Bass vocals. Bass – low male voice
Good afternoon, dear students)
We’ve finally gotten to a more detailed classification of voices and let’s try to compare different performers and understand how they differ and why we like some voices and not others.
It's no secret that everyone has different tastes, and the same performance can offend or leave you indifferent. And yet, if the singer has professionalism and has not lost his feeling, then such a performance will not leave anyone indifferent.
Very often, opera connoisseurs listen to the same aria many times from different performers, comparing them, highlighting the resulting passages and being upset about the unsuccessful ones. Moreover, we, ordinary listeners, sometimes don’t even understand what exactly the connoisseurs heard that made them upset. And sometimes this is understandable on some intuitive level even to non-professionals. This is what we will try to figure out.
Today we'll talk about bass.
Bass profundo
A prominent representative of the Bass-profundo type voice was Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov. Before the revolution, Maxim Dormidontovich was a church deacon and his voice was heard under the arches of churches. And in Soviet times he became Stalin's favorite singer.
Bass profundo is the lowest type of voice (Italian profondo - deep). It is curious that such a voice is able to break through any musical background. That is, it is almost impossible to drown it out; it will break through anyway (a useful skill for a deacon :)). In operatic works, the low C is usually used (as the lowest note), but a true bass profundo can go lower. Remember the previous lecture and the picture with ranges. Find the lowest notes highlighted - and imagine how low those notes are. Strong, deep voice. If it also has volume, it sounds velvety... The high notes of such singers sound quite light, but the low notes captivate with their volume and timbre rolls.
There are few recordings from those times, but a general idea of this type of voice can be formed from the surviving recordings of the folk song “Along the St. Petersburg” and Khan Konchak’s aria from “Prince Igor.”
“In cold winters, he would open the windows in his dressing room and breathe in the frosty air; passing by an icy draft blowing from the window, the singers tried to do it as quickly as possible. - Maxim Dormidontovich, you can also catch a cold! - they told him. “Nothing, it’s good for my voice,” he answered in his churchly manner, which was preserved until his death - in a low voice.”
I can’t resist and give you another one of his recordings - The Head from “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. He sings it an octave lower than the rest of the choir. But there is an opinion that he sings into some kind of megaphone, because a human voice cannot sound like that.
Of the Western representatives of this type, you can listen to the recordings of Jose Mardones. It should be noted that Westerners often have better technology than ours. And Jose is just an example of this opinion; his technique is much better than Mikhailov’s. In addition, he has a gorgeous timbre, which can be heard on the recording. And there is an opinion that “Mardones is one of the strongest basses of all time, as long as sound recording exists.”
"Huguenots" Meyerbeer. The famous Bang-Bang:
Vladimir Kastorsky. Another representative of Russian opera. Vladimir had a very large and powerful voice. Serenade of Mephistopheles "Faust" Gounod.
It should be noted that with such a low voice, without proper technique, we may not hear individual words. This is exactly what happens sometimes when you come to the Opera for a modern performance. A sound of such power can be heard magnificently, but the words are completely indistinguishable, which sometimes spoils the listening experience. This is especially true for opera in Russian. You can, of course, listen only to sounds, but sometimes you want to hear what they are singing about at that particular moment. In churches this was not so important, but it was the sounds, the mesmerizing sounds of a buzzing bell performed by a human being, that were most welcome. Perhaps this is why most often those with such a voice sing church music.
Center Bass
Owners of this bass can boast a deep, beautiful rich timbre. They have access to cantilena - from Italian. cantilena "song" from Lat. cantilena "singing" - a wide, freely flowing melodic melody, both vocal and instrumental. In addition, the term also denotes the melodiousness of music, the melodiousness of its performance.” Unlike the "high bass", center basses usually have a big, strong voice (remember - there are always exceptions).
As a representative of this type of voice, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the singing of Nikolai Gyaurov. It had a soft bass response that allowed it to sound lyrical and richly dramatic. At the same time, Gyaurov had excellent timbre, technique, artistry and musicality, which together make him one of the best performers. Quite a lot of recordings with his participation have been preserved; such singers as Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, and Franco Corelli sang with him.
“On earth, the entire human race” Mephistopheles, “Faust” Charles Gounod. “Here Gyaurov uses all the power of his voice, all its beauty, but at the same time highlights hard notes in it to show that it is the Devil who sings.” Pay attention to the artistry. The voice is usually still not enough; while listening, we must experience together with the hero, imagine him. Nikolai usually did this amazingly; he was a great actor and could well have played in a drama theater. Imagine this Devil in the role of Woland?
And here is another version of the same Mephistopheles, performed by Ferruccio Furlanetto. Western performer, a wonderful artist who is still working on himself to this day. He does not have such a rich timbre as Gyaurov, but at the same time Ferruccio has a soft, pleasant voice, which, if necessary, can be harsh if the role requires it. To enhance the image, Ferruccio could deviate from technique, but this happened very rarely.
