Tenor
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A tenor is a man with a high voice. In opera tenors are usually the heroes. A “Heldentenor” (German for “hero tenor”) is someone with a big tenor for heroic parts like the tenor parts in most of Wagner’s operas. Tenors like Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo or Roberto Alagno are heroic tenors.
Some tenors have lighter, more lyrical voices. Peter Pears, who sang the tenor solos in Benjamin Britten’s operas, had a lyrical tenor voice.
In four-part choir music the tenor will be the third line down, between alto and bass. It is usually written in the treble clef, but will sound an octave lower than written.
