Voice / part
A single line of a polyphonic texture.
What it means
Stimme in music means three things. First, the individual line of a polyphonic texture — the soprano voice, the bass voice, the second violin. Second, the booklet of music from which a player or singer reads their own line, as opposed to the score, which shows all voices one below another. Third, the human singing voice. The first and second meanings are directly connected: the parts are extracted from the texture.
In the notation
A part contains only its own line, plus rest-measures with counts, rehearsal marks, cue notes of other instruments for orientation, and page-turns at suitable points. Well-arranged parts save rehearsal time; impractical page-turns and missing aids to orientation cost it.
Musical use
For centuries, music was transmitted not in score but in individual parts or in choirbooks; the score became established only gradually. This has consequences for music-making: whoever plays from the part does not see the texture and must grasp it by ear. For shaping this means that knowledge of the other voices must be worked out — through studying the score or through listening in rehearsal. The independence of the voices is at the same time the core subject of counterpoint. The term is also used for the human voice.
Performance practice
Get an overview of the texture before you study your part; know when you lead, when you accompany, and with whom you go together. Note down bar numbers if they are missing, and mark entries after long rests. Check page-turns in good time and add copies if needed. Count rest-measures consistently. Enter rehearsal agreements immediately, so that they are still available at the next performance.
Bear in mind that the condition of the parts strongly influences rehearsal work: unclear page-turns, missing bar numbers, and contradictory markings cost more time than any musical difficulty. Check the material before the first rehearsal. In the orchestra, Stimme also designates the printed sheet of music of an instrument. Mark entries after long rests and count rest-measures consistently.