Advice to Singers

by Frederick James Crowest

Soprano, and Tenore-Leggiero, and in operatic music a certain kind of Tenore-Robusto.		from
		[Listen]
		to
		[Listen]
Mezzo-Soprano and Tenore-Robusto		from
		[Listen]
		to
		[Listen]
Mezzo-Contralto and Barytone		from
		[Listen]
		to
		[Listen]
Contralto and Bass		from
		[Listen]
		to
		[Listen]

The basso-cantante is a low barytone, or high bass with a lighter quality of tone than the basso-profondo. The alto voice, or counter-tenor as it used to be called, is not a natural voice at all, but is artificially produced by training the falsetto to the exclusion of the other parts of the voice. It is totally distinct from the contralto voice of a female, in quality, average compass, and the style of music best suited to it. It is of more use in part-singing and cathedral music than for solo work, although in some oratorios solo parts have been allotted to it. It is rarely pleasing when heard alone, for very few alto singers are able to avoid the appearance of singing with effort; and the whole performance, except in some instances, appears unnatural and forced. The alto voice ranges generally

but its best notes are confined to the octave of B flat.		from
		[Listen]
		to
		[Listen]

Soprano.—The soprano is generally clear, bright, and penetrating in tone; capable, if rightly produced, of "carrying" far without any appearance of force or effort. Its lower register is often weak and ineffective, and the forcing of those notes by a bad singer often damages the voice, and spoils the evenness of tone, which is of far more importance than power and noise in singing. Low notes, even if naturally weak, may be trained to take their proper share of the work of the voice, and every year will add to their natural power. Most soprano voices have a "break" on

[Listen]

and another, and more difficult one to deal with, on

[Listen]