首演于1875, 歌剧卡门中的许多唱段至今仍然有着巨大的影响力. 在兴趣的驱使下, 我决定从比才的这部作品入手, 初探歌剧这种艺术形式. 这篇文章简要介绍了歌剧中常见的声音类型和与之对应的角色特征.
声部主要分类
对于Opera, 声音是其中一个重要的元素. 为了保证戏剧的代入感, 歌剧在创作的时候会规定每一个角色的声音类型, 也就是中文语境下的声部. 观察下面这张卡门的角色表. 角色的声音类型定义十分明确 (节选自维基百科)
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 3 March 1875 Conductor: Adolphe Deloffre[13] |
|---|---|---|
| Carmen, A Gypsy Girl | mezzo-soprano | Célestine Galli-Marié |
| Don José, Corporal of Dragoons | tenor | Paul Lhérie |
| Escamillo, Toreador | bass-baritone | Jacques Bouhy |
| Micaëla, A Village Maiden | soprano | Marguerite Chapuy |
| Zuniga, Lieutenant of Dragoons | bass | Eugène Dufriche |
| Moralès, Corporal of Dragoons | baritone | Edmond Duvernoy |
其中Voice Type即为中文里的声部. 主要的声部分类如下:
- Male 男性
- countertenor 假声男高音
- tenor 男高音
- baritone 男中音
- bass 男低音
- Female 女性
- soprano 女高音
- mezzo-soprano 女次高音 / 女中音
- contralto / alto 女低音
- Treble 童声
每个大分类下还会有些许的子分类, 其实名目繁多, 这里便不做讨论了.
声音类型和角色
国内戏剧, 生旦净丑每种行当都从声音, 服饰, 妆容等方面, 折射角色对应的性格和身份特征. 西方的歌剧也这方面也是类似的, 即不同的声音类型可以体现出不同的角色特点.
In operatic drama, the soprano is almost always the heroine because she projects innocence and youth.
在歌剧中, 女英雄角色几乎都是女高音, 因为她们通常有纯洁和年轻的特质.
Many mezzo-sopranos sing the so-called “trouser” roles, portraying young boys or men. They can also be the villainesses or motherly types. One of the most well known roles for a dramatic mezzo is the fiery gypsy Carmen in the opera of the same name.
女中音常常扮演反串的角色, 例如年轻的男性. 女中音也可以扮演恶棍或是母亲的形象. Carmen在同名戏剧中就是一个著名的女中音角色.
This voice type (alto) is usually reserved for specialty roles like the earth goddess Erda in Richard Wagner’s Nordic fantasy-epic The Ring of the Nibelung. Since this is such a rare voice type, dramatic mezzos often sing roles in this range.
女低音通常被保留起来, 只在一些特定的角色上采用. 由于女低音音源十分罕见, 通常是有女中音来扮演.
For males, the tenor is generally considered to be the highest male voice in an opera, and is most often the hero or the love interest of the story.
男高音通常是英雄角色, 或是主角的恋爱对象. (在Carmen中Jose就是这样的一个角色)
A baritone is the most common type of male voice whose range lies midway between the high tenor voice and the low bass voice. In comedic operas, he is often the leader of the funny business, but he can also be the hero, who sacrifices himself for the tenor or soprano, or the villain.
男中音是最常见的男声; 在戏剧中担任搞笑任务, 但也可以作为一个英雄角色(为了男高音/女高音/恶霸牺牲).
A basso serio or basso profondo portrays characters who convey wisdom or nobility such as Sarastro in The Magic Flute.
男低音表现富有智慧或者身份尊贵的角色. (这似乎和洞穴人效应有关?)