Tenor: History of a VoiceFrom its emergence in the sixteenth century to the phenomenon of the "Three Tenors" and beyond, the tenor voice has grown in popularity and esteem. This engaging and authoritative book--the first comprehensive history of tenor singing--presents fascinating details about the world's great performers, styles of singing in different countries, teachers and music schools, the variety of compositions for the tenor voice, and much more.John Potter begins by surveying the prehistory of the tenor in the medieval period, when Gregorian chant and early polyphony had implications for a voice-type, and proceeds to the sixteenth century, when singers were first identified as tenors. He focuses on many of the greatest tenors-- those who predated the gramophone as well as those whose recorded voices may still be heard--and considers the ways in which each is historically significant. The names range from legendary early figures like Ludwig Schnoor von Carolsfeld (Wagner's first Tristan) to those more familiar like Enrico Caruso, Richard Tauber, Mario Lanza, Roberto Alagna, Ian Bostridge, Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo, and, of course, Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras. Admirers of the tenor voice will especially appreciate the book's unique reference section, with bibliographical and discographical/video information on several hundred tenors. |
Contents
Handel Mozart and the Tenort lastrato tlonnection | |
The Tenor as Artist | |
tlaruso and the Italian Succession | |
The Romantic Tenor Hero | |
Splendid Isolationists? The British Isles in the Twentieth tlentury | |
France and the Decline of Linguistic Lyricism | |
Russia and the Preseryation of Lost Traditions | |
Postwar Losses and Gains | |
Notes | |
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Common terms and phrases
American Antonio Arias baritone Bayreuth became Bel Canto Bilgora Bjorling Blyth Braham career Caruso castrati century Charles chest composer concert Conservatoire Corelli Covent Garden début Decca Discography Donizetti dramatic Duprez English Farkas Fernando De Lucia film Forbes Francesco French Garcia Georges Thill German Gigli Giovanni Giuseppe Grove Gualerzi Handel Heldentenor Herman Klein ilmography Italian tenors Italy Jean de Reszke John Steane La Scala Lauri-Volpi Lauritz Melchior Legendary Voices Lohengrin London lyric tenor Mario Masini McCormack Melchior Mozart musicians Naxos Need a Hero NGDO Nourrit Opera opera houses Opera Quarterly Otello Paris Pavarotti Pearl GEMM performance perhaps Preiser Record Collector repertoire Richard Richard Tauber roles Rosenthal Rossini Rubini Russian sang Scala Schipa Scott Shawe-Taylor Siegfried Sims Reeves singers Song soprano sound stage star style success sung Tamagno Tauber teacher technique tenor voice theatre Thill tradition Tristan Truesound Verdi Verdino-Siillwold Videography virtuosity vocal Wagner York