Category talk:Solo vocal music

From ChoralWiki

A little quidance on using these voicing categories and sub-categories would be helpful....

1. Would every "solo" work would get a category of "High Voice", "Medium Voice" or "Low Voice" ?
2. Can we define what is the difference between "Solo Baritone" and "Solo Bass"
3. What about Solo Messo-Soprano ?
4. What is "Solo STTB", and if we have that don't we need all the rest ? ( "Solo SATB", etc, etc )
5. Shouldn't duets be in a separate category ?
6. Does the category "Solo ST" nean a duet, or one solo part followed by another ?
7. Don't we have something better for Henry Purcell's solo works than calling it an "Art Song" ? Johnhenryfowler 01:50, 23 June 2008 (PDT)

Hi John. I've numbered your questions so that hopefully it will be easier to work out what I'm talking about.

1. So far, I haven't been labeling every solo work with these cats. My rationale has been to label works that could be for male or female voice Category:Solo high, Category:Solo medium or Category:Solo low and those works that are definitely for one or the other as Category:Solo Soprano, Category:Solo Tenor, etc.
2. On the subject of baritone or bass, soprano or mezzo soprano, a lot of my decision is made on the basis of tessitura. Whilst range is obviously important (one can't expect basses to sing top "g"s or altos top "a"s), tessitura is also very important. I would put bass range as from bottom e to top f, though if the solo hovers around the top of the range, it's a baritone solo. However, if there's a bottom e and a top e in the solo, it's for a bass 'cos a baritone couldn't sing the bottom e. Hopefully that makes some sense.
3. Yeah, we probably need a cat for mezzos.
4. "Solo STTB" means exactly what it says on the category page - this work includes four soloists, one soprano, two tenors and one bass. We do need the rest of the possible combinations but only if they're actually used.
5. No. If you want to find a duet for tenor and bass, look under Category:Solo TB. If you want a soprano, tenor and bass trio, look under Category:Solo STB...
6. Could be either or both.
7. I agree we need a better description. Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions...

--Bobnotts talk 20:03, 27 June 2008 (PDT)