Investigating the Voce Faringea: Physiological and Acoustic Characteristics of the Bel Canto Tenor's Forgotten Singing Practice

A Comparison of Countertenor Singing at Various Professional Levels Using Acoustic, Electroglottographic, and Videofluoroscopic Methods

INTRODUCTION

The vocal characteristics of countertenors (CTTs) are poorly understood due to a lack of studies in this field. This study aims to explore differences among CTTs at various professional levels, examining both disparities and congruences in singing styles to better understand the CTT voice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four CTTs (one student, one amateur, and two professionals) sang "La giustizia ha già sull'arco" from Handel's Giulio Cesare, with concurrent videofluoroscopic, electroglottography (EGG), and acoustic data collection. Auditory-perceptual analysis was employed to rate professional level. Acoustic analysis included LH1-LH2, formant cluster prominence, and vibrato analysis. EGG data was analyzed using FonaDyn software, while anatomical modifications were quantified using videofluoroscopic images.

RESULTS

CTTs exhibited EGG contact quotient values surpassing typical levels for inexperienced falsettos. Their vibrato characteristics aligned with expectations for classical singing, whereas the presence of the singer's formant was not observed. Variations in supraglottic adjustments among CTTs underscored the diversity of techniques employed by CTT singers.

CONCLUSIONS

CTTs exhibited vocal techniques that highlighted the influence of individual preferences, professional experience, and stylistic choices in shaping their singing characteristics. The data revealed discernible differences between professional and amateur CTTs, providing insights into the impact of varying levels of experience on vocal expression.

The Non-Coalescence of /h/ and Incomplete Neutralization in South Jeolla Korean

This study examines articulatory and acoustic data in order to investigate the non-coalescence of /h/ in South Jeolla. Seoul Korean speakers produce /pap/ "rice" followed by /hana/ "one" as [pa.p^ha.na] with the coalescence of /p/ and /h/; this is called an aspiration merger. In South Jeolla Korean, this merger may be blocked, as in cases where speakers produce /pap+hana/ as [pa.ba.na]. Electroglottographic (EGG) data indicate the existence of two groups of South Jeolla speakers: one that merges the plosive and /h/ (the merger group), and the other with the canonical South Jeolla Korean pronunciation that does not merge the two consonants (the non-merger group). The production of non-coalesced lenis stops in the non-merger group is phonetically comparable with an underlying lenis stop produced by both of the groups. However, in the non-merger group, the open quotient (OQ) of a vowel following a non-coalesced lenis stop is higher (breathier) than that of an underlying lenis stop. Spectral tilt results display a similarly increased breathiness when the vowel follows a non-coalesced lenis stop. As for the non-merger group of South Jeolla, we argue that speakers display incomplete neutralization such that the non-merger group produces two types of voiced lenis stops differing in the phonation of the following vowel. These findings suggest that previous phonological analyses that posit the /h/-deletion in the non-merger group of South Jeolla Korean need to be revisited.