# Sprechgesang > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sprechgesang > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sprechgesang.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprechgesang > Source revision: 1354384971 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ***Sprechgesang*** (ˈʃpʁɛçɡəzaŋ, "spoken singing") and ***Sprechstimme*** (ˈʃpʁɛçʃtɪmə, "spoken voice"), more commonly known as speak-singing in English, are [expressionist musical](/source/Expressionist_music) vocal techniques between [singing](/source/Singing) and [speaking](/source/Speech). Though sometimes used interchangeably, *Sprechgesang* is directly related to the [operatic](/source/Opera) [recitative](/source/Recitative) manner of singing (in which pitches are sung, but the articulation is rapid and loose like speech), whereas *Sprechstimme* is closer to speech itself (because it does not emphasise any particular pitches).[1] ## *Sprechgesang* *Sprechgesang* is more closely aligned with the long-used musical techniques of [recitative](/source/Recitative) or *parlando* than is *Sprechstimme*. Where the term is employed in this way, it is usually in the context of the late [Romantic](/source/Romantic_music) [German operas](/source/German_opera) or "[music dramas](/source/Music_drama)" that were composed by [Richard Wagner](/source/Richard_Wagner) and others in the 19th century. Thus, *Sprechgesang* is often merely a German alternative to 'recitative'.[2] ## *Sprechstimme* The earliest compositional use of the technique was in the first version of [Engelbert Humperdinck](/source/Engelbert_Humperdinck_(composer))'s 1897 melodrama *[Königskinder](/source/K%C3%B6nigskinder)* (in the 1910 version it was replaced by conventional singing), where it may have been intended to imitate a style already in use by singers of [lieder](/source/Lied) and popular song,[3] but it is more closely associated with the composers of the [Second Viennese School](/source/Second_Viennese_School). [Arnold Schoenberg](/source/Arnold_Schoenberg) asks for the technique in a number of pieces: the part of the Speaker in *[Gurre-Lieder](/source/Gurre-Lieder)* (1911) is written in his notation for *Sprechstimme*, but it was *[Pierrot lunaire](/source/Pierrot_lunaire)* (1912) where he used it throughout and left a note attempting to explain the technique. [Alban Berg](/source/Alban_Berg) adopted the technique and asked for it in parts of his operas *[Wozzeck](/source/Wozzeck)* and *[Lulu](/source/Lulu_(opera))*. ### History In the foreword to *Pierrot lunaire* (1912), Schoenberg explains how his *Sprechstimme* should be achieved. He explains that the indicated rhythms should be adhered to, but that whereas in ordinary singing a constant pitch is maintained through a note, here the singer "immediately abandons it by falling or rising. The goal is certainly not at all a realistic, natural speech. On the contrary, the difference between ordinary speech and speech that collaborates in a musical form must be made plain. But it should not call singing to mind, either."[4] For the first performances of *Pierrot lunaire*, Schoenberg was able to work directly with the vocalist and obtain exactly the result he desired, but later performances were problematic. Schoenberg had written many subsequent letters attempting to clarify, but he was unable to leave a definitive explanation and there has been much disagreement as to what was actually intended. [Pierre Boulez](/source/Pierre_Boulez) wrote, "the question arises whether it is actually possible to speak according to a notation devised for singing. This was the real problem at the root of all the controversies. Schoenberg's own remarks on the subject are not in fact clear."