tenor
tenor (from It. tenore, ‘holding’).
1. Highest normal male v., its name deriving from medieval times when it was the v. which carried the plainsong or other cantus firmus while other vv. sang a counterpoint. Range from C below middle C, upwards for 2 octaves. There are various categories of ten., e.g. tenor di forza, heroic ten., as for Verdi's Otello; tenor di grazia, lyrical ten., as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore; tenor robusto, powerful ten., as Manrico in Il trovatore; tenor spinto, forceful lyric ten., as Rodolfo in La bohème; see also countertenor and Heldentenor.
2. Name given to certain instr. deemed to be equivalent in range, etc., of ten. v., e.g. ten. sax., ten. tuba, etc.
3. The va.
1. Highest normal male v., its name deriving from medieval times when it was the v. which carried the plainsong or other cantus firmus while other vv. sang a counterpoint. Range from C below middle C, upwards for 2 octaves. There are various categories of ten., e.g. tenor di forza, heroic ten., as for Verdi's Otello; tenor di grazia, lyrical ten., as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore; tenor robusto, powerful ten., as Manrico in Il trovatore; tenor spinto, forceful lyric ten., as Rodolfo in La bohème; see also countertenor and Heldentenor.
2. Name given to certain instr. deemed to be equivalent in range, etc., of ten. v., e.g. ten. sax., ten. tuba, etc.
3. The va.
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tenor