I recently received a letter from an opera director about a female singer who sings tenor in the chorus. Not mezzo or alto, but tenor. Why would someone do this, the writer asked.
I have seen this only once before, a female cantor in a conservative synagogue who was asked to try to sound like a man, since the congregation was used to hearing male cantors. As for other similar situations, I can only speculate as to the pragmatic reasons or psychological motives—possibly even physical aptitude—involved, I am certainly interested in finding out from other singers how prevalent this might be, and why.
This subject opens Pandora’s box: How do singers select their Fach—or does the Fach select the singer? We see many singers who sing (and persist in singing!) what appears, ultimately, to be the wrong Fach. I would like to list some of the cases I have seen, and discuss the physical implications to the larynx.
Quite often, I see young singers of high school age whose choral director assigned them to the second soprano, mezzo, or alto part. This assignment may be based on the needs of the moment, but sometimes the label sticks. For those high schoolers who pursue singing after graduation, this initial triaging of the voice may have implications that continue for years. Many of these “altos” or “mezzos” grow up to be underdeveloped and undiscovered sopranos. It is not until they (ideally!) come to work with an experienced teacher that they find and develop the top of their voices—and the swans emerge. For singers who pursue musical theatre, this upper range may never be developed completely, as they come to rely on the belt, rather than a true, seamlessly integrated head voice.
There are two issues here. One is often the high school music teacher who arbitrarily assigns children to choral parts. My wife, a professional cellist, was assigned her instrument in high school simply because she was tall. The potential consequences of such selection are obviously even greater for the voice.
The more important issue is recognizing that the voice at puberty does not spring, like Athena from the brow of Zeus, fully developed from the mouth of the young singer. Although the changes to the larynx and respiratory system are most dramatic at puberty, the voice continues to develop and define itself for years to come, sometimes throughout the entire professional life span of the singer. Not being a vocal teacher myself, I can only envy those of you who coax and develop these voices, watching them open, each an unknown, exotic and beautiful flower.
The second group of miscast Fachs are those who develop different parts of the voice at a different rate. They often concentrate on their early strengths, such as the middle and low voice, and begin singing a mezzo repertoire, neglecting the unmined potential at the top. To label them “lazy sopranos” is not fair: We all enjoy what we do well, what reinforces us. Another reason given for being a soprano in mezzo’s clothing is that mezzos seemingly have more job opportunities: They may not get the man, but they get the part!
As these “soprano manqués” continue into the serious mezzo repertoire, however, they may find that an absence of high notes is not enough—you need the low notes as well! Vocal strain, excess muscle tension, and eventually, swollen vocal folds may develop as they try to push. Once a soprano singing a heavier repertoire develops nodules, she may lose the top of her range and again reinforce to herself the misdiagnosis of mezzo-hood. The treatment here, obviously, is voice therapy and technical retooling, rather than Fach reassignment.
The male version of misdirected effort falls into two groups: the high baritones who want to be tenors, and the low baritones with delusions of “bassitude.” I often find in these singers that the speaking voice gives a good, if unintended, clue to the true Fach. A good baritone’s speaking voice is rich, round and resonant. Baritones with “tenor envy” often speak in a high voice, or even a head voice, to disguise their true range. Such patients often have excess laryngeal tension, and a pinkish, inflamed appearance to the vocal folds. The low baritones on the other hand may try to further lower their voice by affecting a basso growl. This also causes excess friction to the vocal folds; it may change the color of the voice, but doesn’t extend its downward range.
Why do singers try to fit their voice into a range that is not appropriate? We already alluded to the main pragmatic reason: perceived job opportunities. There is however a whole psychological aspect to such misdirection, a mismatch between the vocal instrument and the singer’s self-image. Not being a psychiatrist, I cannot speculate on the reasons, but it might make an interesting article for a future issue of CS.
From a laryngological point of view, however, I can only say that the anatomy of the body implies a certain vocal potential for range and color. Developing this potential to the maximum, singing freely with minimal effort, should be the voyage traveled by all singers, regardless of where the road may lead.
Disclaimer: The suggestions given by Dr. Jahn in these columns are for general information only, and are not to be construed as specific medical advice or advocating specific treatment, which should be obtained only following a visit and consultation with your own physician.
