In four-part choral writing close harmony is preferable, otherwise the upper part will be in too high a register and the range of the bottom part too low.
Examples:
Sadko 17—Male chorus.
Ivan the Terrible, Act II 36-38—Female chorus (cf. [Ex. 296]).
Distribution in two parts which is generally polyphonic does not call for any special remarks; the same may be said of chorus in unison.
Examples:
| Sadko 50—Male chorus. | ||
| Mlada, beginning of Act I. | } | Female chorus. |
| Ivan the Terrible, Act III 13-15. | ||
| Servilia 26. | ||
If male and female choruses are handled in a purely harmonic manner close part writing should be adopted. This is the only way to secure proper balance of tone in chords given to voices of the same kind. Successions of chords in three parts are more frequent than those in four; sometimes a series of chords is practicable only in two parts.
Examples:
Snegourotchka 19—Chorus of Birds.