Between Speech and Song: Aspects of Hybrid Voice in Opera and Their Application in the Original Opera "The Fall of the House of Commons"

Abstract

This dissertation examines the concept and utility of in-between vocal phenomena in opera through analytical and artistic research. The term hybrid voice is introduced to describe vocal enunciations that traverse the boundary between speech and song—two physiologically and anthropologically distinct modes of vocal production. To facilitate systematic analysis, a hybrid vocal spectrum is developed, enabling different types of enunciation to be situated along a continuous scale.

The study analyses five case studies that exemplarily demonstrate key parameters for the use of hybrid voice in opera. As part of artistic research, particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between compositional intention and artistic outcome, drawing on composers’ writings, statements, manuscripts, recordings, and score analysis as primary sources.

First, the use of hybrid voice as a central compositional tool in Wozzeck and Die Soldaten is examined. From this analysis, a set of analytical categories is derived, encompassing symbolic and semantic functions—such as the articulation of social and psychological states, perspectival shifts, religious connotations, and leitmotivic roles—as well as textural and structural aspects.

The next chapter addresses performative practices that extend beyond notation, including the Weill/Brecht Song in Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny and the stylised narration in Robert Ashley’s TV opera Dust. A methodological approach to the analysis of rehearsal processes and recorded performances is developed.

The thesis concludes with the application of the developed analytical framework—encompassing both notational and performance-related aspects—to the author’s own opera, The Fall of the House of Commons, demonstrating how hybrid vocal techniques can be systematically employed and adapted within an original compositional context.