A study of the “i” vowel on tenor passaggio in the aria “Una furtiva lagrima” by Gaetano Donizetti

Abstract

This study is an analysis of voice technique for the tenor, more specifically of the “i” vowel in the aria “Una furtiva lagrima” by Gaetano Donizetti. It studies 6 different recordings of singers who recorded this aria with a gap of 50 years from the oldest one till the recent one. It analyse the vowel modification and the vocal frontality of the I vowel in the tenor´s passaggio and in the high register. The lighter voices have a natural frontality that is richer in harmonics than the darker voices that have a squillo sound.