Art Songs For Tenor - A Pedagogical Analysis of Art Songs For The PDF

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online

Theses and Dissertations
2012
Art songs for tenor : a pedagogical analysis of art

songs for the tenor voice
Adam Michael Webb
University of Iowa
Copyright 2012 Adam Webb
This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3401
Recommended Citation
Webb, Adam Michael. "Art songs for tenor : a pedagogical analysis of art songs for the tenor voice." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts)
thesis, University of Iowa, 2012.
http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3401.
Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of the Music Commons

ART SONGS FOR TENOR: A PEDAGOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ART SONGS FOR
THE TENOR VOICE
by
Adam Michael Webb
An essay submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the
Doctor of Musical Arts degree
in the Graduate College of
The University of Iowa
July 2012
Essay Supervisor: Associate Professor John Muriello

Copyright by
ADAM MICHAEL WEBB
2012
All Rights Reserved
Graduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
_______________________
D.M.A. ESSAY
_______________
This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of
Adam Michael Webb
has been approved by the Examining Committee

for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree at the July 2012 graduation.
Essay Committee: __________________________________

John Muriello, Essay Supervisor
__________________________________
Christine Getz
__________________________________
Shari Rhoads
__________________________________
Timothy Stalter
__________________________________
Stephen Swanson
To Suzie and Lorelei
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis committee: Stephen Swanson,
Timothy Stalter, Shari Rhoads, and Christine Getz. I greatly appreciate your feedback
and helpful advice. Thank you, John Muriello, my adviser and voice teacher, for your
tireless help with this project and throughout this degree.
Thank you to my former voice teachers: Stephen Swanson, Gail Dooley, and Jean
Thomas. You have helped nurture me into a better performer and teacher.
Finally, thank you to my family. It has been a blessing to grow up with such
supportive parents and extended family. Thank you to my wife, Suzie. I could not have
completed this degree without your unending support, motivation, and love.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES .................................................................................vi

LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................ix
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1
CHAPTER I BASIC TENOR PEDAGOGY AND DEFINITION OF TERMS ................6
Appoggio ......................................................................................................6
Appoggio Exercises ................................................................................8
Passaggio .....................................................................................................8
Vowel Modification .................................................................................... 10
Vowel Modification Exercises.............................................................. 12
Giro ............................................................................................................ 14
Tessitura ..................................................................................................... 16
Chiaroscuro................................................................................................ 18
Agility ........................................................................................................ 20
Repertoire Selection and The Vocalise........................................................ 21
CHAPTER II ITALIAN ART SONG AND ARIE ANTICHE......................................... 23
Claudio Monteverdi, “Rosa del ciel,” L’Orfeo............................................. 23

Alessandro Stradella, attr., “Pietà Signore” ................................................. 25
Alessandro Scarlatti, “Toglietemi la vita ancor,” Pompeo............................ 27
Francesco Durante, “Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile”.................................. 28
Vincenzo Bellini, “Dolente immagine di Fille mia,” Tre Ariette.................. 30
Vincenzo Bellini, “Vaga luna, che inargenti,” Tre Ariette............................ 32
Vincenzo Bellini, “Per pietà, bell’idol mio,” Sei Ariette .............................. 34
Francesco Paolo Tosti, “Ideale” .................................................................. 36
Francesco Paolo Tosti, “La Serenata”.......................................................... 38
Stefano Donaudy, “Vaghissima sembianza”................................................ 41
CHAPTER III ENGLISH ART SONG.......................................................................... 44
Henry Purcell, “I’ll sail upon the Dog Star,” The Fools Preferment, Z.
571 ....................................................................................................... 44
Thomas Arne, “O come, O come, my dearest,” The Fall of Phaeton ........... 47
Hubert Parry, “No longer mourn for me” .................................................... 49
Roger Quilter, “Go, Lovely Rose”............................................................... 51
Roger Quilter, “O mistress mine,” Three Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6............ 54
Roger Quilter, “Hey, ho, the wind and the rain,” Five Shakespeare
Songs, Op. 23 ....................................................................................... 56
Gerald Finzi, “Her Temple,” A Young Man’s Exhortation, Op. 14............... 57
Benjamin Britten, “The Salley Gardens,” Folksong Arrangements, Vol.
1........................................................................................................... 60
Samuel Barber, “The Daisies” 3 Songs, Op. 2 ............................................. 62
John Jacob Niles, “Black is the color of my true love’s hair”....................... 64
CHAPTER IV GERMAN LIEDER............................................................................... 68
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Abendempfindung” ...................................... 69
iv
Ludwig van Beethoven, “Der Kuss”............................................................ 72
Franz Schubert, “Wohin?” Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795 ............................. 75
Franz Schubert, “Halt!” Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795.................................. 77
Franz Schubert, “Das Fischermädchen,” Schwanengesang, D. 957.............. 79
Robert Schumann, “Waldesgespräch,” Liederkreis, Op. 39 ......................... 82
Robert Schumann, “Wehmut,” Liederkreis, Op. 39 ..................................... 84
Robert Schumann, “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne,”
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 ............................................................................. 85
Robert Schumann, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es,” Dichterliebe, Op. 48...... 87
Johannes Brahms, “Sonntag,” Fünf Lieder, Op. 47...................................... 91
CHAPTER V FRENCH MELODIE............................................................................... 94
Jean Paul Martini, “Plaisir d’amour” ........................................................... 96

César Franck, “Nocturne,” FWV 85............................................................ 98
Vincent d’Indy, “Madrigal,” Op. 4 ............................................................ 100
Ernest Chausson, “Hébé,” 7 mélodies, Op. 2 ............................................. 101
Henri Duparc, “Lamento” ......................................................................... 104
Henri Duparc, “Chanson triste,” Op. 2, No. 4............................................ 106
Gabriel Fauré, “Lydia,”2 mélodies, Op. 4.................................................. 108
Gabriel Fauré, “Nell,” 3 mélodies, Op. 18 ................................................. 109
Claude Debussy, “Les cloches,” Romances, L 79...................................... 111
Maurice Ravel, “Sainte,” M.9 ................................................................... 115
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 118
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 119
APPENDIX A SONGS ORGANIZED BY PEDAGOGICAL GOALS........................ 124
v
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
Example 1: Claudio Monteverdi, L’Orfeo, “Rosa del ciel,” mm. 131-138 ...................... 24
Example 2: Alessandro Stradella, Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias of the
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, for medium high voice , “Pietà
Signore,” mm. 21-27............................................................................................. 26
Example 3: Alessandro Stradella, Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias of the
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, for medium high voice , “Pietà
Signore,” mm. 28-34............................................................................................. 27
Example 4: Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian Arias of the Baroque and Classical Eras,
“Toglietemi la vita ancor,” mm. 3-5...................................................................... 27
Example 5: Francesco Durante, Twenty-six Italian Songs and Arias, “Danza, danza,
fanciulla gentile,” m. 3.......................................................................................... 29
Example 6 Francesco Durante, Twenty-six Italian Songs and Arias, “Danza, danza,
fanciulla gentile,” mm. 30-32................................................................................ 30
Example 7: Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da Camera, “Dolente immagine di
Fille mia,” mm. 4-10............................................................................................. 31
Example 8: Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da Camera, “Vaga luna, che
inargenti,” mm. 20-25........................................................................................... 33
Example 9: Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da Camera, “Per pietà, bell’idol
mio,” mm. 5-8 ...................................................................................................... 35
Example 10: Francesco Paolo Tosti, 30 Songs, “Ideale,” mm. 22-27.............................. 37
Example 11: Francesco Paolo Tosti, 30 Songs, “La Serenata,” mm. 4-9......................... 39
Example 12: Francesco Paolo Tosti, 30 Songs, “La Serenata,” mm. 74-81..................... 40
Example 13: Stefano Donaudy, 36 Arie di stile antico, Vol. 2, “Vaghissima
sembianza,” mm. 51-60 ........................................................................................ 42
Example 14: Henry Purcell, Standard Vocal Literature: Tenor, “I’ll sail upon the
Dog Star,” mm. 25-33........................................................................................... 46
Example 15: Thomas Arne, Twelve Songs: Book One, “O come, O come, my
dearest,” mm. 8-9 ................................................................................................. 48
Example 16: Thomas Arne, Twelve Songs: Book One, “O come, O come, my
dearest,” mm. 18-19.............................................................................................. 49
Example 17: Hubert Parry, Hubert Parry Songs, vol. 49 of Musica Britannica: A
National Collection of Music, “No longer mourn for me,” mm. 21-30 .................. 51
Example 18: Roger Quilter, The First Book of Tenor Solos, “Go, Lovely Rose,”
mm. 3-5 ................................................................................................................ 53
vi
Example 19: Roger Quilter, The First Book of Tenor Solos, “Go, Lovely Rose,”
mm. 6-7 ................................................................................................................ 53
Example 20: Roger Quilter, Standard Vocal Literature: Tenor, “O mistress mine,”
mm. 1-7 ................................................................................................................ 55
Example 21: Roger Quilter, Standard Vocal Literature: Tenor, “Hey, ho, the wind
and the rain,” mm. 46-49 ...................................................................................... 57
Example 22: Gerald Finzi, Collected Songs, “Her Temple,” mm. 7-11 .......................... 59
Example 23: Benjamin Britten, Folksong Arrangements, vol. 1, “The Salley
Gardens,” mm. 1-8................................................................................................ 61
Example 24: Samuel Barber, Collected Songs, “The Daisies,” mm. 5-7 ......................... 64
Example 25: John Jacob Niles, The Songs of John Jacob Niles, “Black is the color
of my true love’s hair,” mm. 7-9 ........................................................................... 65
Example 26: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sämtliche Lieder, “Abendempfindung,”
mm. 1-11 .............................................................................................................. 70
Example 27: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sämtliche Lieder, “Abendempfindung,”
mm. 66-75 ............................................................................................................ 71
Example 28: Ludwig van Beethoven, Lieder und Gesänge, “Der Kuss,” mm. 6-16........ 73
Example 29: Ludwig van Beethoven, Lieder und Gesänge, “Der Kuss,” mm. 43-46...... 74
Example 30: Franz Schubert, 200 Songs, “Wohin?” mm. 28-35..................................... 76
Example 31: Franz Schubert, 200 Songs, “Halt!” mm. 40-44 ......................................... 77
Example 32: Franz Schubert, 200 Songs, “Das Fischermädchen,” mm. 35-42................ 80
Example 33: Robert Schumann, Liederkreis, Opus 39, “Wehmut,” mm. 1-3.................. 85
Example 34: Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die
Sonne,” mm. 1-4................................................................................................... 86
Example 35: Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es,” mm.
7-19...................................................................................................................... 89
Example 36: Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es,” mm.
67-72 .................................................................................................................... 90
Example 37: Johannes Brahms, Lieder, Vol. 1, “Sonntag,” mm. 8-16. © 1980 by
C.F. Peters ............................................................................................................ 92
Example 38: Jean Paul Martini, The French Song Anthology. “Plaisir d’amour,”
mm. 21-23 ............................................................................................................ 97
Example 39: César Franck, The French Song Anthology, “Nocturne,” mm. 7-11 ........... 99
vii
Example 40: Ernest Chausson, The French Song Anthology, “Hébé,” mm. 1-3............ 102
Example 41: Henri Duparc, The French Song Anthology, “Lamento,” mm. 4-7 ........... 105
Example 42: Gabriel Fauré, Gabriel Fauré: 50 Songs, “Lydia,” mm. 11-13 ................ 109
Example 43: Gabriel Fauré, Gabriel Fauré: 50 Songs, “Nell,” mm. 29-32................... 110
Example 44: Claude Debussy, Douze chants avec acct. de piano, “Les cloches,”
mm. 7-10 ............................................................................................................ 113
Example 45: Claude Debussy, Douze chants avec acct. de piano, “Les cloches,”
mm. 28-36 .......................................................................................................... 114
Example 46: Maurice Ravel, Collected Songs, “Sainte,” mm. 11-13............................ 116
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Appoggio Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 30..................8
Figure 2: Vowel Modification Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices,
pg. 52 ................................................................................................................... 12
pg. 53 ................................................................................................................... 13
pg. 54 ................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 5: Tessitura Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 107 .............. 17
Figure 9: Agility Exercise.............................................................................................. 20
Figure 10: Agility Exercise............................................................................................ 21
Figure 11: Agility Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 88.................. 21
Figure 12: Passaggio Exercise....................................................................................... 34
Figure 13: Legato Vowel Exercise................................................................................. 38
Figure 14: Triplet Exercise ............................................................................................ 41
Figure 15: Passaggio Octave Exercise........................................................................... 42
Figure 16: Agility Exercise............................................................................................ 47
Figure 17: Appoggio Exercise........................................................................................ 62
Figure 18: Tessitura Exercise ........................................................................................ 66
Figure 19: Consonant Exercise ...................................................................................... 68
Figure 20: Arpeggio Exercise ........................................................................................ 77
Figure 21: Octave Buzz Exercise................................................................................... 78
Figure 22: Octave Agility Exercise................................................................................ 79
Figure 23: Passaggio Exercise....................................................................................... 81
Figure 24: Articulation Exercise .................................................................................... 90
ix
Figure 25: Passaggio Exercise..................................................................................... 103
Figure 26: Vowel Exercise .......................................................................................... 105
Figure 27: Even Scale Octave Exercise........................................................................ 111
Figure 28: Articulator Exercise.................................................................................... 117
x
1
INTRODUCTION
Tenors pose a unique challenge to voice teachers. The physical demands and
expectations of repertoire require the tenor to have supplemental skills not found in general
voice pedagogy textbooks. Tenors require a distinct approach to technique that varies from
other voice types in the following areas: passaggio, vowel modification, appoggio, giro,
chiaroscuro, tessitura, and agility. This project will address each of these areas with a tenor-
specific point of view.
This project is informed by my transition from lyric baritone to tenor. When I made
the transition I was an experienced voice teacher and performer with a strong working
knowledge of vocal pedagogy. However, I found it difficult to find clear answers to tenor-
specific pedagogical questions. I discovered that I needed to supplement my voice training
with nuanced understandings of tenor pedagogy.
The definitive source for tenor training is Richard Miller’s Training Tenor Voices. In
his preface to Training Tenor Voices, Miller explains that many issues set the tenor apart
from other voice classifications.1 First, Miller says, the “normal” male voice is the
baritone—tenors and basses are outside that norm and are therefore fewer in number.
Second, he argues that although singers in every voice type must possess solid technique, the
tenor must demonstrate a higher degree of precision than other singers due to the
extraordinary demands placed on the voice. Third, the shortage of tenors is not a new
problem. He claims that this shortage is not only due to the physicality of the tenor voice
being outside the male norm, but it is also due to a deficit of training for tenors. Miller points
1
Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices (New York: Schirmer Books, 1993), ix-x.
2
out that many voice teachers express a lack of confidence in training tenors, stating that
“many teachers admit that teaching the tenor voice remains a mystery.”2 Without adequate
guidance in technique and repertoire selection, many tenors can inadvertently pursue a
technically unhealthy path. Fourth, the performance demands on the tenor voice are greater
than those for other voice types. The tenor is asked to sing at demanding pitch levels for
long periods of time while simultaneously expressing dramatic subtlety. Lastly, Miller
discusses the personality of a successful tenor; he must be willing and able to overcome the
aforementioned pitfalls of the tenor voice. The successful tenor possesses a unique blend of
“guts and intelligence.”3
The purpose of this project is to assist voice teachers in training tenors by selecting
forty art songs that are pedagogically useful in the training of the tenor voice and providing
specific pedagogical strategies for the learning process of the selected repertoire. The list of
repertoire consists of ten art songs from each of the four main Western singing languages:
Italian, English, German, and French. These four languages have been selected because they
represent the vast majority of standard art song repertoire for the typical undergraduate tenor.
They appear in this order because it is a logical progression of languages the tenor should
study, from the legato and vowel-focused Italian language, to the sophisticated nuances of
French. The selected songs, divided by language, then appear chronologically. The level of
difficulty for the majority of the selected repertoire is approximately the same. Most of the
songs are at a medium level of difficulty, and all of them are appropriate for undergraduate
2
Miller, ix.
3
Miller, x.
3
tenors. Songs with a high level of difficulty are described as specifically appropriate for
advanced undergraduate tenors.
The intended audience for this project is voice teachers of undergraduate tenors. A
typical teacher of undergraduate tenors likely possesses a working knowledge of vocal
pedagogy. However, unless the teacher is a tenor, this training typically limits the teacher’s
ability to guide the tenor through nuanced technique. An undergraduate tenor is facing a
turning point in terms of his physical development between the ages of 18 and 22, and it is
the most important time for him to learn healthy technique. It is essential that the tenor’s
teacher be equipped to explain how a tenor’s approach to technique is unique, and what
repertoire he should sing to progress and fulfill his potential.
This project aids teachers and young tenors in a practical approach to technique and
repertoire selection by identifying the technical issues in each song, explaining ways to
approach those technique issues, and highlighting positive pedagogical results from learning
each song. By following the strategies set forth in this project, the tenor and teacher will be
more equipped to select appropriate art song repertoire beyond those songs presented in this
project and address vocal technique through the song learning process.
Art song was selected because it represents an accessible repertoire for the young
voice. Art song is generally less difficult than operatic and oratorio repertoire.
Undergraduates are expected to sing art song more frequently than operatic or oratorio
repertoire in their courses of study, and degree recital programs contain either art songs
exclusively, or art songs primarily. The combination of vocal and performance demands
makes art song an effective genre through which to address pedagogical issues.
4
There are many exceptional vocal pedagogy textbooks available that provide singers
and teachers with solid technical foundations by authors such as Manuel Garcia, Giovanni
Battista Lamperti and others. However, general voice pedagogy books lack specific detail
about the nuances of each voice type. Among the available books that address the tenor
voice, Richard Miller’s Training Tenor Voices stands out as the most comprehensive and
detailed for tenor pedagogy, although it does not contain extensive guidance for repertoire.
Anthony Frissell’s The Tenor Voice is a brief discussion of basic pedagogy that does not give
the reader a thorough understanding of tenor pedagogy or repertoire. There are also many
biographical books by great tenors such as Enrico Caruso that can provide interesting insight
into the tenor voice, but the reader must search through the anecdotes, extract the
pedagogical value and then translate it to the voice studio.
Repertoire guides are available for opera arias by authors such as Berton Coffin,
Richard Boldrey, and Mark Ross Clark; these provide pedagogical information based on
voice type. For example, Berton Coffin’s The Singer’s Repertoire and Richard Boldrey’s
Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias list arias by voice type and further delineate the arias by
Fach. Mark Ross Clark’s Guide to the Aria Repertoire provides much more information
including range, tessitura, Fach, librettist, and other background information, as well as a
plot synopsis. However, all three of these sources are specifically opera aria guides. Despite
the importance of art song in the career of young singers, and the importance of art song as a
primer for learning opera arias, there is a lack of art song guides that help teachers and
students select repertoire based on voice type.
Carol Kimball’s Song is the most comprehensive guidebook for art song literature,
but it focuses on biographic and style information rather than pedagogical issues, including
5
voice type. Victoria Villamil’s A Singer’s Guide to the American Art Song 1870–1980, is a
more detailed art song guide, but it only focuses on American art song and does not provide
pedagogical support for individual voice types. Sergius Kagen’s Music for the Voice is a
song guide that contains valuable information regarding range, tessitura, and general notes
about the pieces. However, it does not address vocal technique and it is somewhat outdated.
What is missing in current literature, and what this project addresses, is a pedagogically
focused analysis of carefully chosen repertoire for the tenor voice.
Repertoire selection is extremely important for young tenors because inappropriate
repertoire can significantly damage his voice. Much of the well-known tenor repertoire is
operatic and full of drama, passion, and robust singing often in the extended high range. If a
young tenor attempts these dramatic arias at too early an age, his vocal development can be
disrupted. The art songs selected for this project expand the tenor’s abilities and range, but in
smaller increments than the technically demanding arias of Puccini, Verdi, or Leoncavallo.
With careful attention to technique and with repertoire guidance in the early stages of a
tenor’s development, the tenor will be better prepared for a successful career marked by skill
and longevity. Appendix A provides a list of art songs discussed in this project that are
specifically helpful for achieving particular pedagogical goals.

