The high
male singing voice in opera, choir, and
music in general, with a singing range from C3 (an octave below middle C) to C5 (a man's high C) an octave above.
Situated between the contralto and baritone, the tenor usually plays the male lead in opera and musical theater, usually a young romantic
hero.
Many pop singers are tenors, although the vocal subcategories used in opera are not applied to them. Examples include Justin Timberlake, Clay Aiken, Adam Lambert, Matthew Morrison, Darren Criss, Chord Overstreet, Freddy Mercury, Steven Tyler, and Adam
Pascal.
According to vocal weight/voice type and range, tenors are usually divided into five different categories:
countertenor: has the same singing as speaking voice as a regular tenor, but his natural range is in the alto (or even soprano) register.
Leggiero ("light") tenor: flexible voice with a very high range, he's a vocal acrobat.
Lyric tenor: A strong, sweet, lightweight voice usually reserved for the boy next door and other vulnerable, naive charcters. Examples include
Roberto Alagna and Luciano Pavarotti.
Spinto tenor: A lyric voice with a strong dramatic edge, a bridge between lyric and dramatic. Examples include Placido Domingo and
Mario Lanza.
Dramatic tenor: A powerful, emotive, edgy voice which is suited to bold,
tragic heroes. Examples include
Mario del Monaco and
Jose Cura
