Chapter Eight

The Voice and Opera

The Vocal Mechanism

Three Elements:1) Energy Source- Lungs

2) Vibrating Element- Vocal cords

3) Resonating Chamber- Head

A) Laryngeal prominence (Adam's Apple)

B) Larynx (voice box; vocal cords inside)

C) Trachea (wind pipe)

D) Esophagus (swallowing tube)

Vocal Mechanism--Larynx

Vocal Mechanism--Larynx

Vocal Mechanism Types

The Head Voice(Head Register)

(Light Mechanism)(Falsetto)

The Chest Voice(Chest Register)

(Heavy Mechanism)

“Vernacular” Voice Characteristics

• Uses microphone as part of technique

• Uses slap back echo and other enhancements

• Exploits timbral differences between registers

• Generally has less than two octave range

Trained Voice in Western Art Music

Middle Ages (all male) Modern (male and female)

Superius Soprano

Altisimus Alto

Tenore Tenor

Bassus Bass

Trained Voice Characteristics

Trained voices are considered acoustic instruments

• Project in large concert halls

• Project over large instrumental groups

• Suppress timbral differences betweenregisters

Further modern divisions of voices

SopranoColoratureLyricDramatic

Mezzo-sopranos

LyricDramatic

Contralto

TenorCountertenorLyric

Dramatic(Heldentenor)

BaritonesLyricBass Baritone

BassBasso CantanteBasso Profundo

Other Vocal Types

Contra-Bass (Russian Bass)Lowest and Rarest of Voices

Growl RegisterThroat Singers from Tuva

Multiphonics

Whistle RegisterChinese (Beijing) Opera Soprano

Early forms were religious festivals with dancing and singing.

“Incantation,” “charm,” “chant” and “enchant” all came from words having to do with singing.

Music and Drama

• Bali-Java (Indonesia) Gamelan Orchestra Puppet Theater

• JapanNoh DramaKabuki Theater

• ChinaChinese (Beijing) Opera

Non- Western Examples

Noh Theatre

The Noh theatre has a place in Japanese society similar to the place Shakespearean drama has in the West.

•600 years old•Highly stylized•Ritualistic--influenced by Zen Buddhism•Performers wear masks•All male actors and chorus•Accompanied by flute and three drums

Kabuki

• The word Kabuki literally means

song,

dance, and technique.

• 400 years old

• Folk production--very popular

• Combines dancing with lots of

melodrama

• Very elaborate costumes and

scenery

• Dance theatre--very stylized

• Accompanied by flute, drums,

shamison

• 600 years old• Started by the Florentine

Camerata in late 1500’s • Attempted to rival Greek

tragedy• Text of opera is called libretto• Singers train their voices to extend range

and agility• Melodic style resembles instrumental

melodies

Western European Opera

Quick History of Opera

1500-1600’s-•Produced at court for small aristocratic audiences

1700’s•Became highly popular form of entertainment•Tended to be comedies, spectacles, and dramas•Singers began to be “stars’•Some operas were written to show off a particular star•First public opera houses started

•Continued as popular form of entertainment

•Productions became bigger with more elaborate sets and costumes

•Plots were like “soap” operas (get it?)

•Two most famous opera composers ever•Giacomo Puccini•Guiseppe Verdi

•Wagner began experimenting with Gesamtkunstwerk

•Cities all over US welcomed travelling opera companies

1800’s--Grand Opera

As orchestras got bigger, singers needed to train more in order to project their voices over the orchestra--this led to more agility which then led to fancier melodies.

– Giaccomo Rossini--Barber of Seville

The Age of Bel Canto

Plots and characters became more

“everyday,” that is, more realistic.

• Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) Tosca Madama Butterfly Turandot Il Trittico La Bohème [1896]

Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875) Carmen

Verismo (Realism)

Character Voice TypesMimi––lyric sopranoMusetta––coloratura sopranoRodolfo––lyric tenorMarcello––lyric baritioneSchaunard––baritoneColline––bassAlcindoro––bass

La Boheme

Early 1900’s•WW I slowed opera production

•Radio and movies gave people cheap way of escaping the Great Depression

•Grand Opera was temporarily replaced by Broadway and movie musicals

Late 1900’s

•Musicals became more like operas (Cats, Evita, Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Phantom, Rent)

•Opera experienced a big revival

•Most US cities now have opera houses

Operettas and musicals are operas with spoken dialogue. All dialogue is sung in an opera.

• William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

The Mikado The Pirates of Penzance

• Franz Lehar• Johannes Strauss• Scott Joplin

Operettas and Musicals