounds only on the piano, the upper parts are light. These voices easily perform coloratura passages and embellishments. The lyric tenor has another name - di grazia (“di gracia”, graceful). The capabilities of these voices are comparable to similar types of female voices. Most often, altino and lyric tenors are entrusted with the roles of hero-lovers, but they also perform the roles of old people.

Opera repertoire:

• Berendey – Rimsky-Korsakov “The Snow Maiden” ( A);
• The Stargazer - Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel" (only A);
• Holy Fool – Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina” ( A);
• Lensky – Tchaikovsky “Eugene Onegin” ( LL);
• Bayan – Glinka “Ruslan and Lyudmila” ( LL And A);
• Faust – Gounod “Faust” ( LL);
• Romeo - Gounod "Romeo and Juliet" ( LL);
• Duke - Verdi "Rigoletto" ( LL);
• Indian guest - Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko” (can sing A And LL);
• Levko - Rimsky-Korsakov “May Night” ( LL);
• Almaviva – Rossini “The Barber of Seville” ( A And LL);
• Lohengrin – Wagner "Lohengrin" ( OK);
• Werther – Massenet "Werther" ( OK);
• Rudolph - Puccini "La Bohème" ( LL).

Owners of these votes: Ivan Kozlovsky ( A), Sergey Lemeshev ( LL), Leonid Sobinov ( OK), Yuri Marusin ( LL), Alfredo Kraus (L), Andrey Dunaev ( LL), Mikhail Urusov ( OK), Ahmed Aghadi ( OK), Alibek Dnishev ( LL).

Lyrical-dramatic ( LD) and dramatic ( D) tenor

The dramatic tenor has another name - di forza (“di forza”, strong), which determines its place in operatic work. Heroic parts were written for him, requiring vocal power and bright timbre colors throughout the entire range of the voice. The repertoire of the lyric-dramatic tenor is almost the same as that of the dramatic tenor.

These are strong characters, bright personalities, capable of feats, who face great trials in life.

Operatic repertoire of dramatic tenor:

• Sadko - Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko”;
• Siegfried – Wagner “Siegfried”;
• Othello - Verdi "Othello".

• Radames - Verdi "Aida";
• Sobinin - Glinka “Ivan Susanin”;
• Lykov - Rimsky-Korsakov “The Tsar’s Bride”;
• Calaf – Puccini “Turandot”;
• Cavaradossi – Puccini “Tosca”.

Performers: Enrico Caruso ( D), Mario Lanza ( D), Nikolay Figner ( D), Mario Del Monaco ( D), Vladimir Atlantov ( D), Vladislav Piavko ( D), Placido Domingo ( D), Jose Carreras ( LD).

Characteristic tenor

This type of tenor has a special timbre coloring and, as a rule, plays supporting roles. He may not have a full tenor range, but in a limited part of his range his voice must be especially expressive and flexible in portraying insinuating, flattering, hissing, insidious whispers.

Opera repertoire:

• Shuisky – Mussorgsky “Boris Godunov”;
• Triquet – Tchaikovsky “Eugene Onegin”;
• Misail – Mussorgsky “Boris Godunov”;
• Sopel - Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko”;
• Eroshka – Borodin “Prince Igor”;
• Bomelius - Rimsky-Korsakov “The Tsar’s Bride”;
• Ovlur – Borodin “Prince Igor”;
• Podyachiy – Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina”.

Lyrical ( LB) and dramatic ( DB) baritone

These types of voices combine the power of sound and a soft, enveloping warm timbre. Range – from la major octave C la first octave. The lower notes of a dramatic baritone sound richer than those of a lyric baritone. In this section, the dramatic baritone sounds confidently on the forte. This voice is loudest from si small octave C F first. In a number of baritone parts, falsetto sound is allowed, like a special color, for example, in Figaro's cavatina. The lyrical baritone is entrusted with the roles of hero-lovers who act not at the whim of feelings, but thoughtfully and rationally.

