London Symphony Orchestra & Josef Krips - Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 Eroica: III. Scherzo: Allegro

ALT (German. Alt, Italian. Alto, from Latin. Altus - high). 1) The second highest voice in the music of the four-voice warehouse. In this sense, the term "A. " began to be used from the 15th century. Earlier, in a three-voice version, the voice that sounded above, and sometimes below the tenor, was called the countertenor. With the transition to 4-voice, they began to distinguish between countertenor-alto and countertenor-bass, later called simply viola and bass. In the early four-voice compositions a cappella (late 15th century), the alto part was performed by men. In a three-part choir. musical scores and in later eras (16-17 centuries) the part of viola was sometimes assigned to I tenors. 2) Part in a choir or wok. ensemble performed by low children's or low female voices (mezzo-soprano, contralto).