Adolfo de la Rosa
Ten·or (tĕn'ər)
A male singer with a high vocal range;
the highest natural adult male singing voice.
Adolfo’s first voice teacher was professor Terri Basa de la Rosa. Adolfo attended Santa Isabel College Conservatory of Music in Manila, Philippines, where he studied voice under Maestra Jovita Fuentes. He was a pupil of Alexandra Tagan, a world- renowned Russian soprano at Elmwood Conservatory of Music in New Jersey, U.S.A.- Mr. de la Rosa is equally comfortable singing the most difficult arias, or offering a rendition of a romantic Broadway show tune. He sings in seven different languages .
Adolfo won a role in Ambroise Thomas' opera, "Mignon." in his last operatic concert in Manila. In the United States he has performed in concerts in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego. He sang the United States National Anthem during a Padres game.
Tenor
The name "tenor" derives from the Latin word tenere, which means "to hold". In medieval and Renaissance polyphony between about 1250 and 1500, the tenor was the structurally fundamental (or ‘holding’) voice, vocal or instrumental. All other voices were normally calculated in relation to the tenor, which often proceeded in longer note values and carried a borrowed Cantus firmus melody. Until the late 15th-century introduction of the contratenor bassus, the tenor was usually the lowest voice, assuming the role of providing a harmonic foundation. It was also in the 15th century that "tenor" came to signify the male voice that sang such parts. Thus, for earlier repertoire, a line marked 'tenor' indicated the part's role, and not the required voice type. Indeed, even as late as the seventeenth century, partbooks labelled 'tenor' might contain parts for a range of voice types.
There are two main types of tenor voices: the "Lyric" and "Dramatic". Distinguishing characteristics are range and quality.
LYRIC TENOR
1. Its range is from about Middle C up to High Bb. Some voices may rise even higher.
2. The high notes, though light, are bright and have a silvery sheen.
3. The medium tones are strong but not very brilliant.
4. The low tones are less strong and do not have much carrying power.
5. The Lyric tenor is capable of expressing emotions with unusual sensitivity and this makes it especially appealing to the listener.
The Lyric tenor plays the leading roles in the more lyric operas and in the large majority of operettas.
Spinto - This is a type of Lyric tenor which has a more brilliant, ringing quality in its upper tones and thus the voice has more carrying power. Because of this, the Spinto will sometimes be used for more dramatic roles, although it is not truly a dramatic voice.
DRAMATIC TENOR
1. Its range is the same as that of the Lyric tenor.
2. The high tones have more power, though perhaps they do not have quite the "soaring" quality of the lighter voice.
3. The medium tones are strong and "bigger", that is, more compelling than those of the Lyric voice.
4. The low tones have more character.
5. Becaause it is more powerful, it is used in the more dramatic opera roles.
Heldentenor - This is the German name for the Heroic tenor (it occurs rarely) which has not only the brilliant high tones but also unusually powerful medium tones. These features make it most suitable for the majority of the Wagnerian tenor roles.