The Pedagogical Value and Vocal Challenges of Tenor Solo Parts from the Baroque Period to the 20th Century: Take Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation and Mendelssohn’s Elijah as Examples
Journal: Arts Studies and Criticism DOI: 10.32629/asc.v7i1.4942
Abstract
An oratorio is a large-scale vocal work composed of a solo, chorus, and orchestra. It is similar to opera, including recitative and aria, but does not include stage performances and costumes and focuses more on the expression of music. Oratorio’s works are usually based on religious and historical themes, especially popular in the Baroque period. Oratorio is one of the important musical forms that singers must learn, containing rich musical elements and historical content. Oratorio’s works from different periods have different historical backgrounds and composition techniques. Learning oratorios from different periods can help singers improve their singing skills and understanding of music, laying a solid foundation for learning other vocal works. This paper will focus on the tenor solo parts in three oratorios from different periods: Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and explain the reasons for choosing these works. In addition, this paper will analyze the difficulties of light lyric tenor singing and teaching and provide corresponding guidance.
Keywords
Felix Mendelssohn; George Frideric Handel; Joseph Haydn; vocal pedagogy; oratorio
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Mendelssohn’s Elijah: A Theologically-Informed Approach.” DMA diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2015.
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DMA diss., California State University, Long Beach, 2003.
[16]Temperley, Nicholas. Haydn: The Creation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511620102.
[17] Williams, Ralph Vaughan. Hodie. ed. Tony Lee Garner. Amazon Web Services, 1992.
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