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This article is about Tenor vocalists in music. For other meanings see Tenor (disambiguation). In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high vocal range. As an adjective, the term also describes the generally equivalent tonal register, as in the tenor clef or the tenor saxophone.
Origin of the term The name "tenor" comes from the Latin word tenere, which means "to hold". In medieval and Renaissance polyphony between about 1250 and 1500, the tenor was the structurally fundamental (or ‘holding’) voice, vocal or instrumental. All other voices were normally calculated in relation to the tenor, which often proceeded in longer note values and carried a borrowed Cantus firmus melody. Until the late 15th-century introduction of the contratenor bassus, the tenor was usually the lowest voice, assuming the role of providing a harmonic foundation. It was also in the 15th century that "tenor" came to signify the male voice that sang such parts. Operatic tenor It is perhaps in opera that the tenor is most revered, often being considered the most glamorous of the male operatic roles. Because of the lyrical tenor tone quality as well as the dramatic high notes, composers have tended to give tenors many of the best-known melodies and arias in the operatic literature, which have spilled out of the world of opera and into popular culture (e.g., The Three Tenors). Also important to the operatic tenor is its common association with youth, vigor, and romance. In this way, operatic tenor lead roles tend to parallel the soprano roles, in that they customarily play the most sympathetic male character. They are usually the protagonist, and most commonly the hero or the lover, though they are also the occasional villains (the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto; Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly). A professional operatic tenor will typically have a range extending up to the C above middle C (C5), which is often called the "high C". Indeed, a solid chest-voice "high C" is often said to be a requisite for a "true" operatic tenor. This is however disputed, as it has been suggested that even some well-known tenors do not have this ability. Famous operatic tenors from various countries include Georges Thill (France), Jussi Björling (Sweden), Nicolai Gedda (Sweden), José Carreras (Spain), Enrico Caruso (Italy), Placido Domingo (Spain), Jon Vickers (Canada), Richard Tucker (USA), Franco Corelli (Italy), Lauritz Melchior (Denmark), Fritz Wunderlich (Germany), Luciano Pavarotti (Italy), Juan Diego Florez (Peru), David Hobson (Australia), Mario Del Monaco (Italy), Ignacio Gomez(Chile), and Bülent Bezdüz (Turkey). Tenor in choral music In four-part choral music, the tenor is the second lowest voice, above the bass and below the soprano and alto. The range of the choral tenor is generally not as great as that in opera, however. While certain choral music does require the first tenors to ascend the full tenor range, the majority of choral music places the tenors in the range from C3 up to A4. Even so, one nearly ubiquitous facet of choral singing is the shortage of tenor voices. Because the higher notes in the tenor range are quite uncommon in adult males, the majority of men tend to be more comfortable singing bass or baritone. For this reason, some males are often asked to sing the tenor part even if they do not have the full tenor range, while occasionally some low altos are even asked to sing along with the tenor part. Tenor Classification Although vocal range is the primary characteristic which defines a tenor, it is not the only definition. A tenor is ultimately classified by several vocal traits, including range, tone quality, vocal lift points, and transition points ("passaggio") within the singer's range. In non-professional choirs, individuals will be classified based on their most resonant and comfortable tessitura. It is not uncommon that a choir tenor actually lacks the full tenor range. 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 referring to part of a sentence. Types of tenor and tenor roles in operas
Tenor roles in operettas and musicals Sources David Fallows, Owen Jander. "Tenor", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy, grovemusic.com (subscription access). See also | ||||||||||
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