What is sprechstimme?

Arnold Schoenberg wrote "Pierrot Lunaire" in 1912. He called for five instrumental players and a woman's voice. The voice was noted on the staff with x rather than a round note because he wanted the voice to sound like speech. The result is a cross between speaking and singing. You can hear many recordings of this work, beginning with the one that the composer supervised. Most performers render the Sprechstimme in the same manner as this original recording, but there was one in which Ilona Steingruber really sang the pitches. This work is the most famous use of Sprechstimme in music.