Using the example of Ferruccio Furlanetto, we can see how the voice changes depending on the work put into it. With all the God-given nature of the voice, there is always something to work on!
King Phillip, Verdi's Don Carlos, in 1986:
And in 2001:
Compare these two entries. In the later one there is all the strength, softness, and magnificent forte. The acting has also grown, which is very noticeable on the recordings.
Everything is already there: strength, softness, and chic forte. And the difference in the acting is impressive, as if these are two different performers, although, of course, there is something in common between them.
Another wonderful representative of this type of voice is Mark Osipovich Reisen. His rich and beautiful timbre remained free and beautiful until the end of his career, which, in fact, coincided with the date of his death, at the age of 97 (!) years.
To get acquainted, it is best to listen to the already familiar Mephistopheles aria “On earth is the entire human race.”
And here is his performance, recorded when he was 90 years old!
Bass melodious - high
Most likely only specialists will distinguish a melodious bass from a bass-baritone. Yet it is considered a different voice type, with depth often greater than that of a bass-baritone. They perform each other's parts, but it doesn't always turn out well.
One of the brightest representatives of this type is Boris Hristov. His idol was Chaliapin, and this can be heard in the manner of Christ’s performance; there are imitative moments. To perform Faust “Satan rules the roost there,” Boris had to make his voice heavier in order to sound deeper and lower, like a central bass. But an experienced ear will hear that the lower notes sound heavy and somewhat artificial. Khristov was a magnificent artist, and the modern costume did not interfere with the perception of the image of Mephistopheles.
But in the following example it becomes very clear what it means - there is not enough depth in the voice. Compare this performance with the one you have already heard.
The Barber of Seville, Don Basilio's aria "Slander".
Despite the excellent diction, it is here that you can hear that where you have to sing the words very quickly, the volume is lost. At this speed it is not possible to maintain the required volume for a part usually performed by profundo basses.
Another representative of high bass (although experts here tend to consider it borderline between central bass and high) -B oris Gmyrya. He had the richest timbre, not the largest and deepest voice, which sounded deeper and stronger on the recording than when performed live. To get acquainted with him - a new aria for today:
Aria of the Varangian Guest. Opera Sadko.
I had another recording in the early versions of the lecture, an amateur one. But since then it has been removed from the network and there is no access. And your task will become a little more difficult)
Let's move on to homework. Perhaps the lecture is somewhat overloaded with notes, but the goal of the course is to introduce not only the arias, but also the options for performing these arias. Listen to the arias, compare with each other.
1. The lecture contains arias performed by different singers. Including different types of voices (Aria of Mephistopheles, Aria of the Barber of Seville). Try to find the differences and describe them in your own words - differences in diction, in depth of sound, in timbre, in artistry. I understand that it is difficult to do this in terms, so try to describe it in your own words. Select the one whose performance you liked the most and state why.
2. Did you like any of the arias offered more than others? Which? Why do you think she is?
Singing voices have their own classification, which is diverse. Differences in classification systems can be based on a variety of factors: the strength of the voice, the degree of virtuosity and clarity of performance, etc. However, experts note the need for all the capabilities of the performer’s voice to have a powerful foundation, which is the support of singing.
Quite often, the classification is based on the performer’s voice range and gender. However, these two criteria also provide grounds for formulating a large number of varieties of classification. By identifying a certain group of voices, professionals clarify the presence of narrower groups within it.
Bass - low male voice
A group of male voices called Bass is united in a classification based on the sound of a very low range of voice, for which the characteristic features are called: breadth, “darkness,” richness of timbre formed by the chest resonator.
When touching on the issue of bass range, experts have mixed conclusions. However, the traditional classical idea of the position occupied by the bass on the staff is that which is united by the framework of the FA of the major and first octave.
Bass tone
In accordance with the quality of the sound, basses are considered in three groups:
High bass, also called bass baritone or cantante: a voice that is characterized by a high sounding working range with the framework of the G note of the major and first octave; the maximum similarity to the timbre of a baritone is felt in the upper tessitura; The timbre of this type of voice, in comparison with other basses, is characterized by kindness and radiance;
Central or dramatic bass: characterized by maximum expression of authority, menace, wisdom and firmness of the bass timbre;
The bass is low, also called profundo or octavist.
Each subgroup has its own characteristics. For example, a feature of the dramatic bass can be called the singer’s inability to play the notes F and G of the first octave. However, the range of MI notes of the major and first octave is confident. Associated with the ease of sound of the range on the chest resonator. The percentage of use of the head resonator decreases as the sound of the voice decreases.
We'll talk about bass profundo below. In the meantime, it is worth noting that opera roles with fairly representative characters are created for basses, among whom one can find representatives of royal, princely, boyar and other families, sages, generals and other characters who are characterized by masculinity and confidence. All this can be heard in the performer’s voice, which, according to experts, always inspires confidence among listeners.