6
CHAPTER I
BASICS OF TENOR PEDAGOGY AND DEFINITION OF TERMS
The following discussion of tenor pedagogy is meant to supplement the information
found in a typical vocal pedagogy textbook. Some points of vocal pedagogy, such as
posture, are not included because a tenor should approach them in the same way as any other
voice type. While the following points may also apply to other voice types, tenors must
approach them uniquely, based on the demands on his voice and repertoire. The pedagogical
terms and vocalises described in this chapter are referenced throughout the project in order to
provide an understanding of their applications to the tenor voice. Many of the following
subjects are derived from Miller’s Training Tenor Voices since it is the primary source for
tenor pedagogy. As a tenor goes through progress in mastering his technique in each of
these categories, he will build a technique that empowers him to sing with confidence and
knowledge of his instrument.
Appoggio
Singing requires one to extend an exhalation much longer than is necessary for
typical speech in everyday life. The standard breathing approach advocated by many
pedagogues is called appoggio. The Italian verb appoggiare means to support or to lean.
Miller explains that appoggio is not simply a breathing technique. It encompasses the ideas
of breath management and support.4 Given the frequency with which the tenor must use his
4
Miller, 25.
7
upper range and the increased breath pressure needed to produce those pitches, coordinated
appoggio breathing is a necessity.
The essence of appoggio is that opposing forces, the stretching and expanding of the
ribcage and laryngeal musculature, are what provide the support for the voice. The lower
abdominal muscles help support this posture and delay the expulsion of air, but the real
impetus for the breath comes from the dynamic energy inherent in an expanded ribcage.
Therefore, appoggio refers to dynamic muscular support necessary to maintain open posture
that is able to produce focused airflow, rather than an active contraction of muscles, which
expels air at an unsustainable rate. The upper abdominal muscles should be relatively
relaxed and extending outward, and the lower abdominal muscles should be contracted or
“tucked” inward.
When the singer is properly engaged in appoggio, singing feels relatively easy. One
of Lamperti’s maxims of singing is, “It is co-action, not non-action, that causes controlled
effort to feel effortless.”5 Furthermore, Miller adds that “muscle tension is to be avoided, but
muscle tonus is vital to all energized physical action.”6 The breath is not relaxed; it is
energized. The lower abdominal muscles are engaged to support an open posture and resist
the collapse of the ribcage without extreme effort, thus creating the sensation of ease and
fullness in the torso and neck.
5
Giovanni Battista Lamperti, Vocal Wisdom, trans. William Earl Brown (New York:
Taplinger, 1957), 29.
6
Miller, 26.
8
Appoggio Exercises
An effective exercise for developing appoggio is the use of short notes produced with
a clean onset, and having the singer remain in the position of inhalation. Figure 1 should be
executed at a moderate tempo, in a comfortable pitch range, on [a]. The emphasis is on
maintaining this posture during inspiration and expiration. The length of time in the position
of inhalation in this exercise strengthens the targeted abdominal muscles and the intercostals,
which provides the physical support of the appoggio technique.
Figure 1. Appoggio Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 30.
Once the singer has mastered Figure 1, he should change the rhythm to eighth notes
with small breaths between each note. This builds the appoggio musculature and helps with
flexibility and coordinated onset. Miller adds that appoggio onset exercises, such as Figure
1, should be included in the daily regimen of every tenor. Balanced appoggio onset
facilitates coordination between airflow, subglottic pressure, and vibrato rate. The appoggio
onset also gives the tenor the basis on which to extend his appoggio technique to longer
phrases.
Passaggio
The passaggio is a registration event that occurs in every voice type. The primo
passaggio is the first transition point in the voice in which a singer cannot sing higher in his
9
chest voice without “breaking” or adding a mixture of head voice. The secondo passaggio is
the second transition point in which the singer cannot sing higher in the mixed voice and
must use head voice. The area between the primo and secondo passaggi is typically a perfect
fourth, and is known as the zona di passaggio.7
As the pitch ascends through the zona di passaggio, the cricothyroid muscle increases
activity, elongating and thinning the vocal folds. However, it is continually balanced by
varying degrees of thyroarytenoid muscle activity, which is associated with chest voice.
Consequently, a “mixed” voice is achieved in the zona di passaggio, as the opposing
muscular activities find equilibrium. Once above the secondo passaggio, the singer is using
nearly exclusively the cricothyroid muscle.8
The goal of a classically trained singer is to make the passaggi points unnoticeable.
Therefore, the tenor must achieve a balance between the forces that control pitch—most
notably the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles—and breath. Miller states, “Dynamic
balancing among the laryngeal muscles and the resonator tract enhances desirable gradual
registration equalization and results in a registration timbre historically termed voce mista,
voix mixte (mixed voice), or voce media (middle voice).”9 In order for the laryngeal muscles
to find balance and equalization with the resonator tract, the voice must always remain free to
react to ever-changing demands. A dynamic balance between opposing muscular forces
cannot be achieved through a forced “setting” of one’s technique. The key to finding
dynamic balance lies in laryngeal freedom, through regulated airflow. Based on his teacher’s
7
Miller, 3.
8
Miller, 4.
9
Miller, 3.
10
feedback and his own sensory experience of feeling muscle coordination, the tenor can
regulate his airflow so that adequate breath pressure is achieved without creating excessive
subglottic pressure. Once the laryngeal muscles are sufficiently free and supported with
correct breath, the passaggi points are minimized and a unified timbre is achieved throughout
the tenor’s range. Passaggio exercises are referenced throughout this project.
Vowel Modification
Vowel modification is an essential technique of the tenor voice because the tenor’s
tessitura lies in a range where vowel modification is necessary. Vowel modification is
designed to achieve scale unification and increase the presence of the singer’s formant. The
singer’s formant, or vocal ring, is a resonance of the vocal tract consisting of a cluster of the
third through fifth formants that has a peak of energy at a frequency of approximately 2500–
3000 Hz. One main concept of vowel modification is that, as Miller states, “the initial vowel
undergoes some migration as the scale ascends, by modifying toward a near neighbor. The
laryngeal configuration changes for each vowel, and there should be a corresponding change
in the shape of the resonator tract.”10
Vowels are defined by the first two formants, or strong resonances, of the vocal tract.
For example, the [i] vowel has a very low first formant and a very high second formant.11
The [i] vowel is perceived as bright, because the second formant is at such a high frequency.
Conversely, the [u] vowel has a low first and second formant and the low frequencies of the
formants mean the [u] vowel is generally perceived as dark. When pitch and vowel formants
10
Miller, 41.
11
Ingo Titze, Principles of Voice Production, 2nd ed. (Iowa City: NCVS, 2000), 161.
11
do not line up positively, modification is employed. Vocologist Ingo Titze sets forth rules
for modifying vowels: 1) All formants decrease as the length of the vocal tract increases.
This can include comfortably lowering the larynx or even protruding the lips slightly. The
result will be a darker tone. 2) Formants decrease with lip rounding and increase with lip
spreading. This means that lip posture greatly affects timbre and should be monitored. Jaw
lowering will raise the first formant, which can either aid or further complicate pedagogical
issues. 3) A mouth constriction lowers the first formant and raises the second formant. A
pharyngeal constriction raises the first formant and lowers the second formant. This means
that a mouth constriction creates brighter vowels, and a pharyngeal constriction will create
darker vowels.12 Understanding how articulators affect vowel formants is crucial for the
teacher and singer. Young tenors should work for effective vowel modification to help
achieve consistent timbre.
Vowel modification has an effect on timbre because the singer is adjusting the
overtones in his voice. To use vowel modification to help timbre, Miller suggests that
modification toward a closed vowel is to be used for a tone that is spread or too open.
Modification toward a more open vowel is to be used to address a narrow or excessively
bright tone.13
Vowel modification includes a naturally low larynx, as occurs in inhalation, but does
not include laryngeal depression. Vowel modification is not to be confused with the term
“covering.” Covering has a negative connotation and can be defined as overly darkening the
vowel by retracting the tongue. Lastly, whereas “covering” implies a sudden heaviness
12
Titze, 179-80.
13
Miller, 39.
12
applied to the voice, vowel modification is applied gradually in the course of an ascending
line. It is essential to maintain a well-defined vowel, with adjustments being minimal and
only as necessary.
Vowel Modification Exercises
It is the teacher’s duty to create and adapt vocal exercises that move toward a specific
goal. With a working knowledge of general pedagogical concepts, a teacher can adapt basic
exercises effectively. In the case of vowel modification, the overall principle is that the
singer should be aware of consistent timbre and the singer’s formant, and the vowel should
only be modified slightly so that the original vowel is still distinguishable. The following
melodic exercises are adapted from Miller’s Training Tenor Voices.
Figure 2. Vowel Modification Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 52.
Figure 2 represents a simple melodic pattern that outlines the interval of a fourth.
This exercise should be sung on a closed vowel such as [i] or [e], in order to establish a
greater sensation of forward resonance, with careful attention paid to a consistency of timbre.
The singer will find that slightly modifying the vowel toward a more neutral position as the
pitch increases will help maintain consistent timbre and ensure consistency of the singer’s
formant. This exercise should be repeated in successive half-step intervals until the tenor
ascends past the secondo passaggio.

13
The exercise illustrated in Figure 3 is to be sung with a closed vowel such as [e] on
the first pitch, moving toward an open vowel such as [ɔ]. This exercise should be repeated,
ascending by half step until it outlines B3 and F-sharp4. The tenor can experiment in this
exercise with a variety of closed-open vowel combinations, so that each vowel is represented
and goes through the important process of slight modification. Different singers will have
unique strengths and weaknesses in terms of which vowels ring consistently based on their
individual vocal tract resonances.
Figure 4 stretches the range of the vocal exercise in Figure 3 from a fifth to a sixth.
This exercise should be repeated by ascending half steps until the top note of the phrase
reaches the secondo passaggio, which for most tenors will be around G4. Sing Figure 4 with
a closed vowel at the beginning, switching to an open vowel at the climax as explained in
Figure 3. Starting with a closed vowel and transitioning to an open vowel helps the tenor
practice vowel modification and consistent timbre.

14
Giro
A combination of the ideas of vowel modification and appoggio is the historical
Italian school approach of giro, which translates as “turn.” Especially important to tenors,
the giro strengthens the head voice so that it rings in the singer’s formant, reducing laryngeal
tension and facilitating the “easy” sensation that is the marker of balanced singing.
At the core of giro is the path on which the breath carries the voice. Giro del fiato,
“turn of the breath,” is a specific term that relates to the breath traveling up and back over the
soft palate, and then turning forward toward the “mask”.14 The great tenor Franco Corelli
noted, “We are constructed in such a way that there’s a curve… and that is the path of the
breath.”15 Corelli maintains that the forward sensations of resonance felt by singers serve as
a target for directing the breath. If the tenor can direct the breath through this curved path, he
achieves a more pleasing and rounded tone that is produced effortlessly. Corelli also refers
to this dynamic relationship between breath and resonance as “striking in the mask.” The
clear sensations of forward resonance indicate that the throat and voice are free, he states,
“[b]ecause when the throat is free, and you let the breath pass tranquilly, and the chords are
healthy, only then the voice strikes in the mask.”16
Pedagogue Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman suggests that giro is the ideal approach to
placement. When the voice is carried on the breath in the up-and-back path around the soft
14
Gioacchino Li Vigni, <jacklivigni@gmail.com> “Gira/Giro,” 15 December 2011,
personal e-mail (15 December 2011).
15
Jerome Hines, Great Singers on Great Singing (New York: Doubleday, 1928), 63.
16
Hines, 63-64.
15
palate, the frontal resonance sensations are felt strongly and with minimal effort. Arman also
notes that the coordination of breath and resonance in the giro allows the singer to negotiate
transitions in the voice with very little effort. 17 Therefore, the giro’s usefulness in the zona
di passaggio is critical. If the tenor can achieve giro, he feels the breath flowing freely and
the voice ringing very high. This minimizes the stress felt in the larynx and allows for vocal
freedom through passaggi points.
In the giro approach to high notes, the tenor directs the breath and therefore the vowel
placement to turn up and forward so that the vowel rings in a slightly higher and more
forward place, while modifying the vowel toward a neutral position. Additionally, the
tenor—when using the giro—aims to sing on the sharp side of the pitch. This helps the tenor
approach pitches with a lifted quality and in tune. The giro approach mitigates the removal of
pressed phonation and uneven vibrato, which contributes to tenors singing flat in the zona di
passaggio. Corelli explains the giro approach to tenor high notes in this way:
There are many beautiful voices that have not found the way to the high notes… how
to girare [turn] the high notes. One thing is very clear: if you make a middle-voice
sound and then go up to the range of the passaggio, singing with the same kind of
sound, it’s not going to work. You must make a change as you go up. […] Now this
famous passaggio, between a note placed normally in the central voice on awe and
the high note on oo, goes more in the mask, it goes higher [in placement]. Practically
speaking, that is the path.18
When connected to solid breath support, the giro aids the tenor in transitioning into a
ringing head voice. Depending on the melody in context, the tenor should start using the giro
17
Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman, The Voice: A Spiritual Approach to Singing,
Speaking, and Communicating (Plantation, FL: Music Visions Intl.), 57.
18
Hines, 64.
16
around his primo passaggio, and he must be fully in the giro technique before he ascends
past the secondo passaggio.
Tessitura
While a singer’s vocal range is a factor in repertoire selection, tessitura plays a much
more important role. Tessitura is the average pitch range of a piece of music, and can also
refer to the most comfortable pitch range for a singer. As stated previously, tenors are
required to sing high pitches very frequently, or, in a high tessitura. Ease in a high tessitura
is essential for healthy production and longevity. The passaggi points are a good indicator of
where the tessitura might be most comfortable, but with practice, a tenor can find ease even
in his problem areas.
The following exercises should be sung in neighboring keys and on one continuous
vowel, starting with a front vowel such as [i] or [e] to establish strong resonance and
continuing until each vowel is mastered. They are to be practiced in succession, so that
mastery of one prepares the singer for the next. A young tenor should start the exercises
shown in Figures 5 and 6 on C4 and work his way up to E4 or F4 over time. The mastery of
these tessitura exercises takes time and should not be rushed.
The exercise in Figure 5 is designed to establish a consistent resonance between the
chest voice and the zona di passaggio. Without a smooth connection into the passaggio, the
chances are slim for a successful tone above the passaggio.

17
Figure 5. Tessitura Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 107.
The exercise in Figure 6 works similarly to that of Figure 5 but in the opposite
direction. The emphasis here is to establish consistent tone through the zona di passaggio
and above the secondo passaggio.
In Figure 7, the exercise reaches higher pitches and stays in or above the zona di
passaggio for the entire exercise. Assuming that the previous exercises have been
accomplished, the transition toward the A4 should be free and smooth. For many tenors, A4
is the most important note above the secondo passaggio. If a tenor can execute a free and
ringing A4, the technique for higher pitches is remarkably similar, whereas each note in the
zona di passaggio is produced with slight differences. The main point of Figure 7 is to build
stamina and negotiate pitches above the passaggio. The tenor should start Figure 7 on C4
and work his way up to E4 as he masters the technique.

18
The final tessitura exercise, Figure 8, combines the pitch freedom that has been
established with the previous exercises and adds a demand for flexibility and agility. The
difficulty with faster rhythms is in being able to maintain balanced resonance, or
chiaroscuro. Care should be taken to ensure that the vowel modification is appropriate and
that balanced resonance is achieved throughout. The tenor should start Figure 8 on C4 and
work his way up to E4 as he masters the technique.
Chiaroscuro
The term chiaroscuro is a combination of the Italian words for clear, chiaro, and
dark, or oscuro. It represents a delicate dichotomy of two opposing timbres, and is at the
core of balanced resonance; the ideal timbre has characteristics of brightness and darkness
simultaneously. In practical terms, the chiaro characteristic of a tone refers to the singer’s
formant that soars over orchestration, and the oscuro quality develops warmth and beauty.
Chiaroscuro is important to tenors, because balanced resonance is essential for managing

