Definition

Noun: A style of dramatic vocalization that lies between singing and speaking. It is a technique used in vocal music where the performer uses specified rhythms and approximate pitches, creating a speech-like melodic contour rather than sustaining pure musical notes.

Usage

"Sprechstimme" is a specialized term used primarily in the context of musicology and performance, especially concerning 20th-century classical music. It describes a specific notated vocal technique.

Examples

• The composer's instructions called for the singer to use sprechstimme in the emotionally intense passage.
• Arnold Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" is famous for its extensive use of sprechstimme.
• Mastering sprechstimme requires precise control to hover between speech and song.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often associated with the Second Viennese School composers, such as Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern.
• It is sometimes referred to as "Sprechgesang," though some scholars make subtle distinctions between the two terms, with "Sprechstimme" implying a more speech-like and "Sprechgesang" a more song-like approach.

Variants and Related Words

• Sprechgesang (noun): A closely related German term often used interchangeably with "sprechstimme" to mean "speech-song."

Synonyms

• Speech-song
• Parlando (in a broader, sometimes less specific, musical context)

Different Meanings

The word "sprechstimme" does not have other common meanings outside its specific musical definition. It is a loanword from German, literally meaning "speech-voice."

Idioms/Phrasal Verbs

This is a specific technical noun and is not used in idioms or phrasal verbs.

Noun

1. a style of dramatic vocalization between singing and speaking