In Praise of the Female Tenor
“The only thing that stands in the way of an opera career for me is the fact that they don’t let female tenors perform on stage.”
–Bally Prell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KqbLQ1BWSE
Meet Bally Prell.
Prell was a Volkssänger; these were versatile musicians who performed mostly comic acts in lowbrow venues from roughly the middle of the 19th century through the 1970s. Her signature song, “The Beauty Queen from Schneizlreuth,” derives its comedic force from the fact that it is sung in a clarion tenor by a woman who does not meet traditional beauty standards. Problematic as it is, the song earned her fame overnight–she performed this role for nearly thirty years to the delight of audiences. But in the recording above, there is no farce: only clear, even, and honest singing in a tenor register.
Here’s another.
Female Baritone (I've got a secret, 1960)
Hallbjörg Bjarnadóttir’s remarkably wide range allowed her to perform convincingly as a soprano, tenor, baritone, or bass. This rendition of “Old Man River” features a Bb2 with a surprisingly rich and unaffected timbre. It also features laughter, and lots of it.
I get it. The 60s were hardly a time for open-mindedness surrounding gender, and perhaps being laughed at is better than being booed–especially when the former also involves getting paid (For as the prophetess spake: Girls, get your money. Amen).
Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel these forms of musical expression are more than just a punchline. These voices have every right to a place in “serious” repertoire; if the sounds a singer makes are delivered with beauty and honesty, they deserve to be listened to for what they have to say.
But of course, we’re splitting hairs here. After all, voices with these capabilities are exceedingly rare. Most women could never make these sounds, right..?
...Right?
Honestly? I don’t know.
I have heard numerous assigned female voices singing C3s. One of my female colleagues at NEC comfortably sang an A2. My voice hard stops at about A♭2.
Listen, I’m not here to deny facts. I know testosterone puberty results in the development of an enlarged larynx, resulting in a lower voice.
I also know that testosterone puberty generally results in AMAB persons growing taller than AFAB persons. I’m about 5’8”, 5’9”. I know plenty of women who are taller than me. The world accepts tall women–those bodies may be marginalized at times, but that some women are sometimes taller than some men is undeniable fact. But somehow, I’m meant to believe that the deepest contralto’s voice will still be significantly higher than the highest tenor’s?
I call bullshit. Fach was never about physiology–it’s about gender performance.
I’m a man. I sing alto. My voice has always been happier in this range, and I am grateful that pioneers like Alfred Deller and Russell Oberlin paved the way for my voice to be considered valid in the world of classical music.
It’s time we made space for the female tenor.
Stay Honest, Stay You.
–Lucas