19
tension. Without chiaroscuro, the tenor may “push” in an effort to achieve greater resonance
or projection. Through chiaroscuro the tenor can achieve his desired resonance in a way that
allows for laryngeal freedom and good breath management.
To achieve chiaroscuro, the principals of vowel modification are employed. In the
Journal of Singing, pedagogue Adam Kirkpatrick states that “vowel modification necessarily
occurs in chiaroscuro singing because of laws of physics.”19 He is referring to the physical
properties of formants that determine the necessary vowel modification to achieve a desired
tone quality. The balanced resonance of chiaroscuro must start with a comfortably low, or
seated, larynx. The vocal tract is then adjusted to maintain the singer’s formant.
Chiaroscuro is inextricably linked to balance in nearly every aspect of singing. It is a
continuous goal toward which to strive rather than a precise technique to be honed.
Kirkpatrick recommends what he calls the “chiaroscuro maneuver” to help isolate
and exercise this specific aspect of timbre.20 In this simple exercise, the singer chooses a
vowel and pitch, and sustains that pitch while exploring the vast extremes of chiaro and
oscuro. The singer should start with an excessively bright tone and continue toward
excessive darkness. With the teacher’s help, the tenor will recognize the optimum balance
along that continuum and will be able to identify balanced resonance by the “bloom,” or
effortless increase in vocal intensity of his voice and ease of production.
19
Adam Kirkpatrick, “Chiaroscuro and the Quest for Optimal Resonance,” Journal
of Singing-The Official Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing 66, no. 1
(2009): 16.
20
Kirkpatrick, 20.
20
Agility
For a tenor, developing agility is a necessity given the large amounts of florid writing
in the tenor repertoire. Even in styles where florid writing is less prevalent, agility is
extremely beneficial as it implies freedom and flexibility in the voice. Miller points out that
agility stems from balanced muscle coordination, and that mastery of the appoggio breath is
the foundation for vocal agility.21 Due to the quick adjustments necessary in agility exercises
and passages, some aspects of the appoggio are of great importance, such as posture and
relaxed inspiration. When a passage contains florid writing, it is impossible for the voice to
make the necessary adjustments if the larynx is inhibited by poor posture or support.
Figure 9. Agility Exercise.
The vocal exercise in Figure 9 is useful in establishing a pitch change of moderate
speed. Legato is to be maintained, ensuring balanced resonance and adequate support. The
exercise is to be repeated by half-step increments as illustrated. Start the exercise with a
single front vowel, such as [i], and add contrasting vowels as illustrated. The following
exercise, Figure 10, is designed to gradually increase the speed of the note change. This is a
useful agility exercise, and can also be used to develop skills for a trill. Repeat this exercise
on any comfortable pitch on a single vowel.
21
Miller, 88.
21
Figure 11. Agility Exercise. Richard Miller, Training Tenor Voices, pg. 88.
Agility exercises can be physically equated with the sensation of laughter, as
demonstrated by the exercise in Figure 11. In this exercise, the singer should use a staccato
approach to the pattern, simulating laughter. Miller uses the closed mouth “hm” in order to
heighten awareness of the abdominal activity. The singer should feel a sense of openness in
the ribcage, and minimal pulses from the abdominal wall, which are nearly imperceptible.22
Overall, the pulses do not literally come from a lunging of the abdominal muscles. Such a
production would be too slow and too heavy for any practical application. Once the singer
establishes firm control over the concept of the laughter-like hum, he can proceed to an open
vowel, without adding unnecessary abdominal movement in order to maintain appoggio.
Repertoire Selection and The Vocalise
Choosing appropriate repertoire is an extremely important but potentially tricky
undertaking for an emerging tenor. Many teachers and singers first look at the range of a
22
Miller, 90.
22
song to determine if it is appropriate. While range is an important consideration, it is simply
dangerous for range to be the only—or even primary—consideration. For a beginning tenor,
tessitura is of utmost importance and encompasses many pedagogical issues. Range,
dramatic character, and musical styles are secondary factors. Choosing the right repertoire
helps ensure successful performance and helps develop a progression of repertoire as the
voice matures.
For young tenors, mastering a high tessitura is essential. Young singers may be
unfamiliar with their head voice and therefore will have problems moving in and out of the
secondo passaggio. Head voice is defined here as a tone production used in the middle and
upper range that relies on a greater use of cricothyroid muscle than thyroarytenoid muscle.
The sensations of head voice are more concentrated in the head, rather than the chest.
Choosing repertoire that is challenging, yet attainable is the best way for a young
tenor to discover his voice and find the elusive balance of breath and energy required to
sustain a high tessitura. Appendix A will help teachers assign repertoire from this project to
students based on desired pedagogical outcomes. Additionally, it is useful for the
advancement of the tenor’s technique to develop vocal exercises based on phrases of his new
repertoire that cover the transition into and out of the higher tessitura. This could be as
simple as isolating a phrase in the song and using the notes and rhythms as an exercise, or
using the contour of the phrase with some rhythmic and melodic adjustments in order to
make it a more accessible exercise. Combining the tenor’s repertoire and vocalises in this
way will help the tenor make clear connections between technique and repertoire in the song
learning process and ensure that his repertoire is improving his technique.
23
CHAPTER II
ITALIAN ART SONG AND ARIE ANTICHE
Italian song provides a wealth of opportunity to master tenor technique and should be
the first language the tenor should study. Lamperti states that Italian is the best language in
which to study singing, “because it is the only one without aspirates.”23 Italian is a legato
language that emphasizes vocalic connection. Glottal strokes, the sudden stop in airflow
produced by quickly closing the space between the vocal folds, are forbidden in Italian.
Italian vowels are pure when compared to English vowels, which have many diphthongs and
even triphthongs. The consistency of pure vowels is preferable when working to achieve
consistent tone and legato. An important skill for the tenor singing in Italian is the ability to
incorporate consonants into the legato line, so that the tone remains vibrant.
Included in the Italian repertoire are art songs and arie antiche. Arie antiche, or early
opera arias, have been assimilated into the art song repertoire due to the infrequency of
performance of the opera, or because only portions of many of the operas exist today.
Claudio Monteverdi, “Rosa del ciel,” L’Orfeo
The first selection for examination is “Rosa del ciel,” from Claudio Monteverdi’s
(1567-1643) L’Orfeo. This early aria is characterized by declamatory melodic writing, with
some opportunities for singing long phrases. The range is E3 to G4, and the tessitura is wide,
approximately A3 to E4. The aria is appropriate for either a tenor or lyric baritone. “Rosa del
ciel” is traditionally sung by lighter voices, which makes it appropriate for young tenors.
23
Lamperti, 7.
24
The declamatory style of “Rosa del ciel” is an opportunity for the tenor to exercise his
diction. It is an important skill to be able to sing text with clarity and without losing resonant
tone. An exercise for the tenor to practice this skill is to intone a phrase of text on a single
pitch in the upper-middle part of his range. After the tenor has intoned the declamatory
phrases of the aria, the next step is to sing the phrases in context. Example 1 shows one of
the declamatory phrases in “Rosa del ciel.” The double consonants on “tutto,” “stellanti,”
and “dimmi” are particular points of concern in this phrase. The tenor must lengthen the
consonant without interrupting the momentum of the phrase by keeping his breath support
engaged consistently.
Example 1. Claudio Monteverdi, L’Orfeo, “Rosa del ciel,” mm. 131-138. © 1968 by
Novello. Reprinted by permission.
Careful attention should be paid to maintaining the singer’s formant, or “ring,” in his
voice, while pronouncing the text clearly. A helpful modification of the intoning exercise is
for the tenor to sing on a single pitch with the vowels of the text only. In this way, the tenor
25
can track the vowel changes without the interruption of consonants or pitch changes. This
modification will help ensure the tenor’s tone quality is consistent even in declamatory
phrases.
Alessandro Stradella, attr., “Pietà Signore”
“Pietà Signore” was previously attributed to Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682) in the
24 Italian Songs and Arias collection published by G. Schirmer. However, musicologist
Guido Salvetti convincingly argued that François Joseph Fétis is the true composer. The 26
Italian Songs and Arias collection, published by Alfred Publishing Company, include this
song with the title, “Se i miei sospiri,” and attributes the song to Francois Joseph Fétis. There
is no substantial difference in the piano accompaniment between the G. Schirmer and Alfred
editions.
The version of “Pietà Signore” in d minor that appears in the medium-high edition of 24
Italian Songs and Arias published by G. Schirmer is the most beneficial for solidifying the
tenor passaggio; the key of d minor places the melodic line squarely in the zona di passaggio
and extends the upper range to sustained G4’s. Historically, the G. Schirmer edition
admittedly does not have a sterling reputation for accuracy in publication; but it is readily
available and widely used, and suits the pedagogical purposes of training the tenor voice.
Studying this song in lower keys would be beneficial for vowel modification or for a
younger tenor who is not ready for such a high tessitura. For example, studying “Se i miei
sospiri” in c minor, which appears in the medium-high edition of the Alfred collection, would
exercise F4 as the highest note in the piece. The tessitura is therefore a whole step lower and
more accessible for a younger or less developed tenor.

26
The opening vocal line, shown in Example 2, is an extremely instructive phrase for
the tenor. The melody passes through the zona di passaggio, reaching the secondo passaggio
on the pitch F4. This is a crucial pitch in the tenor’s range in which he must actively reduce
the amount of weight in his voice in order to maintain freedom and flexibility. Specifically,
between D4 and F4, the tenor must use the giro, and turn the vowel toward a higher and more
forward sensation of resonance. This approach promotes a healthy head voice in the zona di
passaggio rather than a heavy chest mechanism.
Example 2. Alessandro Stradella, Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias of the Seventeenth
and Eighteenth Centuries, for medium high voice , “Pietà Signore,” mm. 21-27. © 1948 by
G. Schirmer. Reprinted by permission.
The passage in Example 3 demonstrates the difficult tessitura of “Pietà Signore.”
Measures 31-34 on “Se a te giunge il mio pregar” require the tenor to sing in a ringing head
voice free from laryngeal tension. He should use the inhalation before measure 31 to
properly seat his larynx, which will help with the [u] of “giunge.” It is important that the
tenor maintain an open posture through the phrase in order to prevent laryngeal constriction.
Thus, when the tenor increases his breath flow the giro technique can help the voice ring
clearly.
27
Example 3. Alessandro Stradella, Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias of the Seventeenth and
Eighteenth Centuries, for medium high voice , “Pietà Signore,” mm. 28-34. © 1948 by G.
Schirmer. Reprinted by permission.
Alessandro Scarlatti
“Toglietemi la vita ancor,” Pompeo
“Toglietemi la vita ancor,” by Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725), is a quick and
energetic song that requires the tenor to engage his breath mechanism, which is the foremost
reason why this song is pedagogically useful. The opening phrase, shown in Example 4,
establishes the rhythmic intensity. To solidify an effective breath mechanism that promotes
agility, the tenor should sing the opening line on “hm,” similar to the agility exercise shown
previously in Figure 11 on page 21.
Example 4. Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian Arias of the Baroque and Classical Eras,
“Toglietemi la vita ancor,” mm. 3-5. © 1994 by Alfred. Reprinted by permission.
28
The advantage of this exercise is that the tenor is more able to feel the consistency in
his abdominal breath support while also feeling the rhythmic pulse on his hard palate. With
the “hm,” the tenor is more likely to feel if he is pulsing too much abdominally or squeezing
too much in his pharyngeal region. There should be a strong connection between abdominal
support and hard palate resonance with this exercise, and sensations of tension between those
two points in the tenor’s body should be removed with practice.
The next passage in measure 4, “crudeli cieli,” can be isolated as a tessitura exercise.
The tenor should sing the phrase on a single vowel, and then the vowels of the text. This will
help him to attain legato and reduce laryngeal constriction through the pitch changes. The
same exercise should also be used on the second verse, since the new text presents a new set
of vowels to negotiate.
Francesco Durante
“Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile”
Francesco Durante’s (1684-1755) “Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile,” is musically and
pedagogically similar to Scarlatti’s, “Toglietemi la vita ancor.” As in the case of “Toglietemi
la vita ancor,” the primary advantage of this song is creating a strong connection between
breath and resonance. However, “Danza, danza,” is more accessible and appropriate for a
younger tenor because the text is less difficult to execute and the upper range is approached
with a mitigating, ascending, five-tone scale. The five-tone scale is a standard exercise that
is easily reproduced by the student away from lessons. This exercise addresses the difficult
tessitura of this song, and can be more directly related if the tenor sings a five-tone minor
29
scale, as is found in the song. There is a prevalence of [a] vowels in the text. However, the
tenor should practice his five-tone scales on [i] on the ascending pitches and [a] on the
descending pitches. This will help the tenor achieve a more focused and slender tone through
the zona di passaggio and avoid the wide-open, spread sound frequently heard with the [a]
vowel.
The Schirmer edition is in the original key of c minor, and the Alfred edition is
published a half step lower in b minor. A unique concern in “Danza, danza” is the range of
the piece. The b minor version in 26 Italian Songs and Arias published by Alfred is
recommended for the younger singer. In the key of b minor, the upper range—and the main
five-tone melodic element of the piece—reaches F-sharp4, which is slightly more manageable
for the young tenor establishing his stamina in a high tessitura. Example 5 shows the first
measure of the vocal line, which includes the five-tone scale.
Example 5. Francesco Durante, Twenty-six Italian Songs and Arias, “Danza, danza, fanciulla
gentile,” m. 3. © 1991 by Alfred. Reprinted by permission.
In addition to the challenging high range, the low range extends to a very low A-
sharp3 if the tenor sings the melody as written. Example 6 shows optional pitches added by
30
the editor that eliminate the low B3 and A-sharp3, leaving the lowest pitch at a more
manageable C-sharp3.
Example 6. Francesco Durante, Twenty-six Italian Songs and Arias, “Danza, danza, fanciulla
gentile,” mm. 30-32. © 1991 by Alfred. Reprinted by permission.
This is another reason why this song would be more suited for a younger tenor who is
working on extending his upper range. However, this song would not be suitable for a young
tenor who does not have an easily accessible low range.
Vincenzo Bellini, “Dolente immagine
di Fille mia,” Tre Ariette
Vincenzo Bellini’s (1801-1835) songs are favorable for many tenors. Specifically,
his “Composizioni da Camera,” or “chamber compositions,” are intimate and lyric and
therefore do not require the vocal maturity and power of his operatic arias.
“Dolente immagine di Fille mia” is from Bellini’s Tre Ariette. It is a slow, but
passionate song that is enhanced by an expressive melody and rubato. The phrases in
“Dolente immagine di Fille mia” are not long, but encompass a range of over an octave. The
arching melody helps the tenor propel a forward phrasal momentum, using rubato, without
31
necessitating excessive effort. The range of the song is D3 to F4 and the tessitura is between
B-flat3 and D4, which will not push the limits of a typical young tenor’s range. “Dolente
immagine di Fille mia” is a good song for a tenor who needs work unifying his range.
Example 7 shows the melody that contains part of the motivic material in the song,
which is characterized by a g minor triad in first inversion. The large intervalic leaps in the
melody require the tenor to make large leaps, which poses a potential issue of carrying
weight in the voice as the melody ascends.
Example 7. Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da Camera, “Dolente immagine di Fille

mia,” mm. 4-10. © 1997 by Ricordi. Reprinted by permission.
An effective exercise to help the tenor master the technique involved in intervalic
leaps is to outline a triad on [u]. The [u] vowel will help the tenor properly seat his larynx in
a comfortably low position. He should then experiment with different vowels such as [a] and
32
[e], ensuring that the seated larynx is not compromised. This exercise, when sung from the
tenor’s low range to his high range, will also help unify his tone throughout the range by
managing his breath and the weight in his voice. He should sing the exercise slowly and be
aware of potential pharyngeal constriction as he ascends in pitch. His breath should be the
driving force of the ascending pitch, and his torso should maintain an expanded position,
which helps create an “open” sensation in the throat. If the tenor feels constriction occurring
in the chest or throat as the pitch ascends, more attention should be paid to balanced breath
pressure and maintaining an open posture in the ribcage. This is an effective way to reduce
the weight in the voice as it ascends. The tenor should repeat the triad in ascending half-step
intervals. Approaching the pitch C4, the tenor needs to focus on the giro technique. As the
head voice gains prominence, it is essential that the tenor maintain focus on the freedom in
his tone, a result of careful breath management and open posture.
Vincenzo Bellini
“Vaga luna, che inargenti,” Tre Ariette
“Vaga luna, che inargenti” is also from Bellini’s Tre Ariette. It is substantially more
difficult for younger tenors than the other Bellini songs due to its high tessitura, which lies
between C4 and E4, with a range of E3 to G4. Vocal fatigue is a major concern in this song
because of the high tessitura. Only after the tenor achieves easy access to the secondo
passaggio through other songs and exercises should he sing “Vaga luna, che inargenti,” but
the song is within reach of upper-level undergraduate tenors.
Example 8 illustrates the difficult tessitura of “Vaga luna, che inargenti.” The melody
only briefly goes below the primo passaggio. Each time the tenor inhales he should allow
33
the inhalation to open his mouth and pharynx, and remove as much tension as possible. This
will help the tenor maintain laryngeal freedom and avoid fatigue.
Example 8. Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da Camera, “Vaga luna, che inargenti,” mm.
20-25. © 1997 by Ricordi. Reprinted by permission.
In order to comfortably sing “Vaga luna, che inargenti,” the tenor needs to be able to
sing in the zona di passaggio and above the secondo passaggio with a facile and tension-free
tone. In addition to the tessitura exercises described in Chapter I, Figure 12 below is a
beneficial exercise, especially in the key of C major, the original key of the song. Moving
between the notes of the C major triad with ease will directly aid the tenor in singing “Vaga
luna, che inargenti,” especially the excerpt shown in Example 8. In the C major triad, the
tenor exercises the tessitura of the song, including the highest note of the song, G4.
34
Figure 12. Passaggio Exercise.
The tenor should sing the exercise shown in Figure 12 on [a], with a slight lift
between each repeated note. The [a] vowel is beneficial here because it allows the tongue to
stay relaxed and the resonance to remain bright. The tenor should work to maintain an open
glottis, relaxed tongue, and active giro. The exercise should be done quickly so as not to
allow tension to increase during sustained tones. Once the tenor experiences free tone with
the quick exercise of Figure 12, he should again sing the tessitura exercises illustrated in
Chapter I, while making sure that free tone above the secondo passaggio is consistent.
Vincenzo Bellini
“Per pietà, bell’idol mio,” Sei Ariette
“Per pietà, bell’idol mio,” is from Bellini’s Sei Ariette. The melody is characterized
by energetic dotted sixteenth notes, which illustrates the insistent lover’s agitation. While
this is an effective compositional technique, it poses a potential difficulty for the tenor in
balancing rhythmic accents, vocal weight, and smooth phrasing. The tenor must not let
rhythmically accented pitches become phrasal climaxes by default. The tenor must maintain
focus on the overall phrase shape, and then incorporate the energized rhythms within the
larger phrase.
Pedagogically, energetic dotted rhythm will most likely cause the tenor to add
excessive vocal weight. To counteract this tendency, the tenor must not pulse excessively
35
with his abdominal muscles or allow excessive subglottic pressure. Instead, the tenor’s
support should be consistent; the rhythmic accents come not from the abdominal muscles but
from the rhythm of the text. Likewise, allowing the breath to flow consistently through
vowels and consonants relieves excessive subglottic pressure. Notable is the prevalence of
plosive consonants in the text. Consonants should not impede the voice to the extent that
excessive subglottic pressure is created.
The tenor should practice agility exercises with plosive consonants to develop the
skill of allowing breath to flow through the consonants of the text. Example 9 is the opening
phrase of “Per pietà, bell’idol mio.”
Example 9. Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da Camera, “Per pietà, bell’idol mio,” mm.
5-8. © 1997 by Ricordi. Reprinted by permission.
The first rhythmically accented interval from G3 to E-flat4 requires the tenor to sing
using the consonants [p] and [t]. To practice this technique, the tenor should sing an
ascending minor sixth with the same rhythm as the text “Per pietà” in measure six on the
syllables “pa” and “ta” on alternating repetitions starting on F3. Ascend and descend in
36
successive half steps so the tenor develops consistent breath flow through the consonants,
and freedom as he enters the zona di passaggio.
Francesco Paolo Tosti, “Ideale”
Francesco Paolo Tosti (1846-1916) wrote hundreds of songs and was a popular
figure, with great singers such as Enrico Caruso promoting his songs. His popular appeal is
supported by his tuneful and exciting melodies. As Carol Kimball states, “Sunny Neapolitan
melodies and intense emotionalism color the songs of Paolo Tosti, whose song style defines
for many the ultimate ‘Italian song’ sound—Italianate melody with a generous dash of
Neapolitan popular song.”24 The two songs selected here are accessible for a young tenor
who has made reasonable progress in his breath management and is capable of dramatic
phrasing.
“Ideale” by Tosti is a romantic song with short phrases and a relatively low tessitura
of A3 to C-sharp4. The range is E3 to F-sharp4, and therefore will not extend the upper range
of a typical tenor voice. The difficult and pedagogically valuable characteristics of “Ideale”
are found in the rhythm and text. The right-hand accompaniment contains a triplet-based
figure and the left hand contains duple rhythms. The vocal line is largely duple with
occasional triplet figures that coincide with the accompaniment figure. The contrast of “two
against three” can be difficult for inexperienced tenors, and this should be taken into
consideration. “Ideale” should be reserved for tenors with solid and independent rhythmic
ability. Inseparable from rhythmic difficulty of the song are the elisions in the text. Tosti
frequently alternates between duple and triple rhythms based on the elisions and stressed
24
Carol Kimball, Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature (Milwaukee: Hal
Leonard, 2000), 363.
37
syllables. Example 10 illustrates Tosti’s rhythmic pattern of alternating duple and triple
rhythms in the vocal line with a triplet-based accompaniment.
Example 10. Francesco Paolo Tosti, 30 Songs, “Ideale,” mm. 22-27. © 2002 by Ricordi.
Reprinted by permission.
The rhythmic and textual difficulties of “Ideale” will disrupt the melodic line and
consistent timbre unless the tenor is able to maintain constant breath energy and vibrant tone
in his phrasing. To help this process, Figure 13 should be sung in a variety of alterations.
This exercise features a descending scale with two vowels on each pitch. These vowel
combinations should be practiced first because they are closely related to each other in their
formation. The exercise can then be altered to include any vowel combination, specifically
targeting elisions in the text, such as [e u] in “come un’amica.”