[5] Schoenberg later used a notation without a traditional [clef](/source/Clef) in the *Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte* (1942), *[A Survivor from Warsaw](/source/A_Survivor_from_Warsaw)* (1947) and his unfinished opera *[Moses und Aron](/source/Moses_und_Aron)*, which eliminated any reference to a specific pitch, but retained the relative slides and articulations. ### Notation In Schoenberg's [musical notation](/source/Musical_notation), *Sprechstimme* is usually indicated by small crosses through the stems of the notes, or with the [notehead](/source/Notehead) itself being a small cross. Schoenberg's later notation (first used in his *Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte*, 1942) replaced the 5-line [staff](/source/Staff_(music)) with a single line having no clef. The note [stems](/source/Stem_(music)) no longer bear the 'x', as it is now clear that no specific pitch is intended, and instead relative pitches are specified by placing the notes above or below the single line (sometimes on [ledger lines](/source/Ledger_lines)). Berg notates several degrees of *Sprechstimme*, e. g. in *Wozzeck*, using single-line staff for rhythmic speaking, five-line staves with 'x' through the note stem, and a single stroke through the stem for close-to-singing *Sprechstimme*. In modern usage, it is most common to indicate *Sprechstimme* by using an 'x' in place of a conventional notehead.[6] ## Use in pop and rock music *Sprechgesang*-style talk-singing has appeared in contemporary [pop](/source/Pop_music), [rock](/source/Rock_music), [punk](/source/Punk_rock), and [alternative](/source/Alternative_rock) music since the 1960s.[7] The *Sprechgesang* vocal style is also prominent in the [Windmill scene](/source/Windmill_scene) and [crank wave](/source/Crank_wave), with several groups featuring a vocalist that uses the talk-sing method.[7] **The following pop and rock artists have been described as featuring *Sprechgesang* or talk-sing vocals in their music** - [The B-52s](/source/The_B-52s)[7] - [Black Country, New Road](/source/Black_Country,_New_Road)[7] - [Black Grape](/source/Black_Grape)[8] - [Black Midi](/source/Black_Midi)[7] - [Cake](/source/Cake_(band))[7] - [Nick Cave](/source/Nick_Cave)[7] - [Cheekface](/source/Cheekface)[7] - [Do Nothing](/source/Do_Nothing_(band))[9] - [Dry Cleaning](/source/Dry_Cleaning_(band))[7] - [Bob Dylan](/source/Bob_Dylan)[7] - [Billie Eilish](/source/Billie_Eilish)[7] - [Chat Pile](/source/Chat_Pile)[10] - [The Fall](/source/The_Fall_(band))[7] - [The Flying Lizards](/source/The_Flying_Lizards)[11] - [Fontaines D.C.](/source/Fontaines_D.C.)[7] - [French Vanilla](/source/French_Vanilla_(band))[7] - [Happy Mondays](/source/Happy_Mondays)[12] - [Hesse Kassel](/source/Hesse_Kassel)[13] - [The Hold Steady](/source/The_Hold_Steady)[7] - [Kraftwerk](/source/Kraftwerk)[7][14][15] - [Life Without Buildings](/source/Life_Without_Buildings)[7] - [Lou Reed](/source/Lou_Reed)[7] - [Jonathan Richman](/source/Jonathan_Richman)[7] - [Olivia Rodrigo](/source/Olivia_Rodrigo)[16] - [Self Esteem](/source/Self_Esteem_(musician))[17] - [Shame](/source/Shame_(band))[7] - [Sleaford Mods](/source/Sleaford_Mods)[17] - [Slint](/source/Slint)[7] - [Sonic Youth](/source/Sonic_Youth)[7] - [Sprain](/source/Sprain_(band))[18] - [Squid](/source/Squid_(band))[7] - [They Might Be Giants](/source/They_Might_Be_Giants)[7] - [Wet Leg](/source/Wet_Leg)[7][19] - [Yard Act](/source/Yard_Act)[17] ## See also - [Rapping](/source/Rapping) - [Spoken word](/source/Spoken_word) - [Talking blues](/source/Talking_blues) ## References 1. Wood, Ralph W. (December 1946). "Concerning 'Sprechgesang'". *[Tempo](/source/Tempo_(journal))*. '***(2): 3–6. New series. [doi:10.1017/S0040298200053262](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0040298200053262). [JSTOR 943969](https://www.jstor.org/stable/943969)*** 1. Wood 1946: "'Sprechgesang' means a 'parlando' manner of singing, and indeed is translated in standard dictionaries as 'recitative,' whereas 'sprechstimme' in itself simply means 'speaking voice'". 1. [Griffiths, Paul](/source/Paul_Griffiths_(writer)), "Sprechgesang", *[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians](/source/The_New_Grove_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians)*, 2nd edition, edited by [Stanley Sadie](/source/Stanley_Sadie) and [John Tyrrell](/source/John_Tyrrell_(musicologist)) (London: Macmillan, 2001). 1. [Schoenberg, Arnold](/source/Arnold_Schoenberg). *Verklärte Nacht and Pierrot Lunaire.* Dover Publications. New York, 1994. ISBN 0-486-27885-9 (p. 54) 1. [Boulez, Pierre](/source/Pierre_Boulez). *Orientations*. Faber and Faber. London, 1986. ISBN 0-571-14347-4 (From the essay "Speaking, Playing, Singing", written 1963, pp. 330–335) 1. [Read, Gardner](/source/Gardner_Read). *Musical Notation*. Taplinger Publishing, New York, 1979. ISBN 0-8008-5453-5 (p. 288) 1. Schonfeld, Zach (13 October 2021). ["The Eternal Cool of Talk Singing"](https://www.theringer.com/music/2021/10/13/22723195/talk-singing-dry-cleaning-rock-black-country-new-roads). *[The Ringer](/source/The_Ringer_(website))*. Retrieved 7 December 2021. 