A Dictionary for the Modern Singer by Matthew Hoch

Author:Matthew Hoch
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780810886568
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2014-04-15T16:00:00+00:00

P

paean. An exuberant song of praise or thanksgiving.

Palais Garnier. An opera house in Paris built from 1861– 1875. Erected specifically for the Paris Opéra, the Palais Garnier is often called simply the Opéra Garnier, Opéra de Paris, or simply the Opéra. From 1984–1989, the new and larger Opéra Bastille was built to house the Paris Opéra, and the Palais Garnier is now primarily used for ballet productions.

palatal. In the study of diction, refers to a specific point of articulation of a consonant involving the middle of the tongue and the hard palate. The glide [j] is the only common palatal consonant. See also alveolar, bilabial, dental, labiodental, prepalatal, velar.

palate. The roof of the mouth, formed by the palatine bone. Divided into the hard palate (front) and soft palate (back). Distinct from palette.

palette. The expressive colors a singer has at his or her disposal. Distinct from palate.

pan. An exceptionally negative review.

Panofka, Heinrich (1807–1887). German violinist, composer, and singing teacher best known today for his two widely available sets of vocalises (published as Op. 85 and Op. 86). Other technique books include The Practical Singing Tutor (London, 1852) and L’art de chanter, Op. 81 (Paris, 1854). Panofka also composed prolifically for the violin and wrote dozens of songs, few of which are still performed today.

pansori. A genre of traditional Korean music that features one singer (sorikkun) and one drummer (gosu). The text relates an epic story (mandang). A full performance of a pansori might take hours to complete.

pants role. In opera, a male role written to be performed by a female singer. The higher voice of a woman is typically meant to convey youth. Well-known pants roles include Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (1786), Oscar in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (1859), and Octavian in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (1911). Pants roles are also called travesti, breeches roles, or trouser roles. It should be noted that baroque castrato roles are not pants roles. Even if a mezzo-soprano performs a castrato role in a contemporary production—an increasingly rare occur-rence due to the advent of the countertenor—these roles are male roles written to be performed by men. Countertenors almost never sing female roles. While technically they are not pants roles, there are a few female opera roles that are often sung by men. The most notable examples include the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (1689) and the Witch in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel (1893).

papering the house. In musical theatre, the giving away of free tickets so that a performance is well-attended. The practice of papering the house often occurs at the beginning of the run of a struggling show, in hopes that word of mouth will increase public enthusiasm, allowing the show to pick up steam and not have to close.

papilloma. See human papilloma virus (HPV).

parametric equalizer. In audio technology, a type of equalizer that allows the user to control three primary parameters: amplitude, center frequency, and bandwidth. Parametric equalizers produce a bell-shaped curve with three settings used to adjust the frequency

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