38
Figure 13. Legato Vowel Exercise.
The tenor should keep the placement of the resonant sensations consistent throughout
the vowel changes by making minimal physical adjustments with the articulators such as the
tongue, lips, and jaw. This placement will allow the ring in the voice to bloom on every note
and every vowel. The exercise should not be rushed; rather, the tenor should take time to
smooth the vowel transitions at his own pace. Since the primary benefit of this exercise is
releasing tension in the articulators, the exercise will help the tenor articulate consonants
cleanly and with minimal tension. Once the technique is established, speeding up the scale
and vowel transitions will more closely approximate the elisions in the music. Ultimately,
smooth vowel transitions lead to a more consistent legato, which is paramount in Tosti’s
“Ideale.”
Francesco Paolo Tosti, “La Serenata”
“La Serenata” is one of Tosti’s most famous songs, and an example of Tosti’s
melodic gift. Kimball states “it is a passionate (somewhat extroverted) serenade,
underpinned with strong arpeggiated figures that propel the lover’s words to the window of
his beloved.”25 The melody is a sweeping arch, and the tessitura is not very high, spanning
A3 to C4. Each phrase in “La Serenata” typically covers nearly the entirety of the range,
25
Kimball, 363.
39
which is E3 to F4. Example 11 demonstrates the main melodic material in one phrase that
covers an entire octave. A vocal exercise that outlines an octave arpeggio sung on a single
vowel is helpful for unifying the extremes of the range of “La Serenata.” The tenor should
start the arpeggio at E3 and increase each repetition by a half step until he reaches F4 or F-
sharp4 at the height of the arpeggio. The tenor should focus on a clear and ringing tone on
the hard palate on each pitch of the arpeggio. This exercise will help establish unified timbre
throughout the range.
Example 11. Francesco Paolo Tosti, 30 Songs, “La Serenata,” mm. 4-9. © 2002 by Ricordi.
Another melodic figure in “La Serenata” is the Neapolitan style “Ah,” shown in
Example 12. The ascending sixth in Example 12 is a potential pitfall for the tenor. The
phrase requires a light and bright tone, so the tenor must not carry weight or sing excessively
40
loud on the ascending sixth. The triplet figure used in Example 12 requires agility of the
tenor; Figure 14 is an exercise designed to assist the tenor in the Neapolitan phrase.
Example 12. Francesco Paolo Tosti, 30 Songs, “La Serenata,” mm. 74-81. © 2002 by
Ricordi. Reprinted by permission.
The triplet exercise in Figure 14 can be done on a single vowel, or on the vowels as
indicated. After ascending repetitions, the tenor should be able to maneuver in and out of the
secondo passaggio with ease and consistency. Once the tenor is capable of maintaining
consistent ring in his voice through the triplet exercise, he should sing the phrase in Example
12. The exercise provides a point of reference for the technique necessary to sing quick
triplets, in which the tenor can practice agility and revisit when necessary.
41
Figure 14. Triplet Exercise.
Stefano Donaudy, “Vaghissima sembianza”
Stefano Donaudy’s (1879-1925) “Vaghissima sembianza” is a lovely song from
Donaudy’s 36 Arie di Stile Antico. The term, stile antico, or “old style,” refers here to the
song forms in which Donaudy composed rather than his compositional style itself.26 This
song is recommended for a tenor who is ready to establish his high A4 after he has completed
significant work relieving strain in his upper-middle range. The tenor should use the vowel
modification exercises in Chapter I to prepare for the high A4 in Example 13. Additionally,
the exercise discussed on page 35 regarding “Per pietà, bell’idol mio,” would be beneficial
for practicing the ascending sixth seen in Example 13.
26
Kimball, 367.
42
Example 13. Stefano Donaudy, 36 Arie di stile antico, Vol. 2, “Vaghissima sembianza,”
mm. 51-60. © 1989 by Ricordi. Reprinted by permission.
Furthermore, Figure 15 should be repeated in ascending half steps until the tenor
reaches A4 or B-flat4. This exercise will help the tenor sing the large intervals illustrated in
Example 13, especially the C-sharp4 to A4 on “d’amore,” with brilliant ringing tone.
Figure 15. Passaggio Octave Exercise.

43
The exercise in Figure 15 outlines an octave arpeggio and the syllable “ming” helps
establish clear and focused resonance while reducing weight in the voice. As the tenor sings
on the [ŋ], the vibrato should be free, indicating that the breath pressure and resonance are
balanced, and the jaw should be as released as possible. As the tenor releases the [ŋ] into [e],
only the tongue should be adjusted, allowing the vowel to release. The balanced technique
discovered while singing the [ŋ] should continue into the vowel, and the tenor must focus on
maintaining balanced breath and resonance throughout the exercise. Toward the secondo
passaggio and higher, the exercise allows the tenor to fully access his head voice. The
resulting sensations should be a ringing in the head, a release in the torso, engagement in the
area of the pelvic wall, and balanced breath pressure.

44
CHAPTER III
ENGLISH ART SONG
English language art song encompasses a wide variety of musical styles, composers,
and influences, from the early lutenists of England to rock and pop inspired American
composers. Tenors can find virtually any style of song in the English repertoire, and find
songs that suit particular pedagogical needs. The following songs in English will help the
young tenor solidify his technique, while introducing him to composers who will continue to
provide rewarding repertoire.
The English language poses particular issues for singers, especially native English
speakers with strong accents. It is dangerous for an English speaking tenor to assume his
English diction will be excellent. Particular diction issues such as excessive use of the jaw
and tensing the tongue for sounds like [l] and [r] and the many diphthongs and triphthongs
can potentially distort vowel clarity. A focused approach on consistent breath and clear
pronunciation will help alleviate these issues. It may help the tenor to approach singing
English art song as he would approach Italian: focus on the connection between syllables and
working for a smooth phrase. This will allow the jaw and tongue to release and let the breath
fuel the vowel formation and placement.
Henry Purcell, “I’ll sail upon the Dog Star,”
The Fools Preferment, Z. 571
Henry Purcell (1659?-1695) was one of the most prolific English composers of the
seventeenth century, and his songs are still very prominent in the standard repertoire.
45
Kimball states that “Purcell’s songs endure as the cornerstone of British vocal music.”27
Many of his songs were written for theatrical performances as incidental or dramatic music
inserted into spoken plays called “semi-operas.”28 Purcell’s keen sense of highlighting the
dramatic and emotional aspects of his text is well suited for this form.
“I’ll sail upon the Dog Star” is a well-known song and pedagogically useful for young
tenors. It was composed for a theatrical work called A Fool’s Preferment by Thomas
D’Urfey. Purcell’s theatrical prowess is demonstrated in this song with active rhythms, text
painting, varying phrase lengths, and “an ever increasing Italian treatment of vocal
phrases.”29 Young tenors will find a tremendous amount of support from the high level of
energy in “I’ll sail upon the Dog Star,” which will help them increase their breath energy and
vocal intensity. Its phrase lengths are varied, but always provide opportunities for breaths,
especially in instances of repeated text. Its melody is based primarily on scales, triads, and
arpeggiated chords. The range of “I’ll sail upon the Dog Star” is C3 to G4, and the tessitura
is extended due to the scales and arpeggios, approximately F3 to D4. Example 14 shows the
scalar writing and arpeggio on “roaring boy, let all.”
When learning this song, the tenor should practice many variations of arpeggiated
scales, as well as five- and six-note scales such as the exercise shown in Figure 16.
27
Kimball, 307.
28
Kimball, 309.
29
Kimball, 307.
46
Example 14. Henry Purcell, Standard Vocal Literature: Tenor, “I’ll sail upon the Dog Star,”
mm. 25-33. © 2004 by Hal Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
The exercise shown in Figure 16 should be sung on [ɔ] to correspond with the
passage in Example 14, sung on the word “roaring,” an example of Purcell’s brilliant text
painting. The exercise should also be sung in successive higher and lower half steps. As the
tenor increases his level of breath energy and vocal intensity, the transitions around the
passaggi will be minimized. The tenor should also start to utilize the giro early in the scale,
around D4.
47
Thomas Arne, “O come, O come, my dearest,”
The Fall of Phaeton
Thomas Arne (1710-1778) was “the most significant figure in 18th-century English
theater music.”30 He continued the tradition of Purcell, and was a contemporary of Händel.
He is now much less well known than either of them and few of his songs remain in the
standard repertoire. His primary musical innovation was a preference for simple, flowing,
and tuneful folk-like melodies, rather than structured and ornamented Baroque melodies.
Later in his career he experimented with more Italianate melodies, which many English
composers would later follow.31 Arne’s songs are excellent for young tenors because of their
tuneful melodies, simple forms, and moderate ranges.
“O come, O come, my dearest” is from The Fall of Phaeton, a masque composed by
Arne with text by Pritchard for the Drury Lane Theater in London. It is one of the only songs
from the masque to survive because Arne included it in a collection of Shakespeare songs.
30
Peter Holman and Todd Gilman, "Arne, Thomas Augustine," Grove Music Online,
Oxford Music Online, Accessed 4 Jan. 2012,
<http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/400
18>.
31
Ibid.
48
Many of the other songs are lost.32 The range of “O come, O come, my dearest” is D3 to G4,
and the tessitura is G3 to D4. The melody is sweet and tuneful, and is comprised mostly of
scalar passages with occasional arpeggios.
A younger tenor will especially gain from studying this song, as he can directly apply
the basic techniques he is learning without unexpected musical difficulties. Example 15
shows a portion of a typical phrase in “O come, O come, my dearest.” From this example,
the tenor can practice vowel modification and giro on the ascending arpeggio, then focus on
agility on the descending sixteenth-note passages. This particular phrase is ideal for
practicing the giro because the D4 and F-sharp4 are likely spots in the tenor’s range where he
will need to lift and narrow his tone through the zona di passaggio and above the secondo
passaggio.
Example 15. Thomas Arne, Twelve Songs: Book One, “O come, O come, my dearest,” mm.
8-9. © 1979 by Stainer and Bell. Reprinted by permission.
Specific vocal exercises that would be beneficial for the tenor studying “O come, O
come, my dearest” are octave arpeggios, descending five tone scales, and descending octave
32
Ibid.
49
scales. The tenor should sing the descending octave scale in successive half steps until he
surpasses G4 in order to feel comfortable with the G4 shown in Example 16. The tenor will
also feel more comfortable if he takes advantage of a rest and colla voce to take an effective
preparatory inhalation before the G4.
Example 16. Thomas Arne, Twelve Songs: Book One, “O come, O come, my dearest,” mm.
18-19. © 1979 by Stainer and Bell. Reprinted by permission.
Hubert Parry, “No longer mourn for me”
Hubert Parry (1848-1918) is a lesser-known British composer who has fallen into
obscurity. However, his songs are generally interesting for singers and audiences and make
an excellent addition to the tenor’s repertoire. Parry gained prominence not only as a
composer but also as a scholar writing and editing for George Grove’s new Dictionary of
Music and Musicians. He was also a respected educator on the faculties of Oxford and the
Royal College of Music. Parry helped ignite interest and establish high standards in British
music in the nineteenth century. He also helped pave the way for future British composers
50
such as Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Quilter. His influences were primarily German
composers such as Brahms, Liszt and Wagner.33
“No longer mourn for me” is a robust, exciting and challenging song appropriate for
advanced undergraduate tenors. The range, including Parry’s optional low note, is C3 to A-
flat4. It is E-flat3 to A-flat4 without the optional low note. The low note occurs at the end of a
short phrase that is followed by four measures of rest. The low C3 should be taken if it is
within the tenor’s capabilities; there is plenty of time for him to reset his frame of reference
for the next phrase in a higher tessitura. With the exception of the low phrase just
mentioned, the tessitura is high, approximately C4 to F4.
Example 17 shows the most difficult phrase of “No longer mourn for me,” which
contains the high A-flat4. On the ascending scale, the tenor must initiate lift in his tone so
that he can execute the giro through the passaggi. He must maintain a solid engagement of
his lower abdominal wall to provide support. Added difficulty comes from the many
consonants in the text “That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot.” The tenor should
practice this phrase on [ja ja ja] to ensure that his articulators are loose and that the vowel is
high and ringing. Additionally, he should modify the [i] vowel on “be” to an open [I], and
make certain that the [w] of “would” is quick and loose. This will ensure that the [w] opens
the vowel and does not interfere with the ring of the phrase. An Italianate approach to the
diction of that phrase, while making sure the text is understandable, is the best technique.
33
Jeremy Dibble, "Parry, Sir Hubert," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music
Online, Accessed 5 Jan. 2012,
49>.
51
Example 17. Hubert Parry, Hubert Parry Songs, vol. 49 of Musica Britannica: A National
Collection of Music, “No longer mourn for me,” mm. 21-30. © 1982 by Stainer and Bell.
Overall, “No longer mourn for me” requires consistent high energy that stretches and
tests the technical abilities and emotional perspective of the tenor. The churning
accompaniment provides support for the dramatic melody. If the tenor sings this song with
commitment and invests in the song fully, he will surely become a better singer in terms of
his abdominal engagement, diction, and interpretation.
Roger Quilter, “Go, Lovely Rose”
Roger Quilter (1877-1953) composed over one hundred songs and is a substantial
figure in English art song. He is known for his gift as a melodist, excellent taste in poetry,
and impeccable prosody. He did not push compositional boundaries or introduce many
innovations. He composed in a consistent romantic style throughout his career that

52
consisted of lush melodies and supportive harmonies and accompaniments.34 Many of
Quilter’s songs remain in the standard repertoire and are excellent pieces for young tenors.
Quilter wrote some of his songs, including the cycle To Julia, Op. 8, for Gervase Elwes, a
leading tenor of the day, and Elwes’ voice influenced his vocal writing.35 The combination
of beautiful melodies, harmonically supportive accompaniments, and familiarity with the
tenor voice make Quilter songs ideal for young and even advanced tenors.
“Go, Lovely Rose” is one of Quilter’s masterpieces and “a particularly good example
of Quilter’s song style.”36 It is an accessible song for young tenors and a gratifying song for
advanced tenors. The range is E3 to F4, and the tessitura is approximately G3 to D4. The
main melodic element shown in Example 18 is a descending line from C4 to G3, which is
easily practiced with a simple descending scale as a vocal exercise. Particular attention on
this descending scale should be placed on a sensation of highly placed resonance, keeping the
tone brilliant and light, and avoiding a heavy chest mechanism. This will help ensure that the
tenor does not carry excessive weight through the zona di passaggio and into his head voice.
34
Kimball, 316.
35
Ibid.
36
Kimball, 317.
53
Example 18. Roger Quilter, The First Book of Tenor Solos, “Go, Lovely Rose,” mm. 3-5. ©
1994 by G. Schirmer. Reprinted by permission.
The upper range of “Go, Lovely Rose” is approached with large intervalic leaps of a
fourth as shown in Example 19; every F4 is preceded by a C4. In order to practice these
leaps, the tenor should sing an octave arpeggio in the pattern 5-8-5-3-1, working his way
above F4. The arpeggio can be sung on any single vowel at a relaxed pace that reflects the
passionate phrasing of Quilter’s song.
Example 19. Roger Quilter, The First Book of Tenor Solos, “Go, Lovely Rose,” mm. 6-7. ©
1994 by G. Schirmer. Reprinted by permission.
54
Roger Quilter, “O mistress mine,”
Three Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6
“O mistress mine” is from Quilter’s Three Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6, his first set of
Shakespeare settings. Quilter’s simple and energetic melody is built on broken chords and the
accompaniment is harmonically supportive. The poetry resonates with young tenors, as
“carpe diem is the overriding theme of the text, full of youthful ardor and impatience.”37 The
range is D3 to G4, and the tessitura is G3 to D4. The majority of the song lies in a very
comfortable tessitura for tenors, with the main difficulty being the high G4 that is sung five
times throughout the piece, as shown in Example 20. This song is appropriate for young
tenors who have a reasonable amount of freedom on G4. It is not a wise selection for
introducing G4 into the young tenor’s repertoire because of the frequency of the G4.
The G4 must be approached with a light head-voice mechanism while keeping the
breath engaged to prevent laryngeal elevation. The giro technique can aid the tenor in
achieving a ringing tone that travels up and over the soft palate. It is important for the tenor
to practice the arpeggio pattern 5-8-5-3-1, ascending past G4 in order that the G4 is more
comfortable in the context of the song. It closely relates to the melody of “O mistress mine,”
and allows the tenor to practice producing a focused and energized tone that ascends through
the zona di passaggio, to the secondo passaggio. He should sing the arpeggio on [ma], [la],
and [ki], to practice the syllables required of him on the G4’s on “mine,” “love,” and, “kiss,”
with careful attention that the articulators stay free yet crisp.
37
Kimball, 318.
55
Example 20. Roger Quilter, Standard Vocal Literature: Tenor, “O mistress mine,” mm. 1-7.
© 2004 by Hal Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
The danger of “O mistress mine” is for the tenor to lighten too much and lose his
breath connection in the middle of his range, which would make the G4 isolated from the
contour of the phrase. It is of utmost importance for the G4 to be integrated into the phrase so
that there is not an abrupt change in the tenor’s technique or color of vowel. Focused
resonance anchored by appoggio breath minimizes laryngeal elevation, and maintains
consistent tone quality through the register transition. An added benefit of this technique is
that it augments the tenor’s agility skill as he learns to solidify his tone through register
transitions.
56
Roger Quilter, “Hey, ho, the wind and the rain,”
Five Shakespeare Songs, Op. 23
“Hey, ho, the wind and the rain” is from Quilter’s Five Shakespeare Songs, Op. 23,
the second of Quilter’s four Shakespeare sets. The thematic material again emphasizes
youthful exuberance. The text is set in a melody that is quick and bouncing, occasionally
bordering on a patter song. Work on releasing muscle tension, especially in the articulators,
is necessary for the tenor singing this song. “Hey, ho, the wind and the rain” is an excellent
song for young tenors of varying degrees of skill because Quilter provided optional pitches
for the G4 and A-flat4. A young tenor can learn the piece with the lower alternate notes and
occasionally experiment singing the higher pitches without the expectation of singing the
higher note. Without the alternate notes, the range is G3 to A-flat4, and with the alternate notes
it is less than an octave, G3 to F4. The tessitura is medium-high, B-flat3 to E-flat4, with some
sustained F4’s.
The primary melodic figure is shown in Example 21. The E-flat4 is approached
freely, on the word “hey,” which is useful for letting the tenor sing with a free-throated and
supported sound. It benefits the young tenor to sing the word “hey” on various pitches in his
passaggio to encourage free and supported tone that immediately resonates in the tenor’s
ring. The E-flat4 poses a vowel modification issue for the young tenor. Depending on the
development of his voice, he may find that either [e] or [ɛ] provides more freedom and ring,
which should be the determining factor if vowel modification is necessary. The tenor should
experiment with both vowels and then make his decision.

57
Example 21. Roger Quilter, Standard Vocal Literature: Tenor, “Hey, ho, the wind and the
rain,” mm. 46-49. © 2004 by Hal Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
The phrase in Example 21 is also good as a vocal exercise. The tenor should sing this
phrase on [ta], [la], and [ma] independently to work on developing speed and relaxation in
his articulators for the patter-like phrases in the piece.
Gerald Finzi, “Her Temple,”
A Young Man’s Exhortation, Op. 14
Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) is a vocally accessible composer and a good source of art
song for tenors. He published many of his songs as larger sets, although only A Young Man’s
Exhortation has the conventional qualities of a song cycle. His style is traditional and full of
lyricism. His rhythms are the most complex aspect of his songs, but they also provide
tremendous interest and support the prosody of his high poetic standards.38 Finzi
thoughtfully grouped his songs into sets by poetic theme or individual poet, and used the
song order to provide musical contrasts to enhance the flow of the performance.
“Her Temple” is from Part I of A Young Man’s Exhortation, a song cycle for tenor on
the poetry of Thomas Hardy. Hardy was a prolific source for Finzi’s songs, including two
38
Kimball, 332.
58
other sets for high voice, Till Earth Outwears, and Oh Fair to See. A Young Man’s
Exhortation is composed in two parts with five songs per part. The first part is from the
perspective of a young man, and the second part consists of reflections of a mature man. “Her
Temple” can serve as a starting point for a young tenor willing to delve into either Part I or
the cycle as a whole. The tenor will encounter challenging syncopations and mixed meters in
“Her Temple,” which will help prepare him for many of Finzi’s songs.
The range of “Her Temple” is D3 to A-flat4, and the tessitura is A-flat3 to E-flat4, with
the melody arching into both extremes of the range. A potential challenge for the tenor is
Finzi’s use of syncopation and triplet figures. This song is also a useful teaching tool for
exploring expressive phrasing and securing breath management. The tempo is slow and the
phrases are long, even though there are places to breathe within the phrases. The breath
management and phrasing required of this song provides an opportunity for the tenor to
practice slow and deliberate breaths that help seat the larynx comfortably. A properly seated
larynx combined with a deep and controlled breath allows the tenor to negotiate the upper
range of “Her Temple” with greater freedom. Example 22 shows a long phrase that the tenor
can use to practice the aforementioned technique to help stabilize his larynx as the
approaches the secondo passaggio.
The first goal in this phrase is to observe Finzi’s crescendo marking in measure
seven, which propels the phrase through measure eight. When the tenor breathes between the
words “mine” and “I,” he must maintain the forward energy of the phrase without letting the
breath subtract from the overall momentum. This breath is also an opportunity to ensure a
high soft palate and comfortable laryngeal position as he inhales.

