Between speech and song : aspects of hybrid voice in twentieth-century German opera / Orestis Papaioannou

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Papaioannou, Orestis, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in musical theatre

Cambridge elements. Elements in musical theatre, 2631-6528

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Opera--Germany--20th century.

Opera.

Singing--Germany--History--20th century.

Singing.

Germany.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Summary:

"At the turn of the twentieth century, operatic singing in the German-speaking world remained deeply influenced by the Italian tradition, which implied a lyrical vocal style that prioritised technical precision, tonal beauty, and expressive clarity. From the 1910s onward, composers increasingly and systematically explored vocal techniques that blurred the boundary between speech and song, referred to here as the 'hybrid voice'. These approaches emerged from a complex interplay of symbolic, aesthetic, political, and philosophical influences and reflect a search for more diverse and individualised modes of vocal expression. This Element examines the hybrid voice in four seminal works of German modernism: Alban Berg's Wozzeck, Kurt Weill's Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten, and Adriana Hölszky's Bremer Freiheit. By situating each work within its historical and stylistic context, it traces a broader musical trajectory in German opera from expressionism and new objectivity to the postwar avant-garde"-- Cambridge Core

Contents:

Interwar period

The postwar period

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed June 2, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Papaioannou, Orestis Between speech and song

ISBN:

9781009676571

1009676571

9781009676595

1009676598

OCLC:

1585501531

Publisher Number:

CIPO000365839

CIPO000381778

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license