Tenor

From Free net encyclopedia

(Difference between revisions)
Revision as of 22:46, 21 April 2006
Zack3rdbb (Talk | contribs)
Removed geddy lee from list, see why on discussion page
Next diff →

Current revision

This article is about Tenor in music. For other meanings see Tenor (disambiguation).
Vocal ranges
Female ranges
Soprano
Mezzo-soprano
Contralto

Male ranges

Sopranist
Alto
Tenor
Baritenor
Baritone
Bass-baritone
Bass


In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as the modern countertenor). In four part chorale-style harmony, it is the second lowest voice, above the bass and below the soprano and alto. A typical operatic tenor will have a range extending from the C below middle C to the C above middle C (C3-C5), though in choral music tenors are rarely asked to sing above Bb4 except in solos. In a mixed-gender choir, females may also sing as tenors. Generally the tenor roles are parallel to the soprano roles, in that they are usually the most sympathetic male roles; they play the hero, the lover... but there are the occasional villains (the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto; Lt. Pinkerton and Goro in Madame Butterfly). A tenor is classified by several vocal traits, inlcuding range, tone quality, vocal lift points, and transition points within the singer's range.

Image:Rosario la spina.jpg

Contents

[edit]

Origin of the term

The name "tenor" comes from the Latin word tenere, which means "to hold". In medieval music, the tenor voice was usually assigned what was called in the Renaissance the cantus firmus, or the primary melody, which in the Western medieval music was the lowest voice. In the Renaissance, a "counter-tenor" voice (against the tenor) voice was added below the tenor, in order to better control of harmonic motion of the piece. The other voices added harmony and counterpoint to the tenor.

[edit]

Other uses

In the Barbershop harmony musical style, the name "tenor" is used for the highest part. The four parts are known (lowest to highest) as bass, baritone, lead, and tenor. The tenor generally sings in falsetto voice (thus the term tenor used in barbershop terminology most closely corresponds to the term countertenor as used in classical music), and harmonizes above the lead, who sings the melody. The barbershop tenor range is, as notated, Bb-below-middle C to D-above-high-C (and sung an octave lower).

It is often applied to instruments to indicate their range in relation to other instruments of the same group. For instance the tenor saxophone.

Also a literary term refferring to part of a sentence.

[edit]

Types of tenor and tenor roles in operas

In opera, distinctions are made between different types of tenor:

[edit]

Tenor roles in operettas and musicals

[edit]

Famous tenors

[edit]

Classical music

Image:Sopran.png Image:Altstimme.png Image:Tenor.png Image:Bass.png Many of the most famous opera singers have been tenors, such as:

There have also been some tenors who have been well known for other types of music, who have concentrated on concert performances either with orchestras, or in chamber music, such as lieder or song recitals. These performers may be better known for this kind of work than for opera. Famous tenors of this repertory include:

[edit]

Popular and crossover music

[edit]

See also

es:Tenor fr:Ténor ko:테너 it:Tenore hu:Tenor nl:Tenor (zangstem) ja:テノール pl:Tenor pt:Tenor fi:Tenori sv:Tenor zh:男高音

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/Tenor"