59
Example 22. Gerald Finzi, Collected Songs, “Her Temple,” mm. 7-11. © 2008 by Boosey
and Hawkes. Reprinted by permission.
As the momentum builds to measure eight, the tenor should aim for a climax of the
phrase on beat three so that the triplet figure, which contains the high G4, embodies forward
phrasal motion and freedom in the high range. If the tenor successfully phrases Example 22
in this way, the G4 is produced more easily because the breath support muscles do not “grip.”
Focusing on the flow of the phrase and likewise the flow of breath allows for greater freedom
in the tenor’s tone. It also allows for a comfortably low laryngeal position, especially in and
above the zona di passaggio, where tension can be catastrophic.

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Benjamin Britten, “Salley Gardens,”
Folksong Arrangements, Vol. 1
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) is perhaps one of the finest and most prolific
composers for the tenor voice. This is due largely to his collaboration with tenor Peter Pears,
for whom Britten wrote many art songs and operatic roles. While Britten’s songs are among
the best in the art song literature, many of them are not appropriate for young tenors. His
harmonic language can be intimidating, and he demands an extremely wide range and
tremendous stamina from his tenors. The most accessible Britten songs for young tenors are
found in his Folksong Arrangements, which encompass songs from the British Isles and
France. Also interesting for young tenors are Britten’s realizations of Henry Purcell songs.
Once the tenor is more acquainted with Britten’s harmonic language, and his technique has
advanced, he will find a wealth of interesting, challenging and rewarding literature by this
composer.
“The Salley Gardens” is from Folksong Arrangements, Volume 1: British Isles. The
melody is smooth and flowing, and the accompaniment is supportive. The range of “The
Salley Gardens” is G-flat3 to A-flat4, and the tessitura is high, approximately B-flat3 to E-
flat4. It is a song that can stretch a young tenor’s vocal, musical, and interpretive maturity.
There is occasional dissonance, but it is used sparingly and effectively, not detracting from
the harmonic structure. The phrases are generally long, requiring attention to phrasing and
breath management. Its folk style is well suited for young tenors, while its interpretation
requires attention to Britten’s score markings and a high level of interpretive maturity. “The
Salley Gardens” is a useful song for a young tenor developing his technique managing a high
61
tessitura. The tenor can approach this technique by embodying the poetic message of soft
and calm resignation, which will help him access a softer tone and lighter mechanism.
The primary melody, which is repeated throughout the song in a modified strophic
way, is shown in Example 23. The phrase is arched nicely, but the tenor must take an
unobtrusive breath between “gardens” and “my” in order to keep the shape of the phrase
intact. The importance of breath management, length of phrases, and unobtrusive short
breaths make “The Salley Gardens” an excellent choice for developing the tenor’s appoggio
technique.
Example 23. Benjamin Britten, Folksong Arrangements, vol. 1, “The Salley Gardens,” mm.
1-8. © 1947 by Boosey and Hawkes. Reprinted by permission.
62
The exercise shown in Figure 17 is an adaptation of Miller’s appoggio exercises.39
To exercise the breathing muscles necessary for appoggio, it is most beneficial to practice
short breaths, with short phrases, focusing on a quick breath renewal that is silent and
efficient.
Figure 17. Appoggio Exercise.
Figure 17 incorporates this idea into the phrase shown in Example 23, but places
breaths out of context so that the tenor practices the quick and silent breath renewal in a
variety of places. He should sing this exercise on the open vowel [a] to help create an open
posture. He should not adjust his posture as he inhales: the mouth stays open, the tongue
stays relaxed, and the torso is expanded. The goal of these appoggio exercises is to achieve a
consistently open posture in the rib cage and sternum, working with the antagonizing
breathing muscles, so that the tenor can inhale and exhale without extraneous movement,
which allows for the quick and silent breaths necessary in appoggio.
Samuel Barber, “The Daisies,” Three Songs, Op. 2
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) wrote over one hundred songs for voice and piano,
although approximately fifty of them have been published. 40 His style is unmistakably
39
Miller, 35-37.
40
Kimball, 254.
63
American, characterized by simplicity of form, clarity of texture, and distinct melodies.
Barber’s harmonic language is tonal, with varying amounts of chromaticism typical of
twentieth-century composers. He chose his texts carefully and was exacting in his prosody.
For tenors, Barber represents an accessible introduction to twentieth-century American style.
His writing for the voice is lyric and expressive, and his songs are ideal for the studio and
recitals.
“The Daisies,” from Three Songs, Op. 2, is one of Barber’s earliest songs. The range
of C3 to F4 is ideal for a beginning tenor, and the tessitura is medium low, around G3 to C4.
The melody is simple, beautiful, and organic. The most difficult aspect of the piece is an
occasional change in time signature. In the tenor’s voice, F4 is a pivotal note. It is at the
secondo passaggio, and the tenor should transition into head voice before that pitch so as not
to push the chest voice up too far. A young tenor may be able to sing without full transition
into head voice on F4, but the better technique is to begin to enter a clear head voice around
the primo passaggio. This is an important skill for young tenors to learn, and “The Daisies”
is a good song with which to practice this technique.
Example 24 shows the F4 in context. The crescendo should be observed, which helps
the tenor increase his breath energy. He should sing this phrase on [a], with freedom and lift
in his tone on the notes preceding F4. As he approaches the high note, he is relieving muscle
tension and engaging his head voice to a greater extent.

64
Example 24. Samuel Barber, Collected Songs, “The Daisies,” mm. 5-7. © 1986 by G.
Schirmer. Reprinted by permission.
It is also important for the tenor to practice singing with a light mechanism in the
lower part of his range, where the vast majority of the song lies. Weight added to his voice
in the low range may not have an immediate negative impact, but cumulatively it is
extremely difficult to make a sudden shift to a light mechanism in order to access the high
range of the tenor’s voice.
Barber’s “The Daisies” is most appropriate for a young tenor who needs to practice
freedom and lightness in his tone. Barber’s prosody is excellent and his phrasing is
supportive for a young tenor engaging art song for the first time.
John Jacob Niles
“Black is the color of my true love’s hair”
John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) is a fascinating, non-traditional figure in American art
song. He pursued fairly successful careers as a composer and performer in the classical
music arena, and in popular music as a folk singer and songwriter. Perhaps his greatest
contribution is his collection of folk music and ballads, primarily transcribed from the
65
Appalachian region’s oral tradition. In his later career he focused on art song, although folk
style is constantly present in his music.41
“Black is the color of my true love’s hair,” is an original melody composed by Niles
with text from a traditional folk song. Niles said, “The tune […] was composed by me,
because I felt that the traditional one, dull beyond belief, was unworthy of that fine text.”42
The melody is flowing and tender, evoking an elevated emotional state. The song is strophic,
with the first verse repeated as the final verse. The range is D3 to G4, and the tessitura is
medium, approximately G3 to D4. It is an ideal song for tenors working on establishing a
light and sweet tone quality in the upper range. A soft tone quality on G4 is much more
difficult than a strong and brilliant tone, due to the amount of stress exerted on the tenor’s
voice. Example 25 shows the G4 in context.
Example 25. John Jacob Niles, The Songs of John Jacob Niles, “Black is the color of my true
love’s hair,” mm. 7-9. © 1990 by G. Schirmer. Reprinted by permission.
To help the tenor achieve the desired tone on G4, he should think of the color of the
voice rather than a particular dynamic level. Opening pharyngeal space and the space in the
41
“John Jacob Niles,” John Jacob Niles Center for American Music, Accessed 15
January 2012, <http://www.uky.edu/FineArts/Music/Niles/niles/>.
42
John Jacob Niles, The Songs of John Jacob Niles, (New York: G. Schirmer, 1990), i.
66
mouth creates soft tone colors. Combined with a firm base of support from the lower
abdominal area underneath a free flowing stream of air, the resulting tone quality is soft in
color and texture but not dynamic level. Is imperative that the tenor engages the lowest of
his support muscles while singing a sweet and tender G4, which helps release tension in the
torso and neck and supports an open posture. At the same time, he should be aware that his
resonance sensations are strong on the hard palate and have a sense of lift. In this way, the
tenor feels stretched, or pulled in opposing directions that work dynamically.
Figure 18. Tessitura Exercise.
The phrase in Figure 18 is designed to help the tenor practice the previously discussed
technique for mastering a high tessitura. He should sing this phrase on [u], which helps keep
the tone round and tender, and the pharyngeal space open. His inhalation should be taken
through the shape of a deep and rich [u] vowel. The tenor should feel the air come into his
body as it opens as much space as possible, all the way back to the soft palate and walls of
the throat. As he ascends from C4 to F4, he should feel the stretch as he uses his appoggio
technique: the lower abdominal wall supporting his expanded posture, with a lifted vowel
sensation. The vowel shape should not significantly change. The space created by the
tenor’s breath should maintain the softness in his tone. As he further ascends to the G4, he
should feel a similar stretch, like a gentle tug from the top of his skull lifting the pitch. All
the while, the tenor must not lose focus on his low breathing muscles and expanded posture.
67
Finally, if the tenor wishes to crescendo in this position, he simply has to release more of the
potential energy inherent in this expanded posture.

68
CHAPTER IV
GERMAN LIEDER
There are many excellent Lieder for tenors, including monumental song cycles such
as Franz Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin and Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Many of the
Lieder in the standard repertoire come from the late Classical and Romantic periods. This
means that, with some exceptions, Lieder require the tenor to sing dramatically, with large
dynamic variations, and be heard over thick accompanimental textures; all are qualities
associated with the Romantic period. However, many Lieder are appropriate for younger
tenors. For the younger tenor, it is important to select repertoire that is not overly heavy in
order to allow the voice to achieve optimal freedom and mature naturally.
Figure 19. Consonant Exercise.
Figure 19 gives the tenor a simple scale passage with voiced consonants on the main
beats of the measure to help facilitate this technique. When singing a voiced consonant, such
as [z], the tenor needs to engage his lower abdominal muscles in order to keep the same level
of resonant intensity in his tone. Additionally, airflow should be as consistent as possible
between consonant and vowel in order to keep the smooth line continuous. When the tenor
69
sings the exercise with unvoiced consonants, such as [t], the goal is to make them as quick
and clean as possible. Any extra aspirate quality from the consonant translates into wasted
breath and a dramatic reduction in the tenor’s ability to support long phrases. However,
when compared to Italian plosive consonants, German plosives are more aspirate, especially
in consonant clusters. It is of utmost importance that the tenor sings with clear diction and
that his breath management reaches the level required of German consonants.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Abendempfindung”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) is one of the most prolific and revered
composers in history; however, his Lieder output is not very large. Some of his best songs
were written after 1775, when he was working on some of his most well known operas. In
this period, Mozart composed in mostly through-composed form, considering his Lieder as
miniature operatic scenes.43
A fine example of Mozart’s Lieder is “Abendempfindung.” It is a through-composed
song with six verses of poetry. The range is a limited E3 to F4, and the tessitura is
approximately B-flat3 to D4, although it is varied due to the numerous melodic figures
throughout the six verses. Kimball points out that Mozart employs operatic devices in this
song, such as ornamentation and declamatory writing, and she observes that the phrases in
“Abendempfindung” are “long-lined and reminiscent of Mozart’s arias; they have a
cumulative effect, increasing in intensity and passion to the final measures.”44
43
Kimball, 56.
44
Kimball, 57.
70
The phrase lengths and tessitura make “Abendempfindung” a difficult song for young
tenors. Advanced undergraduate tenors should be able to master the technique necessary to
perform it, but consistent practice to build stamina is essential. The tessitura lies in the upper
middle tenor range, near the primo passaggio. This awkward tessitura means that the tenor
may be singing for extended periods of time in the upper limits of his chest voice. Therefore,
he must make every effort to mix as much head voice as he can in order to take the weight
and strain out of his voice at the primo passaggio. This should be the goal of every tenor in
every song, but “Abendempfindung” presents a unique difficulty with regards to tessitura.
Example 26. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sämtliche Lieder, “Abendempfindung,” mm. 1-11.
© 1991 by Bärenreiter. Reprinted by permission.
The opening phrase of the song, shown in Example 26, and the first two verses would
be an ideal section of the song in which the tenor could familiarize himself with Mozart’s
style and build stamina at the primo passaggio without encountering the level of difficulty
71
seen in Example 27. The earlier phrases are shorter and provide the tenor with more breath
opportunities, which will help him release tension and focus on breath.
Example 27 demonstrates the cumulative effect of Mozart’s difficult phrasing in
“Abendempfindung.” These measures fall near the end of the song, and are more dramatic
than phrases earlier in the song because Mozart uses cumulative phrasing. The long, six-bar
phrase, combined with the awkward tessitura in which the melody never goes lower than B-
flat3, require the tenor to maintain excellent breath control and free tone in an unforgiving
passage.
Example 27. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sämtliche Lieder, “Abendempfindung,” mm. 66-
75. © 1991 by Bärenreiter. Reprinted by permission.
In order to exercise this breath management in a high tessitura, the tenor should
carefully practice the tessitura exercises described in Chapter I and pay particular attention to
alleviating tension at the primo passaggio. The tenor should then sing the phrase in Example
27 on single vowels, such as [i] or [a], and take the passage out of tempo. By singing the
72
melody at his own pace and with non-prescribed breaths, the tenor will be able to find ease
and freedom in his tone while building stamina in this tessitura.
Ludwig van Beethoven, “Der Kuss”
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) did not compose many Lieder compared to his
exceptional output in other genres. The Lieder he composed show him to be a transitional
figure in his songs in addition to his status as an innovative instrumental composer. He
composed his Lieder in various forms, experimented with new harmonies, and took
advantage of the growing availability of contemporary poetry.45 Beethoven is also important
in Lieder because he is credited with composing the first song cycle, An die ferne Geliebte,
Op. 98, which would highly influence Romantic composers such as Schubert and Schumann.
“Der Kuss” is a boldly romantic song involving two characters: the boy who is
interested in a kiss, and Chloe, the girl who eventually gives in to his advances. Beethoven
exploited the double meaning of Chloe’s outcry, by repeating the line, “Doch lange
hinterher,” or “But long afterwards,” a number of times. Despite the graphic nature of the
poetry, Beethoven’s treatment of the text is that of a lighthearted “charming little song, a
flirtatious scene.”46 Along with the tempo marking, allegretto, Beethoven added the
instruction, “Mit Lebhaftigkeit, jedoch nicht in zu geschwinden Zeitmaße und scherzend
vorgetragen,” or “animated, but not too fast, and recited jokingly.”
The animated character of “Der Kuss” makes this song a good selection for helping
the tenor achieve engaged breath. The range is E3 to G-sharp4, which is beneficial for a
45
Kimball, 58.
46
Kimball, 59.
73
young tenor wishing to increase or solidify his upper range. The tessitura is wide,
approximately A3 to D4. This tessitura is forgiving because the melody does not lie
consistently in the zona di passaggio. The melody expands into the upper and lower ranges
of the piece frequently.
Example 28. Ludwig van Beethoven, Lieder und Gesänge, “Der Kuss,” mm. 6-16. © 1990
by G. Henle Verlag. Reprinted by permission.
In order to isolate and exaggerate the connection to active breath in this phrase, the
tenor should sing the melody in Example 28 on the syllable, “pa” with an accent on each
note. The lower abdominal muscles should feel engaged and experience a slight contraction,
but they should not feel as though they are fully expanding and contracting for each accent.
The accent happens as a reaction to increased breath energy, rather than from a physical
manipulation of the abdominal muscles, which is a slow and ineffective method of rhythmic
74
or accented pulses. Likewise, the larynx should not feel strain as a result of accented pulses.
The connection of breath and tone should be strong, with open posture, and free, even when
accents are introduced. In this way, the phrase shape is not interrupted and excessive weight
is not introduced in the voice. This rhythmic articulation is an essential skill for the tenor and
can be directly related to any melismatic or rhythmic passages, in addition to the lively
melody in “Der Kuss.”
Example 29. Ludwig van Beethoven, Lieder und Gesänge, “Der Kuss,” mm. 43-46. © 1990
by G. Henle Verlag. Reprinted by permission.
One particular difficulty in “Der Kuss” is shown in Example 29. This is the dramatic
and musical climax on the text, “sie schrie,” or Chloe’s outcry. The vocal line goes directly
above the secondo passaggio, and the [v] of “Jawohl” is a potential spot of tension for the
tenor. He must not decrease his breath energy on the consonant [v], but rather sing through
it, barely engaging the lips to pronounce the [v] on the way to the vowel, which itself should
be modified slightly toward [ɔ]. As the tenor modifies the vowel his lips should stay rounded
as the jaw drops, making the vowel sound more like [o] as in “Jawohl,” even though the
tenor is modifying the shape. The tenor should also practice the exercise in Figure 12 on
page 34 with the syllable [vɔ] on each beat.

75
Once the tenor establishes his technique for the first F-sharp4 in Example 29, the
following notes are on the vowel [i]. The [i] vowel is favorable for tenors singing above the
secondo passaggio because of its bright ring and forward tongue position. To find the most
comfortable placement of his [i] vowel, the tenor should sing Figure 15 on page 42 again,
with the same instruction as mentioned previously, but he should sing the [i] vowel following
the “ming” syllable. He should repeat the exercise in ascending half steps until he has
surpassed G-sharp4 in order for the “schrie” to resonate well with minimal physical effort.
Franz Schubert, “Wohin?”
Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) is the most prolific composer of Lieder, and an essential
composer for young tenors to study. Schubert is well known for his gift as a melodist and
accessible style. The following two selections are taken from Die schöne Müllerin, one of
the most famous song cycles of the genre. Both songs are appropriate for young tenors as
well as advanced tenors; the melodies are tuneful, accessible, and contain seemingly endless
possibilities for interesting interpretations. The entirety of Die schöne Müllerin is not
appropriate for young tenors largely due to the massive scale of the cycle; however, songs
extracted from the cycle can make an excellent recital set.
“Wohin?” is the second song in Die schöne Müllerin. It is a cheerful and tuneful
song in which the protagonist follows the stream toward a mill. The sixteenth notes in the
accompaniment represent the water flowing, and the melody evokes a happy simplicity about
this pleasant walk along the stream. The range is D3 to G4, and the tessitura is wide,
approximately G3 to D4, because Schubert used many large intervals that make use of the
76
entire range of the song. Example 30 shows a recurring melodic fragment in “Wohin?”
which is based on an arpeggiated chord—in this case, D major. The melody moves freely
between the different notes in the arpeggio, requiring the tenor to have fluid agility.
Example 30. Franz Schubert, 200 Songs, “Wohin?” mm. 28-35. © 1961 by International.
As the highest notes of “Wohin?” are also approached by arpeggio, octave arpeggio
exercises such as the exercise in Figure 20 should be used to prepare the tenor for this song.
In this exercise, the tenor moves rapidly through the arpeggio, keeping a ringing intensity and
flexibility in his voice as the pitch oscillates between the scale degrees. The tenor should
reach G4 upon ascending repetitions of this exercise in order to practice the skill needed in
“Wohin?” He should sing this exercise as shown below, with the sequence of vowels
77
provided, or he may sing the exercise on a single vowel or combination of vowels in order to
address a particular need based on the text.
Figure 20. Arpeggio Exercise.
Franz Schubert, “Halt!” Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795
“Halt!” is the third song in Die schöne Müllerin, immediately following the
protagonist’s journey along the stream. The character reaches the mill and is excited about
the possibilities that lie ahead. The range of “Halt!” is F3 to G4, and the tessitura is
approximately A3 to D4. Notable in the melody is the frequency of large intervallic leaps.
Example 31 demonstrates the large melodic leaps that the tenor must negotiate. The wide
intervals are not excessively challenging because they are clearly diatonic and are generally
found within the harmony in the accompaniment. The difficulty in a disjunct melody is
maintaining consistent tone through large intervallic leaps.
Example 31. Franz Schubert, 200 Songs, “Halt!” mm. 40-44. © 1961 by International.
78
To prepare for the passage shown in Example 31, the tenor should practice a series of
exercises that cover an octave range. Figure 21 is an octave slide, with the fifth of the scale
interrupting the octave so as to break up the large leap into smaller jumps. It then covers the
entire octave in one slide. The tenor should sing this exercise on a “buzzing” sound such as
the consonants [v] or [z], or a lip trill.
Figure 21. Octave Buzz Exercise.
The buzz will assist the tenor in feeling the sensations of resonance in a consistent
place in his head throughout the scale. Another positive aspect of the buzzing sound is the
awareness of breath pressure and tension; if the tenor pushes too much, he will feel the
pressure build up and the throat constrict. Due to the restriction at his lips, he will be more
aware of these sensations than he would be if singing the exercise on a pure vowel. The next
step of the exercise in Figure 21 is to sing it on single vowels, making sure to cover every
vowel in order to explore the various modifications that must be made.
A further exercise to develop the octave interval is shown in Figure 22. This exercise
is designed to help the tenor sing an octave with the technique practiced in Figure 21, but
arriving at the octave more quickly.