1. Fosbraey, Glenn (6 August 2025). ["Black Grape: It’s Great When You’re Straight… Yeah at 30 – one of music’s greatest comeback stories"](https://theconversation.com/black-grape-its-great-when-youre-straight-yeah-at-30-one-of-musics-greatest-comeback-stories-261893). *The Conversation*. Retrieved 8 April 2026. 1. Hann, Michael (31 October 2019). ["All talk: why 2019's best bands speak instead of sing"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/31/all-talk-why-2019s-best-bands-speak-instead-of-sing). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 1 April 2024. 1. [https://consequence.net/2026/05/chat-pile-raygun-busch-crate-digging-interview-10-albums-with-amazing-vocals/](https://consequence.net/2026/05/chat-pile-raygun-busch-crate-digging-interview-10-albums-with-amazing-vocals/) 1. Teeple, Alice (14 December 2021). ["Listen to German Synth Duo Pola Women’s “Disco Disco”"](https://post-punk.com/listen-to-german-synth-duo-pola-womens-disco-disco/). *Post Punk*. Retrieved 27 April 2026. 1. Rowe, Felix (6 June 2025). ["Classic Album: Happy Mondays – Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches"](https://www.classicpopmag.com/features/classic-album/classic-album-happy-mondays-pills-n-thrills-and-bellyaches/). *Classic Pop Magazine*. Retrieved 8 April 2026. 1. [https://thequietus.com/quietus-reviews/hesse-kassel-album-review/](https://thequietus.com/quietus-reviews/hesse-kassel-album-review/) 1. Frere-Jones, Sasha (23 April 2012). ["Sound Machine"](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/30/sound-machine). *[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)*. [Condé Nast](/source/Cond%C3%A9_Nast). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240529032009/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/30/sound-machine) 29 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 July 2024. 1. Rubin, Mike (4 December 2009). ["Who Knew That Robots Were Funky?"](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/arts/music/06kraftwerk.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230414120020/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/arts/music/06kraftwerk.html) 14 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 July 2024. 1. Petridis, Alexis (2023-09-08). ["Olivia Rodrigo: Guts review – dramatic dispatches from the dark side of youth"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/08/olivia-rodrigo-guts-review). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2023-12-08. 1. Kinney, Fergal (26 January 2022). ["Landfill Sprechgesang? Yard Act's The Overload Reviewed"](https://thequietus.com/articles/31041-yard-act-the-overload-review). *The Quietus*. Retrieved 1 April 2024. 1. Solomon, Anna (August 23, 2023). ["Sprain Discuss Their Sophomore Album "The Lamb as Effigy" | Post-Trash Feature"](https://post-trash.com/news/2023/8/22/sprain-discuss-their-sophomore-album-the-lamb-as-effigy-feature-interview). *Post-Trash*. Retrieved August 25, 2024. 1. Deville, Chris (5 April 2022). ["Album Of The Week: Wet Leg 'Wet Leg'"](https://www.stereogum.com/2181728/wet-leg-debut-album/reviews/album-of-the-week/). *Stereogum*. Retrieved 1 April 2024. ## External links - [Avior Byron](/source/Avior_Byron), ["The Test Pressings of Schoenberg Conducting *Pierrot lunaire*: Sprechstimme Reconsidered"](http://mto.societymusictheory.org/issues/mto.06.12.1/mto.06.12.1.byron_frames.html), *[Music Theory Online](/source/Music_Theory_Online)* (MTO), 12/1 (February 2006) - Avior Byron and Matthias Pasdzierny ["Sprechstimme Reconsidered Once Again: '... though Mrs. Stiedry is never in pitch'"](http://mto.societymusictheory.org/issues/mto.07.13.2/mto.07.13.2.byron_pasdzierny.html), *Music Theory Online* (MTO), 13/2 (June 2007) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sprechgesang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprechgesang) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprechgesang?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.