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Origin of the termThe name "tenor" derives 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. Thus, for earlier repertoire, a line marked 'tenor' indicated the part's role, and not the required voice type. Indeed, even as late as the seventeenth century, partbooks labelled 'tenor' might contain parts for a range of voice types. Operatic tenorImage:Rosario la spina.jpg Rosario la Spina, an Australian born tenor Due to the lyrical tone quality as well as the dramatic high notes, composers have given tenors some of the best-known melodies and arias in the operatic literature, which have then spilled out as well into popular culture (e.g., The Three Tenors).[citation needed] Also important to the operatic tenor is its common association with youth, vigor, and romance.[citation needed] Operatic tenor lead roles have thus tended 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).[citation needed]
Famous operatic tenors from various countries include Carlo Bergonzi (Italy), Beniamino Gigli (Italy), Georges Thill (France), Jussi Björling (Sweden), Nicolai Gedda (Sweden), José Carreras (Spain), Enrico Caruso (Italy), Plácido 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), Bülent Bezdüz (Turkey), Wu Pak Chiu (China), Nicholas Dore (England), Giuseppe di Stefano (Italy), and Rolando Villazon (Mexico). Tenor in choral musicIn 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 approximately B3 up to G4. Even so, one nearly ubiquitous facet of choral singing is the shortage of tenor voices. Because the higher tenor range is quite unusual in adult males, the majority of men tend to prefer singing bass or baritone. For this reason, some men are often asked to sing tenor even if they lack the full range, while rarely low altos are even asked to sing the tenor part as well. Tenor ClassificationAlthough vocal range is the primary characteristic which defines a tenor, it is not the only. 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 generally be classified based on their most resonant and comfortable tessitura. Other usesIn 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. Types of tenor and tenor roles in operas
In opera, distinctions are made between different types of tenor:
Tenor roles in operettas and musicals
SourcesDavid Fallows, Owen Jander. "Tenor", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy, grovemusic.com (subscription access). See alsoExternal LinksTenor voices in Opera with video examplesbg:Тенор ca:Tenor cs:Tenor de:Tenor (Stimmlage) es:Tenor eo:Tenoro fa:تنور fr:Ténor ko:테너 it:Tenore he:טנור hu:Tenor mk:Тенор ms:Tenor nl:Tenor (zangstem) ja:テノール pl:Tenor pt:Tenor ru:Тенор simple:Tenor sl:Tenor sh:Tenori fi:Tenori sv:Tenor uk:Тенор zh:男高音
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