79
Figure 22. Octave Agility Exercise.
The tenor should sing this octave on [a] in order to keep the tongue free, with
energized breath and focused resonance, while releasing tension upon the ascent. The
staccato marking on beat two allows the tenor to release the sound rather than push through
the interval. The tenor should feel his low abdominal muscles engaged during the octave
jump, but he should feel very little sensation in the larynx. It is a releasing sensation into and
through the top of the skull. In order to successfully sing the reiteration of the upper octave
on beat three, the tenor must maintain the released sensation from beat two, in addition to the
energized breath and focused resonance. The descending scale is designed to help the tenor
maintain focused resonance as he descends through the zona di passaggio on his way to his
low range. The resulting tone quality after practicing Figure 22 should be a unified range
that is focused, resonant, and free rather than one that is “throaty,” “spread,” or “too open.”
Franz Schubert, “Das Fischermädchen,”
Schwanengesang, D. 957
The final Schubert Lied in this study is “Das Fischermädchen,” from
Schwanengesang, or “Swan’s Song,” which is a collection of Schubert’s posthumously
published songs. The original publisher, Tobias Haslinger, arranged the songs into this
collection, though it was not Schubert’s intent for them to be a song cycle. In fact, Schubert
80
most likely intended for the songs on the poetry of Rellstab and Heine to be published as two
separate collections of seven songs each.47
“Das Fischermädchen” is a useful song for a young tenor in developing his technique
in the zona di passaggio. The range is C3 to G-flat4, and the tessitura is a manageable A-flat3
to D-flat4. The melody covers a wide range, with frequent arpeggios and large interval leaps.
The song is suitable for young tenors who have access to C3. The majority of the melody of
“Das Fischermädchen” stays below the tenor’s zona di passaggio, a relatively easy part of
the young tenor’s range. However, Example 32 isolates the section of this song that
exercises the zona di passaggio without the strain of a high tessitura.
Example 32. Franz Schubert, 200 Songs, “Das Fischermädchen,” mm. 35-42. © 1961 by
International. Reprinted by permission.
47
Robert Winter, et al., "Schubert, Franz." Grove Music Online, Oxford Music
Online, Accessed 23 November 2011,
09pg1>.
81
The exercise shown in Figure 23 is extracted from the melodic material in Example
32; this exercise will familiarize the tenor with Schubert’s melody as he explores his
technique. Figure 23 should be sung on the vowel [i], because of its forward resonance.
Other vowels can be used based on the text in Example 32.
The tenor should repeat the exercise in ascending half steps until he surpasses G-flat4,
which is the top of the range of “Das Fischermädchen,” in order to be more comfortable with
the G-flat4. As the tenor descends through the exercise, he should be certain to maintain the
high sensations of resonance in negotiating the passaggi. Keeping a balanced breath
underneath this melodic fragment will also help ensure that he does not add muscular effort
through the zona di passaggio. The transitions between passaggi points or register
transitions will be unnoticeable because the resonance and breath are balanced.
The ascending fifth on the word, “Meer” is one of the most difficult parts of the song.
If proper balance of resonance and breath is not achieved, then tenor’s voice will likely shift
registers suddenly as he reaches the secondo passaggio. In order to practice negotiating this,
the tenor should slide up and down the interval of a fifth, from B3 to F-sharp4, on the [i]
vowel. Once he can sing this exercise without tongue, jaw, or other tensions, he should be
able to sing the phrase in Example 32 with vocal freedom.

82
Robert Schumann, “Waldesgespräch,”
Liederkreis, Op. 39
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was also a prolific Lieder composer, and he continued
the historical progression of the Lied and the song cycle, building on what Schubert had
already established. Schumann’s most substantial development in Lieder was in his use of
the piano. A gifted pianist and composer of piano music, he treated the piano as an equal
partner to the voice, often allowing the accompaniment to take over melodic and dramatic
material rather than simply providing harmonic support and atmosphere.
Schumann’s songs provide the tenor with a wealth of beautiful songs from which to
study. Two of the selections discussed here are from Dichterliebe, Op. 48, on poetry of
Heinrich Heine, and two of the selections are from Liederkreis, Op. 39, on poetry by Joseph
von Eichendorff. As a practical matter, a young tenor will likely find the length and breadth
of Schumann’s cycles prohibitive for performance in their entirety. Liederkreis, Op. 39 is a
collection of songs, rather than a song cycle with a strong narrative; songs may be extracted
in more manageable sets for performance. Since Dichterliebe, Op. 48 is a song cycle with a
dramatic narrative and close key relationships, extracting songs for performance is more
problematic. However, studying these songs is pedagogically beneficial for the tenor in
terms of technique and awareness of important song literature, and it will prepare him for
future performances of the entire work.
“Waldesgespräch” is the third song in Liederkreis, Op. 39. It is an exciting and
dramatic song both musically and poetically. A hunter is riding in the forest and sees a
beautiful maiden alone. He stops to offer his assistance and to take her home before dark.
83
He then suddenly realizes that the beautiful maiden is the witch Lorelei, a legendary figure
whose beauty and siren calls lure young men to their deaths. The musical material reflects
the changing perspectives and moods of the poetry, effecting contrasts in style and character.
One of the best pedagogical outcomes from studying “Wealdesgespräch” is the use of
dramatic tone colors and dynamics based on vivid storytelling. The story is very clear and
does not require sophisticated poetic interpretation. The different sections of the poem are
clearly delineated poetically and musically. The situation in which the hunter finds himself
allows for heightened emotional choices that help the tenor explore a wide range of tone
colors and dynamics. The entire text of “Waldesgespräch” is dialogue between the hunter and
Lorelei, without any narration or commentary, simplifying the character shifts.
Experience with a song like “Waldesgespräch” in which the dramatic choices are
clear allows the tenor to practice his interpretive and expressive skill. The tenor alternates in
“Waldesgespräch” between the perspectives of the hunter and the Lorelei; thus, it is
necessary for him to be able to adjust his tone color to match his interpretation of the three
perspectives. Furthermore, the character of Lorelei has two different colors: one for when
she initially speaks with the hunter under the guise of a helpless maiden, and another for
when she reveals herself and the trap that has ensnared the hunter.
In the early stages of learning this song the tenor should experiment with extreme
contrasts in timbre. For example, he should sing the opening phrase, in which the hunter
approaches Lorelei, with an exuberant and joyful quality with bright resonance and energetic
breath. The tenor should then assess how that timbre matches his poetic interpretation. After
working wit brighter timbre, the tenor should sing the same phrase again with a dark and
melancholy quality, and assess how that changes the interpretation. Even though the ultimate
84
choice of his interpretation for performance is clear based on the poetry, the skill of altering
his timbre to match interpretive choices is developed.
Robert Schumann, “Wehmut,” Liederkreis, Op. 39
“Wehmut” is the ninth song in Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39. It is a slow and
melancholy song, with excellent phrasing opportunities for a young tenor. The range is not
wide at F-sharp3 to E4 and the tessitura is relatively low at G-sharp3 to C-sharp4. The range
and tessitura make it accessible for young tenors because it does not stretch the upper range
and the tessitura is low, close to the primo passaggio.
As the tenor approaches the primo passaggio, he must be aware of his breath support
and vocal weight. This is important because he can sing in the primo passaggio with extra
weight in his voice without severely affecting his tone quality. However, if he carries that
vocal weight up towards the secondo passaggio, he will find that its quality will be greatly
hindered. Careful attention to the primo passaggio, especially in younger tenors, is essential
because of the ramifications for his upper range. If the tenor maintains appropriate breath
pressure through the primo passaggio, it is very likely his vocal weight is also appropriate.
Awareness of tongue and jaw tension will also help ensure that the tenor is treating the primo
passaggio as a transition to his upper range, rather than as a middle voice in which he can
sing with darker or heavier tone.
The primary melodic figure in “Wehmut” is shown in Example 33. This phrase is an
excellent exercise with which the tenor can practice approaching the primo passaggio.
85
Example 33. Robert Schumann, Liederkreis, Opus 39, “Wehmut,” mm. 1-3. © 2010 by G.
Henle Verlag. Reprinted by permission.
The simple suggestion to “sing it like a tenor,” rather than “singing it like a baritone,”
is an important distinction that will allow the tenor to approach the primo passaggio with
lighter and slightly brighter tone in which the vowel begins to migrate to a higher place of
resonance. The tenor should first sing this phrase on the [i] vowel in order to facilitate a
brighter and clearer tone with little vocal weight. Next, the tenor should sing the phrase with
the vowels of the text—an exercise he can do with each individual phrase of the piece. When
he finally sings the phrase with text, he should begin to feel that even though the range of the
melody is not high, he is singing it with the expectation that at any moment he may be
required to quickly ascend above the secondo passaggio. This exercise is practicing a frame
of mind in which the tenor’s technique allows him to access easily his upper range.
Robert Schumann, “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne,”
Dichterliebe, Op. 48
The next two selections are taken from Schumann’s most famous song cycle,
Dichterliebe, Op. 48. Dichterliebe is a cycle of sixteen songs on the poetry of Heinrich
86
Heine, and Schumann arranged them in order to create a dramatic narrative of unrequited
love. Within the overall theme of unrequited love, Schumann explores the moments of
extreme joy, remembrance, heartache, and anger that one might experience in a tumultuous
relationship. It was Schumann’s personal experience of struggle, obstacles, and passion in
his relationship with Clara that drew Schumann to Heine’s poems.
“Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne,” the third song in Dichterliebe, is an
exciting song in which the poet describes his feelings for his beloved. The song is an
exercise in speech-like singing because of the rapidity with which the tenor must sing the
text. Stylistically, this song can develop skills needed for recitative in opera and oratorio,
and speech-like singing in musical theater. Example 34 shows the first phrase, which is
representative of the style of the whole song. The range, D3 to E4, and the tessitura, B3 to D4,
are limited and are of little consequence due to the style of the song. The primary
consideration for the tenor is to sing the text clearly and as quickly as he can manage.
Example 34. Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, “Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne,”
mm. 1-4. © 2011 by Bärenreiter. Reprinted by permission.
The melody dashes along with the rhythm of the text, evoking an image of a young
man who can’t contain his excitement. The best way for the tenor to develop clear text is to
execute a three-step process. First, the tenor should speak the text as a poem, absent of all
87
melody and rhythm. This will allow the tenor to develop the muscle memory needed to
speak the text clearly and quickly. Second, the tenor should speak the text in the rhythm of
the song, without melody, which will help him discover Schumann’s interpretation in terms
of stressed syllables, important words, and other moments of emphasis. Third, the tenor
should sing the song lightly, with full breath support and clear diction, making sure not to
create tension in the articulators. This will allow the tenor concentrate on applying the newly
found diction skill in context, without the melody distracting from his focus. The importance
of this three-step process is to develop the muscle memory of the text, so that the tenor can
speak or sing it quickly and clearly. Additionally, singing the text quickly helps the tenor to
discover the technique of singing with clear diction but without excessive weight or tension
in his consonants. In order for the text to move quickly, it must be pronounced with a
balance of lightness and energy.
Robert Schumann, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es,”
Dichterliebe, Op. 48
“Aus alten Märchen winkt es” is the fifteenth of the sixteen songs that comprise
Dichterliebe, Op. 48. This song is beneficial for the tenor because it exercises key skills such
as rhythmic flexibility and negotiating the zona di passaggio. As the penultimate song of the
cycle, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es” plays a crucial role in the dramatic narrative. Kimball
states that in this song, “the poet describes a magical land where all is beautiful, and
problems are nonexistent. He yearns to go there and be relieved of his sorrow.”48 Therefore,
“Aus alten Märchen winkt es” provides respite from the bitterness of the disastrous
48
Kimball, 88.
88
relationship, but also keeps the “yearning” emotion on the forefront before closure is
achieved in the final song. Schumann achieves this by composing the song in two main
sections, the first in a “lively” tempo with a consistently rhythmic figure, and the second
section—beginning with “Ach!”—with a more steady and reserved melody and
accompaniment. The two musical styles in the song provide the tenor with different
pedagogical challenges.
The range of “Aus alten Märchen winkt es” is B2 to G-sharp4, which is wide for a
tenor and which will exploit his low range. The tessitura is approximately B3 to E4, with a
melody that lingers in the low range for some extended periods of time. This song is not
appropriate for a beginning tenor; however, an undergraduate tenor who has access to a low
B2 and has evenness of tone throughout his range would benefit from studying it. It is a
difficult song to memorize. The tenor and his teacher should plan carefully if this is to be
performed in a seminar or recital.
Example 35 shows the primary melodic and rhythmic figure of “Aus alten Märchen
winkt es.” The tenor must be able to clearly articulate the text while keeping the tempo and
tone color bright and lively. He must also avoid the fatigue of heavy muscular articulation
by relying on a lighter articulation based on coordination of his breath and glottis.

89
Example 35. Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es,” mm. 7-19. ©
2011 by Bärenreiter. Reprinted by permission.
The skills mentioned above can be exercised by singing the pattern in Figure 24,
which is based on the melodic and rhythmic structure shown in Example 35, with light
accents on each note, on a “hum.” This will help the tenor isolate awareness of his
abdominal activity and strengthen the connection between abdominal activity and
articulation, which in this case is a rhythmic accent. The tenor should observe that the
accents are produced not by large contractions of his abdominal muscles, but by an
energizing of his breath, which corresponds to a slight glottal articulation. Additionally, he
should be aware that the resonant sensations near his hard palate are consistently ringing and
not moving backward as the pitch changes, and that the slight glottal articulation does not get
too strong, as a true glottal stroke. A hard glottal stroke can be avoided by making sure that
his breath is moving consistently and that his throat is free and open, a position which is
established on his inhalation.

90
Figure 24. Articulation Exercise.
After he has sung Figure 24 on “hum,” the tenor should switch to “ha” as in Miller’s
agility exercise in Figure 11 on page 21. He should maintain focus on the technique
mentioned previously, but the [a] vowel will reveal more flaws and require more
coordination on the part of the tenor. Finally, the tenor should sing the first two phrases of
“Aus alten Märchen winkt es” with text, making sure that the progress achieved by his work
with Figure 24 is transferred successfully.
Example 36. Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, “Aus alten Märchen winkt es,” mm. 67-72. ©
2011 by Bärenreiter. Reprinted by permission.
The “yearning” section of the song starts with the tenor’s exclamation, “Ach” in
measure sixty-seven, as shown in Example 36. The melody that follows starts as a rhythmic
augmentation of the original melody shown in Example 35. The rhythms of the
augmentation require the tenor to sing with longer vowels. The tenor should strive for clear
91
diction that does not interfere with the legato line. Example 36 also provides the tenor with a
valuable passaggio exercise, as the melody gently crosses over the primo passaggio.
Johannes Brahms, “Sonntag”
Fünf Lieder, Op. 47
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was a prolific Lieder composer, with approximately
190 solo songs, ranging from folk song arrangements to sophisticated dramatic scenes.49 His
compositional style reflects a mixture of Classical formality and rich Romanticism. Brahms
wrote two sets of songs specifically for tenor or soprano, Op. 3 and Op. 6. The majority of
the remaining solo songs were not specified by voice part. Most of Brahms’ song sets were
grouped together for publication and are not intended as coherent sets. Exceptions include
his only song cycle, “Die Schöne Magelone,” or 15 Romanzen aus L. Tiecks Magelone, Op.
33, Vier ernste Gesänge, Op. 121, and Ophelia Lieder, WoO 22.50 Later in his career,
Brahms started specifying his songs for low voices, which corresponds to the increasingly
serious subject matter of the poetry: “with advancing age an autumnal tone is sounded, lost
opportunities in love are lamented and the spectre of death is faced.”51 Therefore, the tenor
will likely find Brahms’ earlier works and lighter subject matter more suited for high voice.
“Sonntag” is from Fünf Lieder, Op. 47. It is a simple strophic song in a folk style, but
it provides a young tenor with good and accessible challenges in terms of range and
49
George Bozarth and Walter Frisch, "Brahms, Johannes," Grove Music Online,
Oxford Music Online, 1 Dec. 2011,
79pg11>.
50
Ibid.
51
Ibid.
92
passaggio. The range is D3 to G4 and the tessitura lies in the middle of the voice, G3 to D4.
Example 37 shows the most difficult passage of the song. The large leaps on “das tausend”
are problematic because the [st] consonant combination may interrupt vocal energy. The
tenor should not lose focus on his vocalic resonance. Likewise, even through unvoiced
consonants, the tenor should have focused resonant sensations.
Example 37. Johannes Brahms, Lieder, Vol. 1, “Sonntag,” mm. 8-16. © 1980 by C.F.
Peters. Reprinted by permission.
The tenor should practice the “das tausend” phrase, measures 8 through 12, on the [a]
vowel only, and then add consonants. The [a] will not change once the tenor adds
consonants if he maintains focus on his resonance sensations. The phrase at the words
“wollte Gott,” measures 13 through 16, exercises the top range of the piece and the zona di
passaggio. The difficulty of this phrase is the G4. It must be approached with space and
93
energized breath, without pushing or any other heavy muscular effort. The [v] on “wollte
Gott” is also problematic. Unless the tenor is able to manage his breath correctly, it may
cause too much of a constriction, increasing laryngeal tension. The tenor, therefore, should
practice a descending five-tone scale on [va], starting at D4 in the zona di passaggio, and
working his way up to G4. The tenor may also practice the [v] exercises explained regarding
Beethoven’s “Der Kuss” on page 74. It is particularly important for the tenor to focus on an
inhalation that opens the pharyngeal space naturally in order to prevent excessive constriction
from the [v].

