Sprechstimmen.

1922 Music & Lett. 3 83 Pierrot Lunaire..represents the zenith of Schönberg's powers... In a foreword the composer explains that the voice part is to be what he calls a ‘Sprechstimme’, neither song nor speech, but something in between.

1938 Oxf. Compan. Music 883/1 ‘Sprechgesang’, the older term, is properly singing tinged with a speaking quality, whereas ‘Sprechstimme’ is rather speech tinged with a singing quality.

1954 Grove's Dict. Music (ed. 5) VIII. 26/2 Sprechstimme.., a human voice written for by a composer who requires from the performer a delivery according to the principles of Sprechgesang.

1961 Listener 17 Aug. 257/3 The Gurrelieder provided Schönberg with the first occasion to make use of a speaking part that anticipates the Sprechstimme of Pierrot Lunaire in being in strict rhythms and with a fixed pitch.

1968 Listener 31 Oct. 591/2 Berg's strict distinction between Schoenbergian sprechstimme and half-sung phrases frequently receives cavalier treatment.

1982 Times Lit. Suppl. 25 June 693/2 His words are shared out among the whole company, cowled and carrying candles, like a coven going in for sprechstimme.