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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. What is missing in current literature, and what this project addresses, is a pedagogically focused analysis of carefully chosen set of art song repertoire for the tenor voice.
This project aids teachers and young tenors in technique and repertoire selection by identifying 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 better equipped to select appropriate art song repertoire beyond those songs presented in this project and address vocal technique through the song learning process.
The body of the dissertation begins with a discussion of pedagogical areas in which the tenor's technique is most distinct from other voice parts including: passaggio, vowel modification, appoggio, giro, chiaroscuro, tessitura, and agility. A brief introduction of each song will include stylistic information on the piece and analysis of the song including range, tessitura, level of difficulty, and vocal demands. I will then discuss specific examples of difficult melodic passages, or phrases that are of pedagogical value and offer specific exercises that can aid the tenor in the song learning process. The information discussed in each song provides a starting point for further repertoire selection beyond this project by introducing the teacher and tenor to composers, collections, or cycles that logically supplement the list of selected repertoire.