94
CHAPTER V
FRENCH MÉLODIE
French mélodie can be daunting for the average tenor. Unfamiliarity with the
language is the main reason why many singers are intimidated by French repertoire. Also,
mélodie is a comparatively new genre and lacks repertoire from the Classical period, which
would be more accessible in terms of compositional style. Hector Berlioz was the first
composer to establish mélodie as a genre in the mid-Romantic period.52 Many French
mélodie composers use chromaticism and blurred harmonies, which demand from the tenor a
sophisticated musical sense. Kimball states, “Singers who want to perform French mélodies
well need poetic sensibility, intelligence, taste, and sensitivity to the clear inflection of
syllables within long, flowing melodic lines.”53
The romance is a salon style French song genre that existed before mélodie. It is
characterized by strict adherence to strophic form and light subject matter. Written mostly
for amateurs, romances have narrow ranges and tuneful melodies. The romance is a good
starting point for introducing French music to tenors although few songs in this genre are
considered standard repertoire.
American singers tend to have difficulty with French diction. They may overly
nasalize French vowels, or will struggle with the lack of syllabic stress in the French
language. Consonants should be treated more lightly in French than in English, and the [r]
should be flipped or rolled as in Italian, rather than pronouncing the Parisian uvular [r].
52
Pierre Bernac, The Interpretation of French Song (New York: Norton, 1976), xiii.
53
Kimball, 156.
95
Also, it can be difficult for young singers to identify French vowel sounds because of
relatively complicated spelling. For the young singer starting to learn the French repertoire,
The Interpretation of French Song by Pierre Bernac is an invaluable resource for gaining
insight into the nuances of mélodie and the French language, and how they are applied to
specific songs. Perhaps his strongest pedagogical advice for singers is to ensure that each
syllable begins with a consonant and ends with a vowel, and each syllable has only one
vowel sound. This technique allows for the fluidity of the French language and helps correct
the likely mistake of non-native singers inadvertently adding diphthongs.
In reference to the pronunciation of the French language, Bernac states, “it is by
overcoming technical problems that the singer succeeds in performing the musical line
correctly. There is no reason why the technical performance of the literary text should not be
as perfect as that of the music.”54 The French language is very fluid, and French composers
typically place a high value on prosody, which leads to melodies that are often declamatory
in style. However, Bernac warns the singer to not exaggerate the declamatory, or parlando,
aspect of the melody: “to consider the vocal line as ‘quasi parlando’ in style is to show a
completely faulty conception of the French mélodie. Nothing could be further from the truth.
To obtain the necessary beauty of sound, it is above all essential for the vocal line to be
phrased with extreme smoothness—sustained—‘sung’ in the fullest sense of the word.”55
Therefore, it is important that the tenor understands and is able to execute extraordinary
French diction, but also sing with consistent tone and smooth phrasing, which helps facilitate
the fluidity of the language. In many ways, it is the composer who took on the responsibility
54
Bernac, 11.
55
Bernac, 34.
96
of inflection, and brought out the sonorous quality of the text itself, to a greater degree than
any other language. It is the singer’s responsibility to sing with beautiful tone in order to
elucidate the composer’s genius.
Pedagogically, the tenor should spend considerable time on the French language,
learning correct diction and developing a discerning aesthetic of French style. Since the
sounds of the language play such an important role in French mélodie, this step cannot be
overlooked. He should practice reciting the poems from his French repertoire to gain
proficiency in his French diction. An exercise to develop his French diction is to intone the
text on a single pitch in the middle of his voice, with steady eighth-note rhythms, one syllable
per beat, without inflection but with constant breath support. The result should be a fluid
phrase with consistent tone and accurate diction. This exercise helps facilitate the next step
of adding the melody; the text should maintain its fluidity while the tenor is focusing on the
beauty of the melody.
Jean Paul Martini, “Plaisir d’amour”
The first French selection for examination is “Plaisir d’amour,” by Jean Paul Martini
(1741-1816), a German born French composer. Martini was a Classical era composer, whose
romance style songs were a precursor to the mélodie. Martini “took pride in being the first to
replace basso continuo in French song with obbligato keyboard. Whatever the merits of this
claim, his collections of romances and chansons were important models in the 1780s and
later.”56 Martini’s “Plaisir d’amour” is one of the few romances that remain in the standard
56
Elizabeth C. Bartlet. "Martini, Jean-Paul-Gilles," Grove Music Online, Oxford
Music Online, Accessed 4 Dec. 2011,
97
French repertoire because “its gentle melancholy and sentimentality are matched by a suave
vocal line and discreet, but effective accompaniment.”57
The range of “Plaisir d’amour” is D3 to G4 and the tessitura is moderately low,
approximately G3 to D4. The melody stays in the middle voice for the majority of the song,
with a few exceptions, such as that found in Example 38. The lower tessitura phrases in the
song provide the tenor with opportunities to work on the French text without the added
demands of high pitch. The high tessitura phrases of the song are beneficial technique
exercises, as well as simple musical phrases in which to incorporate the French text into the
high range.
Example 38. Jean Paul Martini, The French Song Anthology. “Plaisir d’amour,” mm. 21-23.
© 2001 by Hal Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
The phrase shown in Example 38 is an ascending chromatic line that requires careful
practice by the tenor. It is a beneficial phrase for practicing vowel modification. The tenor
26>.
57
Ibid.
98
should sing this phrase in free rhythm on the vowels of the text, making sure that each vowel
finds an efficient “ring.” He will most likely find that modifying each vowel in the direction
of a neutral [ə] will allow his jaw and tongue to release optimum tension and allow the tone
to be free. Some tenors, especially lighter voices, may not need to “open” their vowels
toward a neutral position as much, and will find that pure vowel sounds combined with
generous space are adequate. In either case, in this chromatic passage the tenor needs to
maintain slenderness in his tone through the zona di passaggio. He must resist the mounting
weight that each ascending note has the potential to add by keeping his breath freely moving
and his vowel spinning and focused. In this way the tenor will achieve balance between
opening the vowel slightly, and keeping the tone vibrant, slender, and free.
César Franck, “Nocturne,” FWV 85
César Franck’s (1822-1890) contribution to the musical world is primarily as a
teacher of notable students such as Duparc, d’Indy, and Chausson. His output of songs is
fewer than twenty, and few are in the standard repertoire. He is mainly known for his
compositions for organ. His songs are characterized by dense textures, strophic forms,
extended use of chromaticism, chordal accompaniments, and simple vocal lines. He is not
well regarded as having a keen sense of prosody.58
“Nocturne” is possibly Franck’s finest mélodie. In it, the tenor will find a wide
variety of poetic moods describing the different aspects of night. Each stanza of the poem is
reflects descriptive musical moods provided by Franck; these require the tenor to sing with
58
Kimball, 165.
99
the corresponding timbres. The range is one octave, F-sharp3 to F-sharp4, and the tessitura is
high, lingering around B3 to E4.
The largest technical demand on the tenor is the long, sustained phrases that are
situated in the zona di pasaggio. These phrases require that the tenor develop his technique
for sustaining a high tessitura. It also requires tremendous breath management to
simultaneously support a long and slow phrase while providing enough energy and airflow
for difficult passaggio work. Example 39 is a melodic figure that appears in some
permutation in every verse, including the last verse, in which the melody is sung a half step
higher in a major key.
Example 39. César Franck, The French Song Anthology, “Nocturne,” mm. 7-11. © 2001 by
Hal Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
100
In order to deal with the troublesome tessitura in Example 39, the tenor needs to find
a ringing and free tone while staying as true as possible to the French text. A beneficial
exercise to identify the core vowel sensation on a given note is to sing the pitch and oscillate
quickly between two different vowels. In this example, the tenor would sustain E4, while
singing [a i a i a i…] in rapid oscillation, until he finds the vowel sensation that rings
consistently regardless of the vowel shape. To help with this technique, the tenor should
ensure that his lips and jaw are relatively released, allowing the tongue to be the primary
articulator. He will find that a localized “spinning ball” of resonance is observable in the
area of the hard palate, which constitutes the core vowel sensation that should be observable
on each vowel. It is also important that the tenor approach this phrase with a lifted soft
palate, breathing into the giro technique, so that he does not add excessive chest voice weight
to his tone.
Vincent d’Indy, “Madrigal,” Op. 4
Vincent d’Indy (1851-1931) is regarded primarily for his perpetuation of Franck’s
teaching ideas. This included the founding of the Schola Cantorum, and his work as an editor
and supporter of early music. His teaching and writings greatly influenced French music,
even though his criticisms were often at odds with the new developments of impressionism
and expressionism.59 As a composer, he seemed to favor larger forms and only composed
around fifteen mélodies, of which “Madrigal” and “Lied maritime” are the only ones still in
the standard repertoire.
59
Andrew Thomson and Robert Orledge, "d’Indy, Vincent," Grove Music Online,
Oxford Music Online, Accessed 9 Dec. 2011,
87>.
101
“Madrigal” is a lovely and accessible mélodie, which is appropriate for beginning
tenors. The range is an octave, from E3 to E4, and the tessitura is low, around E3 to C4. A
young tenor may not yet have easy access to his E3, in which case this song would be too
difficult because the melody of “Madrigal” goes down to E3 frequently. The low tessitura of
“Madrigal” suits a young tenor with access to E3; however, he should be careful not to sing in
too much of a chest-focused voice. When a tenor sings below the primo passaggio, it is
important that he still sing with a sense of focus in the head voice. If he abandons his head
voice technique completely as he sings lower pitches, it is much more difficult for the tenor
to ascend to notes above the primo passaggio without inadvertently adding weight. The
melody of “Madrigal” is primarily based on minor triads. A helpful exercise for the tenor is
a major triad on [e] to keep the tongue forward, ascending to approximately F4 to solidify the
upper range. To help clarify the tenor’s low range, he should sing a descending five-tone
scale on [i] to bring brightness to his tone and keep the tongue forward, descending to E3 or
lower as he is able.
Ernest Chausson, “Hébé,” 7 mélodies, Op. 2
Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) composed over forty mélodies. He represents a more
Romantic compositional style that was not as reactionary as his French contemporaries, yet
his work still retains the elegance and simplicity of typical Romantic French style. Chausson
was a gifted melodist and would often write songs that begin in a singer’s middle range and
gently ascend to a climax.60
60
Kimball, 191.
102
“Hébé” is an intimate song about the Greek goddess of the same name who fills the
cups of the gods with nectar, preserving their youth. She then passes by “us” and we cannot
call her to come back. Given the origins of the story, Chausson subtitled the song, “Greek
song in Phrygian mode,” which evokes a mood of ancient Greek culture. The melodic line is
linearly constructed, with a narrow range of G3 to F4, and a tessitura of B-flat3 to E-flat4.
The primary modal melodic fragment is stated immediately by the piano and
extended by the voice. Example 40 shows this modal melody, which is the basis for the
entire song. The only moment in the piece when a large intervallic leap is used is when the
perspective of the poem changes from the gods to “we, too.”
Example 40. Ernest Chausson, The French Song Anthology, “Hébé,” mm. 1-3. © 2001 by
The majority of the song lies in the zona di passaggio: effective technique for
negotiating the passaggio is necessary in order to prevent fatigue and strained tone. “Hébé”
should only be sung by a tenor who is secure in this technique. If a teacher assigns “Hébé” to
a tenor in order to work on the zona di passagio, the tenor should not attempt the entire song
103
immediately. Until he is secure, he should sing the phrases of the song in isolation, with
periods of rest between them, in order to prevent fatigue.
Figure 25 is a helpful exercise based on the melody of “Hébé” that will help the tenor
establish freedom in the zona di passaggio, specifically starting with the primo passaggio, It
begins and ends near the primo passaggio, but does not go above the secondo passaggio.
Freedom in the zona di passaggio is contingent on balanced breath and a tension-free
approach to the primo passaggio. After singing Figure 25 on [u], which will help seat the
larynx in a comfortable position, the tenor should sing it on an open vowel, such as [a],
maintaining the laryngeal position from the [u]. As he approaches E-flat4, he should gently
modify [a] toward a neutral position, which will allow the jaw and tongue to release. The
tenor should focus on the giro sensation on every pitch of this exercise. He should feel the
soft palate lift, the tongue stay forward, and the larynx seated, while directing his breath up
and over the soft palate. If he successfully achieves giro in this way, his focus will be on the
space in the back of his head, but the resulting sound will ring freely in the resonating
cavities in the front of his head. Therefore, the sympathetic resonant vibrations in the front
of his head are indeed an effect, which is dependant on the cause, which is the giro: breath
flowing up turning over the soft palate.

104
Due to the tessitura and melodic contour, “Hébé” consistently requires the tenor to
sing in this technique, which makes the song ideal to help solidify the giro in the tenor’s
muscle memory. In addition to the benefits of giro technique in releasing ringing high notes,
it greatly helps the tenor remove weight and tension and achieve balance in the zona di
passaggio.
Henri Duparc, “Lamento”
Henri Duparc (1848-1933) is regarded as a substantial figure in mélodie despite his
small output of approximately sixteen songs. Many of his songs are in the standard
repertoire, because of the careful detail in which he composed. Duparc is known for his
broad melodies, his subtle elegance, and Wagnerian influences, especially in his orchestrally
inspired accompaniments.61
The poem for “Lamento” is set in a cemetery. Théophile Gautier’s poem had six
stanzas, of which Duparc set three. Kimball states that “soft vowels in the poem produce
resonances that complement the mournful mood: roucoulement, doucement, l’unison, tombe,
l’ombre, colombe.”62 Duparc establishes the mood of the poem with a descending chromatic
motive with a minor chord progression. “Lamento,” therefore exercises the ability to sing a
descending chromatic line in tune and with consistent breath support. The motive is stated
clearly in the piano accompaniment in the opening bars of the piece, and the voice first states
the motive in measures six and seven, as shown in Example 41.
61
Kimball, 169.
62
Kimball, 171.
105
Example 41. Henri Duparc, The French Song Anthology, “Lamento,” mm. 4-7. © 2001 by
In order for the tenor to practice this descending line, he should sing the exercise
shown in Figure 26, which is based on the descending line in Example 41. On each pitch of
the exercise, he should sing through the vowel sequence [i e a o u] as smoothly and quickly
as possible, working for consistency in tone and evenness of ring. By singing through this
sequence, he will be able to identify the sensations of lift near the soft palate and focused ring
on the hard palate, which should be consistent on every vowel. Once focused on those
sensations, he can move through each vowel smoothly without losing his ring when the
vowel shapes change the position of the tongue, lips, or jaw. This technique facilitates the
creation of soft vowels and smooth phrasing, which communicates the mournful mood of the
poem.
Figure 26. Vowel Exercise.

