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Discovering Bach's Altos

Abstract Details

2018, DMA, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music: Conducting, Choral Emphasis.
This document seeks to uncover identifying characteristics of the alto voices Johann Sebastian Bach might have encountered at Muhlhausen, Weimar, Cothen, and Leipzig, and provide vocal casting recommendations for the alto voice in modern performances of Bach’s music. Using range and voice type as primary identifiers, this study combines secondary scholarship with analyses from original source material in order to provide sung range expectations of alto voices in works associated with each of Bach’s abovementioned professional positions. This document also employs secondary source material in order to seek an answer to whether Bach used women, boys (unchanged voices), or men (falsettists), and if he used the latter, whether they sang in falsetto throughout or with a mix of head and chest voice. This information concerning voice type and technique combined with actual range requirements is compared to the identifying ranges and characteristics of modern mezzo-sopranos, contraltos, and countertenors in order to provide ideal vocal casting recommendations for contemporary performances of Bach’s music.
Earl Rivers, D.M.A. (Committee Chair)
L. Brett Scott, D.M.A. (Committee Member)
Michael Unger, D.M.A. (Committee Member)
84 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Knodle, A. (2018). Discovering Bach's Altos [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1542723597865471

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Knodle, Aaron. Discovering Bach's Altos. 2018. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1542723597865471.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Knodle, Aaron. "Discovering Bach's Altos." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1542723597865471

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)