Opera repertoire:

• Germont - Verdi "La Traviata" ( LB);
• Don Juan – Mozart “Don Giovanni” ( LB);
• Vedenets guest - Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko” ( LB);
• Onegin – Tchaikovsky “Eugene Onegin” ( LB);
• Yeletsky – Tchaikovsky “Queen of Spades” ( LB);
• Robert - Tchaikovsky "Iolanta".

Performers: Mattia Battistini, Titto Gobbi, Pavel Lisitsian, Dmitry Gnatyuk, Yuri Gulyaev, Yuri Mazurok, Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, Alexander Voroshilo, Dmitry Hvorostovsky.

The dramatic baritone embodies the images of strong heroes, often treacherous and cruel. Note that these parts were also performed by bass-baritones (for example, the parts of Figaro, Ruslan).

Opera repertoire:

• Figaro – Mozart “The Marriage of Figaro”;
• Rigoletto – Verdi “Rigoletto”;
• Iago – Verdi “Othello”;
• Mizgir - Rimsky-Korsakov “The Snow Maiden”;
• Aleko – Rachmaninov “Aleko”;
• Igor – Borodin “Prince Igor”;
• Scarpia – Puccini “Tosca”;
• Ruslan - Glinka “Ruslan and Lyudmila”;
• Count di Luna - Verdi "Il Trovatore".

Performers: Sergei Leiferkus, Titta Ruffo.

Bass-baritone, central bass, bass profundo, bass buffo

The high bass has the most sonorous note - before first octave, working middle - B-flat major octave - re first octave.

The strength of the sound of the central bass, the saturation of the lower notes increases compared to the bass-baritone; note before the first octave sounds stronger than the high bass. Parts of this type of bass actively use the central and lower parts of the range. Working middle – sol-la large octave - up to the first octave.

Bass profundo is very rare, so its parts are often assigned to the central bass. The bottom notes of the bass profundo are la counter octaves. Owners of this voice: P. Robson, M. Mikhailov, Y. Vishnevoy.

Let us note an even more rare voice - a bass octavist, whose lower notes sound very powerful and full - beans counter octaves. Modern singer Yuri Vishnevoy, for example, has such capabilities. This type of voice is nothing more than a bass profundo with an extended range and more powerful lower notes.

Bass buffo performs the main and supporting parts, comic parts and old people's parts. This type of voice clearly demonstrates acting abilities in a certain part of the range, but they may not have the beauty of timbre or unique technique.

Bass-baritone operatic repertoire:

• Basilio – Rossini “The Barber of Seville”;
• Mephistopheles – Gounod “Faust”;
• Nilakanta - Delib "Lakme";
• Susanin - Glinka “Ivan Susanin”;
• Vladimir Galitsky - Borodin “Prince Igor”.

Performers: F. Shalyapin, E. Nesterenko, P. Burchuladze, V. Baikov, P. Tolstenko, V. Lynkovsky.

Operatic repertoire of the central bass:

• Konchak – Borodin “Prince Igor”;
• Farlaf - Glinka “Ruslan and Lyudmila”;
• Varangian guest - Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko”;
• Sobakin - Rimsky-Korsakov “The Tsar’s Bride”;
• Gremin – Tchaikovsky “Eugene Onegin”;
• Rene - Tchaikovsky "Iolanta".

Performers: Maxim Mikhailov, Mark Reisen, Leonid Boldin.

Operatic repertoire of characteristic bass:

• Bartolo – Rossini “The Barber of Seville”;
• Skula – Borodin “Prince Igor”;
• Duda - Rimsky-Korsakov “Sadko”;
• Zuniga - Bizet "Carmen".

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 an F of the second octave, that is, a note characteristic of light tenors (and even then not all), at the bottom he took a bass F, 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, the soft timbre of Lauri-Volpi and the dramatic laserness invested by nature (and maestro Antonio Catogni) into his voice are interestingly intertwined. I will add that despite the apparent softness, Lauri Volpi had a very strong voice, capable of literally deafening 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.