106
Essential to the descending chromatic line is the sensation of “lift” in the tenor’s
voice. If his vowel sensations or palate drop as he descends, he will begin to sing flat and
have the potential to add unwanted tension, especially in the tongue. The tenor may breathe
in the middle of the exercise if necessary. It is important for the tenor to let the descending
line “float,” not allowing the phrase to be “pushed.” Figure 26 is an effective exercise with
which to accomplish this. Once the tenor has sung the vowel sequence in the exercise, he
should sing it on single vowels, based on the text of each phrase in “Lamento.”
Henri Duparc, “Chanson triste,” Op. 2, No. 4
“Chanson triste” is another Duparc song helpful for training the tenor voice. It is not
an appropriate song for a beginning tenor, but worthwhile for an experienced undergraduate.
“Chanson triste” is Duparc’s first mélodie, and it is characterized by an arpeggiated
accompaniment that provides richness that supports a sweeping melodic line. The range is
broad, from C-sharp3 to A4. If the tenor does not have a comfortable C-sharp3, Duparc
provided an alternate melody for that measure, which would make the low range F3. The
tessitura is wide due to the broad melody, around B-flat3 to F4.
Bernac warns the singer not to overemphasize the sentimentality of the poem,
instructing him to sing the high A4 as softly and sweetly as possible: “The feelings of
intimacy which must prevail throughout, the lovers being so close to one another, should
prevent the formidable outbursts of some singers, anxious to achieve a good A—outbursts
entirely out of place in this quiet mélodie.”63 Bernac’s suggestion that the singer rely on his
63
Bernac, 62.
107
interpretation of the poetry to inform his dynamic choices on the high A4 should be taken
seriously and practiced diligently by the tenor.
To accomplish this technical feat, the tenor should start working on this concept on a
lower pitch, such as F-sharp4 or G4, which are both still above the secondo passaggio, but not
to the extent of A4. In this exercise, he should focus entirely on the emotional content of his
text. In this case, Bernac suggests that “hope” is the theme of “Chanson triste.”64 The tenor
should focus on that emotion as he inhales. This will imprint the emotion on his breath. The
tenor then sings the note on [a] for an open and free tone, still focusing on the emotion rather
than technique. The deeper he breathes, the deeper his emotional intent is in his tone.
Likewise, the deeper he breathes, the more his soft palate will lift and the placement of his
tone will be set up correctly; in a way he is breathing into the giro. The reality is that the
tenor will likely use a considerable amount of breath for his high A4. Also, true piano is
difficult if not impossible for a young tenor. In this case he should expect to sing a mezzo
piano or mezzo forte. The resulting dynamic level is less important than the quality of the
tone; if his voice is soft in timbre, it will appear to the audience soft in dynamic. This
exercise may take some time to master, and depending on the ability of tenor. He may have
to practice this idea on an even lower pitch before trying it above the secondo passaggio, and
then work his way up to A4. This technique will also help the tenor sing the A-flat4, which
occurs twice.
64
Ibid.
108
Gabriel Fauré, “Lydia,” 2 mélodies, Op. 4
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) is one of the most influential and prolific composers of
mélodie, and his songs are generally very well suited for tenors. He wrote more than one
hundred songs that can be divided, into three periods. Mostly strophic forms, beautiful
melodies, and simple accompaniments characterize his early songs. These songs show some
kinship to the mélodie composers that came before him, especially Gounod. His second
period shows more refinement, subtlety, and restraint. The second period is also marked by
Fauré’s increasingly complex harmonic language, and fruitful affinity for the poetry of
Verlaine. The third period consists of lesser known but beautiful song cycles.65
“Lydia” is one of Fauré’s finest songs from his early period. It is also one of the most
accessible French mélodies for young tenors, due to its mostly stepwise melody, simple
strophic form, and supportive accompaniment. Fauré makes a “musical pun” by using the
Lydian mode for the song, “Lydia,” which in the original key is F major, with occasional B
naturals that provide the Lydian mode.66 The range is one octave, F3 to F4, and the tessitura
lies near A3 to D4.
The melody in the key of F is very helpful for young tenors, as they begin to be
accustomed to singing near the secondo passaggio. The F4 is approached by a smooth
stepwise melody, and the tenor is not asked to sustain that pitch for longer than an eighth
note. Likewise, the tenor is not asked to sing for prolonged periods in the zona di passaggio.
65
Bernac, 105-106.
66
Kimball, 177.
109
Example 42. Gabriel Fauré, Gabriel Fauré: 50 Songs, “Lydia,” mm. 11-13. © 1995 by Hal
Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
Example 42 shows the phrase in which the tenor sings F4. This phrase is a good
introduction to the idea of giro and vowel modification, as the tenor prepares for the F4 by
turning and opening the preceding notes so that there is not an abrupt change in tone.
Since the melody of “Lydia” is well suited for a young tenor, the melody itself is a
very helpful vocal exercise. The tenor should sing the melody on a single comfortable
vowel, making sure to maintain lift in his soft palate and keep his ring spinning freely,
especially as he negotiates the primo passaggio. He should also sing the melody on the
vowels of the text, so that he can familiarize himself with the French vowels and connect to
the important legato line. Once the tenor has accomplished this, he should be ready to sing
“Lydia” with full text.
Gabriel Fauré, “Nell,” 3 mélodies, Op. 18
“Nell” marks the beginning of Fauré’s second period, which came after a fifteen-year
hiatus from writing mélodies.67 It is a challenging song that would be appropriate for a tenor
67
Kimball, 178.
110
who has made sufficient progress in his technique. The range is F3 to A-flat4, and the
tessitura is high, approximately C4 to E-flat4. The melodic line arches widely, comprised of
mostly stepwise motion. The majority of the song lies between G-flat3 and G-flat4, as shown
in Example 43, which is an example of the primary melodic material for “Nell.”
Example 43. Gabriel Fauré, Gabriel Fauré: 50 Songs, “Nell,” mm. 29-32. © 1995 by Hal
Leonard. Reprinted by permission.
Evenness of scale is important in “Nell,” because of the wide arching melody.
Octave and nine-tone scales, as shown in Figure 27, will help the tenor with this technique.
He should sing the scales on [e] for a balance of bright resonance and forward tongue, at a
moderate tempo while feeling the entire exercise in one large beat without accents. These
scales can be beneficial for agility when sung quickly while feeling the scale “in one,” but
111
when working on evenness of scale, he should move through the scale more deliberately and
without rhythmic accents.
Figure 27. Even Scale Octave Exercise.
Two main concepts will help the tenor achieve evenness of scale in these exercises.
First, he must approach the first pitch with the technique of the higher tessitura. That is to
say, he must sing pitches in the middle of his range as though they are in a light and clear
head voice. This brings a sensation of lift to his middle range, prevents weight as he ascends,
and helps disguise the registration event as he actually transitions through the passaggio.
Second, as the tenor approaches C4 or D-flat4, he must think about giro, allowing the breath
and tone to turn up and over the soft palate so that he has free access to his head voice. He
will likely need to focus on giro again as he sings F4, G-flat4 and A-flat4, so that he maintains
brilliance in his tone and balances breath pressure through the secondo passaggio.
Claude Debussy, “Les cloches,” Romances, L 79
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) is the embodiment of French mélodie style: refinement,
elegance, expressive tone colors, reaction against German Romanticism, and synthesis of
poetry and music. He is a fairly prolific composer, with over eighty songs to his credit. He
112
is regarded as having the keenest sense of “translating poetic nuance into musical
expression,”68 and “creating the mysterious alloy of music and poetry.”69 Debussy achieved
a full synthesis of music and poetry. He was impeccable not only with his prosody, but also
in expressing the mood and atmosphere of the text. He was well known for very detailed
score markings, indicating exactly what he intended the singer and pianist to do. Interpreting
Debussy is therefore “no problem, and it is easy for the singers (as it is also their duty) to
serve the musician first, without betraying the poet.”70
Debussy’s “Les cloches” was published in C-sharp minor in 1891—fifteen years and
nearly twenty songs after his first published song in 1876. Bernac suggests that stylistically,
aesthetically, and poetically, it was likely composed seven or eight years earlier.71 In Marcel
Dietschy’s A Portrait of Claude Debussy, 1886 is the suggested date of composition.72 “Les
cloches” fits with Debussy’s earlier compositional style, before he fully embraced the
Impressionism for which he has become well known.
The range of “Les cloches” is D-sharp3 to G-sharp4 and the tessitura is approximately
A3 to C-sharp4. The first two pages are a moderate level of difficulty, well within reach for
young tenors. Example 44 shows a typical phrase in this section of the song.
68
Kimball, 184.
69
Bernac, 154.
70
Ibid.
71
Bernac, 160.
72
Marcel Dietschy, William Ashbrook and Margaret Cobb, eds. and trans., A
Portrait of Claude Debussy (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), 200.
113
Example 44. Claude Debussy, Douze chants avec acct. de piano, “Les cloches,” mm. 7-10.
© 1946 by Durand. Reprinted by permission.
The most difficult passage of “Les cloches” is the final phrase, in which the tenor
sings a sustained high G-sharp4. Bernac states that the singer “must be able to sing in one
breath and without rushing the tempo, the beautiful curve: ‘Semblaient reverdir les feuilles
fanées’.”73 Singing this long phrase, shown in Example 44, requires the tenor to master his
breath support, and maximize his breath efficiency.
The primary technical issue in Example 45 is the approach to the G-sharp4. As the
tenor sings “Semblaient,” on B3, he should be initiating the giro technique, lifting the vowel
energy up and forward. Another way to think about this interval is to sing the B3 in the
position of how the tenor imagines singing the G-sharp4, which reduces pressure and tension
on the B3 to allow for an easier ascent. In either approach, the breath sets up the success of
the interval; if the breath is taken effectively and wakens sensations of openness around the
soft palate, the tenor’s chances of success increase.
73
Bernac, 161.
114
Example 45. Claude Debussy, Douze chants avec acct. de piano, “Les cloches,” mm. 28-36.
© 1946 by Durand. Reprinted by permission.
To help solidify the tenor’s breath management for “Les cloches,” he should revisit
appoggio exercises discussed in Chapter I to strengthen his technique and then practice
Example 45 in isolation. A helpful approach to this phrase is intoning the text on a single
comfortable pitch with correct rhythms so that the tenor gets a better idea for the pacing
necessary to sustain the entire phrase. Then, the tenor should sing the phrase on [i] to
establish forward resonance, modifying to [I] when necessary. The tenor should focus on
efficiency of tone on his [i] vowel, not allowing any extra air to escape without being turned
into vibrant tone. If the tenor experiences laryngeal elevation as a result of the bright [i]
vowel, he should rely on the appoggio exercises to stabilize his expanded ribcage and
115
comfortably low larynx. Finally, when he sings the phrase with text, his efficiency of tone
and breath management will help the tenor sing the phrase beautifully and in one breath.
Maurice Ravel, “Sainte,” M.9
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) is an important transitional figure in mélodie, between
the styles of Fauré and Debussy, while anticipating the styles of Poulenc and Milhaud. Like
Debussy, Ravel was meticulous in his score markings. He indicated exactly what the singer
and pianist should do with the music. Ravel introduced some innovations to mélodie,
including the use of free verse rather than metered poetry. He also used a conversational
approach to text setting in which Ravel did not set final “e” vowels, which are not
pronounced in spoken French.74
“Sainte” is one of Ravel’s first mélodies, and is representative of his impressionist
style. The poem is about St. Cecelia, the patron saint of music, and Ravel reflects the subject
matter with a syllabic melody above a chordal accompaniment, modal harmonies, as a “slow-
moving chordal texture sustains the liturgical mood.”75
The range of “Sainte” is D3 to A4, and the tessitura is relatively low, A3 to C4.
Despite the low tessitura, “Sainte” is not well suited for young, inexperienced tenors.
Ravel’s impressionist harmonies and complicated rhythmic devices, such as quarter note
triplets, make this song musically difficult. Additionally, as shown in Example 46, the high
A4 is approached with little warning as it jumps out of an otherwise low tessitura phrase,
making it daunting for a tenor who has not established quick and easy access to his high
74
Kimball, 202-203.
75
Kimball, 203.
116
range. However, a young tenor who has already sung a variety of repertoire that exercises A4
will find this song only moderately difficult.
Example 46. Maurice Ravel, Collected Songs, “Sainte,” mm. 11-13. © 2004 by Durand.
The syllabic nature of the melody in “Sainte” makes it a beneficial song for
establishing a light vocal mechanism in the tenor’s middle range. It is a speech-like approach
to singing that does not disrupt the overall sense of legato or phrasing. The articulators must
be relaxed, agile, and responsive, but the breath must be shaping a beautiful phrase. A tenor
may potentially add weight to his middle range if he is not conscious of a sense of lift in his
tone or flexibility in his articulators. If the tenor sings the low tessitura of “Sainte” with a
heavy vocal mechanism, tense articulators, and pressure on the larynx, the high A4 becomes
virtually unmanageable due to the cumulative strain on the voice.
Figure 28 shows an exercise helpful in executing this speech-like technique. The
tenor should sing this vocalise at a slow tempo and as legato as possible, while gently
forming a soft “d” with the tip of his tongue to subdivide the rhythmic pulse. The [a] vowel
should not lose any height or timbre as the “d” is pronounced. This exercise helps the
117
articulators, specifically the tongue, work effectively without detracting from the integrity of
the vowel.
Figure 28. Articulator Exercise.
The tenor will find a vowel shape that rings open and free, while letting the tongue
form the “d,” which is a delicate balance. Once the tenor discovers this balance, he will be
able to allow his articulators to move freely while keeping consistent legato in his phrase.
Other vowel and consonant combinations can be substituted after the “da” is exercised. This
technique facilitates good tone production with clear diction.

118
CONCLUSION
The tenor voice is uniquely difficult to teach. Technical precision is required for a
tenor to withstand the vocal demands of his repertoire. Through careful repertoire selection
of art songs, voice teachers can guide a tenor to a reliable technique that will allow him to
sing with beauty and longevity. By identifying specific passages of music in the tenor’s
repertoire, pedagogical concerns such as passaggio, vowel modification, appoggio, giro,
chiaroscuro, tessitura, and agility are addressed in the song learning process.
As a voice teacher working on this project, I have observed that incorporating the
ideas set forth in this project into my lessons has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of
my teaching. In this project, I created specific vocalises based on important melodic
passages of the repertoire. In this way the student is able to concentrate on technique while
learning a portion of the song, rather than singing typical five-tone scales, triads, or arpeggios
that do not directly aid in the song learning process. Additionally, singing those specific
vocalises helps solidify the muscle memory involved in repetitive practice of the song.
This project has been designed to be complimentary to the generalized vocal
pedagogy books that are used in typical vocal pedagogy classes, as well as to generalized
repertoire guides. Furthermore, the approach laid out in this project can be applied to all
other voice types. I would like to continue this research into other voice types, which would
lead to a comprehensive and pedagogically based art song repertoire guide.

119
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124
APPENDIX A
SONGS ORGANIZED BY PEDAGOGICAL GOALS
Although every song includes a wide variety of technical demands that need to be
addressed, the following lists provide guidance in repertoire selection based on specific
pedagogical goals. The songs are listed alphabetically and the page number refers to where
the song is discussed in this essay. The composer name and larger work if applicable are also
included for reference.
Appoggio
Abendempfindung, pg. 69 Lamento, pg. 104

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Henri Duparc
Aus alten Märchen winkt es, pg. 87 Nell, pg, 109
Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48 Gabriel Fauré’s 3 mélodies, Op. 18
Black is the color of my true love’s hair, pg. 64 No longer mourn for me, pg. 49
John Jacob Niles Hubert Parry
Chanson triste, pg. 106 Nocturne, pg. 98
Henri Duparc’s Op. 2, No. 4 César Franck
Les cloches, pg. 111 Per pietà, bell’idol mio, pg. 34
Claude Debussy’s Romances, L79 Vincenzo Bellini’s Sei Ariette
Dolente immagine di Fille mia, pg. 30 Pietà Signore, pg. 25
Vincenzo Bellini’s Tre Ariette Alessandro Stradella, attr.
Das Fischermädchen, pg. 79 Plaisir d’amour, pg. 96
Franz Schubert’s Schwanengesang, D. 957 Jean Paul Martini
Go, Lovely Rose, pg. 51 The Salley Gardens, pg. 60
Roger Quilter Benjamin Britten’s Folksong Arrangements
Her Temple, pg. 57 Sonntag, pg. 91
Gerald Finzi’s A Young Man’s Exhortation Johannes Brahms’ Fünf Lieder, Op. 47
Ideale, 36 Vaga luna, che inargenti, pg. 32
Francesco Paolo Tosti Vincenzo Bellini’s Tre Ariette
Der Kuss, pg. 72 Vaghissima sembianza, pg. 41
Ludwig van Beethoven Stefano Donaudy
125
Passaggio
Abendempfindung, pg. 69 Nell, pg, 109

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Gabriel Fauré’s 3 mélodies, Op. 18
Aus alten Märchen winkt es, pg. 87 Nocturne, pg. 98
Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48 César Franck
Chanson triste, pg. 106 O come, O come, my dearest, pg. 47
Henri Duparc’s Op. 2, No. 4 Thomas Arne’s The Fall of Phaeton
The Daisies, pg. 62 O mistress mine, pg. 54
Samuel Barber’s 3 Songs, Op. 2 Roger Quilter’s 3 Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6
Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile, pg. 28 Pietà Signore, pg. 25
Francesco Durante Alessandro Stradella, attr.
Das Fischermädchen, pg. 79 Plaisir d’amour, pg. 96
Franz Schubert’s Schwanengesang, D. 957 Jean Paul Martini
Halt!, pg. 77 The Salley Gardens, pg. 60
Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795 Benjamin Britten’s Folksong Arrangements
Hébé, pg. 101 La Serenata, pg. 38
Ernest Chausson’s 7 mélodies, Op. 2 Francesco Paolo Tosti
Hey, ho, the wind and the rain, pg. 56 Vaga luna, che inargenti, pg. 32
Roger Quilter’s 5 Shakespeare Songs, Op. 23 Vincenzo Bellini’s Tre Ariette
I’ll sail upon the Dog Star, pg. 44 Vaghissima sembianza, pg. 41
Henry Purcell’s The Fools Preferment, Z. 571 Stefano Donaudy
Lydia, pg. 108 Wehmut, pg. 82
Gabriel Fauré’s 2 mélodies, Op. 4 Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39
Madrigal, pg. 100 Wohin?, pg. 75
Vincent d’Indy’s Op. 4 Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795
126
Giro
Aus alten Märchen winkt es, pg. 87 Lydia, pg. 108

Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48 Gabriel Fauré’s 2 mélodies, Op. 4
Black is the color of my true love’s hair, pg. 64 Nell, pg, 109
John Jacob Niles Gabriel Fauré’s 3 mélodies, Op. 18
Chanson triste, pg. 106 No longer mourn for me, pg. 49
Henri Duparc’s Op. 2, No. 4 Hubert Parry
Les cloches, pg. 111 O mistress mine, pg. 54
Claude Debussy’s Romances, L79 Roger Quilter’s 3 Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6
Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile, pg. 28 Pietà Signore, pg. 25
Francesco Durante Alessandro Stradella, attr.
Der Kuss, pg. 72 Plaisir d’amour, pg. 96
Ludwig van Beethoven Jean Paul Martini
Go, Lovely Rose, pg. 51 Sainte, pg. 115
Roger Quilter Maurice Ravel, M.9
Halt!, pg. 77 The Salley Gardens, pg. 60
Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795 Benjamin Britten’s Folksong Arrangements
Hébé, pg. 101 Vaga luna, che inargenti, pg. 32
Ernest Chausson’s 7 mélodies, Op. 2 Vincenzo Bellini’s Tre Ariette
Her Temple, pg. 57 Vaghissima sembianza, pg. 41
Gerald Finzi’s A Young Man’s Exhortation Stefano Donaudy
Hey, ho, the wind and the rain, pg. 56 Waldesgespräch, pg. 82
Roger Quilter’s 5 Shakespeare Songs, Op. 23 Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39
I’ll sail upon the Dog Star, pg. 44
Henry Purcell’s The Fools Preferment, Z. 571
Tessitura
Abendempfindung, pg. 69 No longer mourn for me, pg. 49

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Hubert Parry
Aus alten Märchen winkt es, pg. 87 Nocturne, pg. 98
Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48 César Franck
Black is the color of my true love’s hair, pg. 64 Pietà Signore, pg. 25
John Jacob Niles Alessandro Stradella, attr.
Chanson triste, pg. 106 Plaisir d’amour, pg. 96
Henri Duparc’s Op. 2, No. 4 Jean Paul Martini
Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile, pg. 28 The Salley Gardens, pg. 60
Francesco Durante Benjamin Britten’s Folksong Arrangements
Hébé, pg. 101 Toglietemi la vita ancor, pg. 27
Ernest Chausson’s 7 mélodies, Op. 2 Alessandro Scarlatti’s Pompeo
Her Temple, pg. 57 Vaga luna, che inargenti, pg. 32
Gerald Finzi’s A Young Man’s Exhortation Vincenzo Bellini’s Tre Ariette
Nell, pg, 109
Gabriel Fauré’s 3 mélodies, Op. 18
127
Agility
Aus alten Märchen winkt es, pg. 87 O come, O come, my dearest, pg. 47
Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48 Thomas Arne’s The Fall of Phaeton
Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile, pg. 28 Per pietà, bell’idol mio, pg. 34
Francesco Durante Vincenzo Bellini’s Sei Ariette
Der Kuss, pg. 72 Rosa del ciel, pg. 23
Ludwig van Beethoven Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo
Halt!, pg. 77 Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube, die Sonne, pg. 85
Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795 Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Hey, ho, the wind and the rain, pg. 56 Sainte, pg. 115
Roger Quilter’s 5 Shakespeare Songs, Op. 23 Maurice Ravel’s M.9
I’ll sail upon the Dog Star, pg. 44 La Serenata, pg. 38
Henry Purcell’s The Fools Preferment, Z. 571 Francesco Paolo Tosti
Lamento, pg. 104 Toglietemi la vita ancor, pg. 27
Henri Duparc Alessandro Scarlatti’s Pompeo
Nell, pg, 109 Waldesgespräch, pg. 82
No longer mourn for me, pg. 49 Wohin?, pg. 75
Hubert Parry Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, D. 795
Legato
Abendempfindung, pg. 69 Nocturne, pg. 98

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart César Franck
Black is the color of my true love’s hair, pg. 64 Per pietà, bell’idol mio, pg. 34
John Jacob Niles Vincenzo Bellini’s Sei Ariette
Les cloches, pg. 111 Pietà Signore, pg. 25
Claude Debussy’s Romances, L79 Alessandro Stradella, attr.
Dolente immagine di Fille mia, pg. 30 Plaisir d’amour, pg. 96
Vincenzo Bellini’s Tre Ariette Jean Paul Martini
Das Fischermädchen, pg. 79 Sainte, pg. 115
Franz Schubert’s Schwanengesang, D. 957 Maurice Ravel’s M.9
Go, Lovely Rose, pg. 51 The Salley Gardens, pg. 60
Roger Quilter Benjamin Britten’s Folksong Arrangements
Her Temple, pg. 57 Sonntag, pg. 91
Gerald Finzi’s A Young Man’s Exhortation Johannes Brahms’ Fünf Lieder, Op. 47
Lamento, pg. 104 Vaghissima sembianza, pg. 41
Henri Duparc Stefano Donaudy
Lydia, pg. 108 Wehmut, pg. 84
Madrigal, pg. 100
Vincent d’Indy’s Op. 4

Art Songs For Tenor - A Pedagogical Analysis of Art Songs For The PDF

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Art songs for tenor : a pedagogical analysis of art

Copyright 2012 Adam Webb

This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3401

Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

Part of the Music Commons

Adam Michael Webb

An essay submitted in partial fulfillment

Essay Supervisor: Associate Professor John Muriello

This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of

Adam Michael Webb

has been approved by the Examining Committee

Essay Committee: __________________________________

I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis committee: Stephen Swanson,

tireless help with this project and throughout this degree.

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES .................................................................................vi

Claudio Monteverdi, “Rosa del ciel,” L’Orfeo............................................. 23

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Abendempfindung” ...................................... 69

Jean Paul Martini, “Plaisir d’amour” ........................................................... 96

Figure 24: Articulation Exercise .................................................................................... 90

specific point of view.

specific pedagogical questions. I discovered that I needed to supplement my voice training

with nuanced understandings of tenor pedagogy.

“guts and intelligence.”3

advanced undergraduate tenors.

typical teacher of undergraduate tenors likely possesses a working knowledge of vocal

repertoire he should sing to progress and fulfill his potential.

pedagogical value and then translate it to the voice studio.

students select repertoire based on voice type.

focused analysis of carefully chosen repertoire for the tenor voice.

Repertoire selection is extremely important for young tenors because inappropriate

specifically helpful for achieving particular pedagogical goals.

BASICS OF TENOR PEDAGOGY AND DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following discussion of tenor pedagogy is meant to supplement the information

knowledge of his instrument.

appoggio breathing is a necessity.

fullness in the torso and neck.

executed at a moderate tempo, in a comfortable pitch range, on [a]. The emphasis is on

which provides the physical support of the appoggio technique.

fourth, and is known as the zona di passaggio.7

Consequently, a “mixed” voice is achieved in the zona di passaggio, as the opposing

nearly exclusively the cricothyroid muscle.8

react to ever-changing demands. A dynamic balance between opposing muscular forces

tessitura lies in a range where vowel modification is necessary. Vowel modification is

in the shape of the resonator tract.”10

achieve consistent timbre.

Modification toward a more open vowel is to be used to address a narrow or excessively

Vowel Modification Exercises

melodic exercises are adapted from Miller’s Training Tenor Voices.

ascends past the secondo passaggio.

individual vocal tract resonances.

practice vowel modification and consistent timbre.

A combination of the ideas of vowel modification and appoggio is the historical

healthy, only then the voice strikes in the mask.”16

freedom through passaggi points.

past the secondo passaggio.

in his problem areas.

these tessitura exercises takes time and should not be rushed.

The exercise in Figure 5 is designed to establish a consistent resonance between the

chances are slim for a successful tone above the passaggio.

and above the secondo passaggio.

and work his way up to E4 as he masters the technique.