Learning Objectives
- Discuss how vocal timbre varies based on the shape of sound waves, the range, color, shape of the face, the size and thickness of the vocal folds (vocal cords), age, training, and vocal health.
- Differentiate between the various vocal ranges and tessitura for both women (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto) and men (tenor, baritone, and bass).
- Distinguish between various vocal groups as exemplified in various listening examples.
Vocal Timbre
Male Voices
Tenor
The highest of the male voices is the tenor. The expressive qualities of the tenor voice are superbly showcased in this version of "E lucevan le stelle" , which also gives us a glimpse of Puccini's wonderful melodic gift and dramatic sensibility.
Composer: Giuseppe Giacosa
-
"Tosca, Act III: E lucevan le stelle"
The opera Tosca was first performed in Rome in 1900. It is based on a play by Victorien Sardou dealing with political intrigue, love, and persecution. In the opening scene, the protagonist, an artist named Cavaradossi, is seen working on a church painting of Mary Magdalene, based on the beautiful singer Tosca with whom he is in love. As the story unfolds, Cavaradossi is imprisoned for his part in a liberal political plot and condemned to death, a fate from which Tosca seeks to save him. In "E lucevan le stelle" (meaning "The stars are shining"), Cavaradossi, with one hour to live, recalls the past.
Bass
The lowest male voice is the bass. Mozart's opera The Magic Flute features the remarkable "O Isis und Osiris", one of the best-known bass arias in the operatic repertoire.
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
-
"The Magic Flute: O Isis und Osiris"
Baritone
Between the tenor and the bass, there is a male voice range that can reach into both the tenor and the bass ranges. This range is called the baritone, a word of Greek origin meaning "deep sounding." The soloist in "Dark Eyes", which is probably one of the most popular Russian folk songs, is a good example of a baritone's voice.
Composer: Florian Hermann
-
"Dark Eyes"
Vocal Groups
Singing seems to be a natural human activity. People of all colors, genders, ages, walks of life, and nationalities seem to enjoy singing regardless of their musical ability or the beauty of their voices. It is not uncommon, therefore, for people to get together to sing. There is something indefinably powerful about the experience of making music in a group, especially when it involves singing: The number of people assembling to sing does not matter and can range from two to many more. The largest of these groups is called a choir. Choir members may be all male, all female, or mixed. In a mixed choir, the voices are divided by vocal range based on the highest and lowest sounds that a person can produce. This applies to all-male as well as to all-female choirs.
Composer: George Frideric Handel
-
"Messiah, HWV 56: Hallelujah"
Choirs may sing accompanied by instruments. However, it is also common for them to sing without any accompaniment, in which case the choir is said to be singing a cappella. "Dark Eyes" features a mixed choir that alternates with the soloist to produce a powerfully compelling rendition of this beautiful melody.
Composer: Florian Hermann
-
"Dark Eyes"
Chamber Choir
Depending on size, choirs may be classified as chamber choirs and full choruses. The following example features a small group of singers (chamber choir). These types of groups traditionally get together in informal environments; for example, in private homes (thus the name "chamber") or in small concert halls.
John Farmer (c.1570–1601) was an English composer and organist. His madrigal Fair Phyllis, written in 1599, is a poem of pastoral love that reveals the hidden implications in the text through the deliberately suggestive musical setting.
Composer: John Farmer
-
"Fair Phyllis"
Feeding her flock near to the mountainside
But after her lover Amyntas hied
When he found her, Oh then they fell a-kissing
The musical style of the English madrigals and songs have several main features, most important of which are the intensity and intimacy of the choral writing and texts that are often full of double meanings or hidden implications. Only a small group of singers can truly perform these types of pieces where every musical line has real textual purpose.
Full Chorus
The impact of a grand full chorus accompanied by an equally large orchestral force may be experienced in all its glory in Entry Chorus from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Nabucco. This piece also gives us the opportunity to hear a group of male voices and a group of female voices that sing separately in certain sections of the piece, even though they form part of the same full chorus.
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
-
"Nabucco: Entry Chorus, Gli Arredi Festivi Giu Candano Infantri" [ 00:00-00:17 ]00:17
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
-
"Nabucco: Entry Chorus, Gli Arredi Festivi Giu Candano Infantri" [ 01:18-02:40 ]01:22
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
-
"Nabucco: Entry Chorus, Gli Arredi Festivi Giu Candano Infantri" [ 02:41-05:53 ]03:12