Another remarkable fact is evidence that in Italy they recognize Russia as the primacy of a state rich in beautiful bass sounds. And Italy itself is famous as the birthplace of excellent tenor voices.
Bass profundo
Returning to this type of bass, it is worth noting that the translation of the word with Italian roots sounds like “deep”. The owner of such a voice is recognized as unique. The difference between this type of male voice and others lies in the extremely low tessitura of the sound. Experts note the possibility of going beyond human conceivable capabilities.
The exclusivity that the bass profundo exhibits is recorded in all aspects of vocal art: in timbre and range, in physiological structure and resonance, and other parameters.
The timbre is deep, but quantitatively, within the framework of low sound, it is limited in overtones, that is, without excluding attractiveness, it is characterized by a lack of timbre saturation. Bass profundo can almost never be heard in solo parts. A rare exception is the church choir. The octavist bass can often be heard in choirs, but its sound is minimal and is required to highlight the volume of the timbre.
Another use of the bass profundo is to double the root note of chords in major and minor triads. When the sound of the timbres of regular and octavist basses, occurring in choral bass parts, merges, the latter acquire the character of massiveness and monumentality. This technique is important in terms of its impact on the listener, who will certainly develop feelings of anxiety and association with the sound of the alarm bell.
Dwelling on the issue of range for the profundo bass, it is worth noting that its framework can be the note FA of the counter octave and DO of the first octave.
When considering the resonance factor for bass profundo, professionals point to the peculiarity of the process in which only the larynx and chest resonator are involved. The structure of the ligaments (long) and their characteristics (dense, elastic) exclude the possibility of using a head resonator in this case.
All singing voices are divided into women's, men's and children's. The main female voices are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto, and the most common male voices are tenor, baritone and bass.
All sounds that can be sung or played on a musical instrument are high, medium and low. When musicians talk about the pitch of sounds, they use the term "register", implying whole groups of high, middle or low sounds.
In a global sense, female voices sing sounds of a high or “upper” register, children’s voices sing sounds of a middle register, and male voices sing sounds of a low or “lower” register. But this is only partly true; in fact, everything is much more interesting. Within each group of voices, and even within the range of each individual voice, there is also a division into high, middle and low register.
For example, a high male voice is a tenor, a middle voice is a baritone, and a low voice is a bass. Or, another example, singers have the highest voice - soprano, the middle voice of vocalists is mezzo-soprano, and the low voice is contralto. To finally understand the division of male and female, and at the same time, children’s voices into high and low, this tablet will help you:
If we talk about the registers of any one voice, then each of them has both low and high sounds. For example, a tenor sings both low chest sounds and high falsetto sounds, which are inaccessible to basses or baritones.
Female singing voices
So, the main types of female singing voices are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto. They differ primarily in range, as well as timbre coloring. Timbre properties include, for example, transparency, lightness or, conversely, saturation, and strength of voice.
Soprano– the highest female singing voice, its usual range is two octaves (entirely the first and second octave). In opera performances, the roles of the main characters are often performed by singers with such a voice. If we talk about artistic images, then a high-pitched voice best characterizes a young girl or some fantastic character (for example, a fairy).
Sopranos, according to the nature of their sound, are divided into lyrical and dramatic– you yourself can easily imagine that the parts of a very tender girl and a very passionate girl cannot be performed by the same performer. If a voice easily copes with fast passages and flourishes in its high register, then such a soprano is called coloratura.
Contralto– it has already been said that this is the lowest of women’s voices, moreover, very beautiful, velvety, and also very rare (in some opera houses there is not a single contralto). A singer with such a voice in operas is often assigned the roles of teenage boys.
Below is a table that names examples of opera roles that are often performed by certain female singing voices:
Let's listen to how women's singing voices sound. Here are three video examples for you:
Soprano. Aria of the Queen of the Night from the opera “The Magic Flute” by Mozart performed by Bela Rudenko
Mezzo-soprano. Habanera from the opera Carmen by Bizet performed by the famous singer Elena Obraztsova
Contralto. Ratmir's aria from the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by Glinka, performed by Elizaveta Antonova.
Male singing voices
There are only three main male voices - tenor, bass and baritone. Tenor Of these, the highest, its pitch range is the notes of the small and first octaves. By analogy with the soprano timbre, performers with this timbre are divided into dramatic tenors and lyric tenors. In addition, sometimes they mention such a variety of singers as "characteristic" tenor. “Character” is given to it by some phonic effect - for example, silveriness or rattling. A characteristic tenor is simply irreplaceable where it is necessary to create the image of a gray-haired old man or some cunning rascal.
Baritone– this voice is distinguished by its softness, density and velvety sound. The range of sounds that a baritone can sing is from A major octave to A first octave. Performers with such a timbre are often entrusted with courageous roles of characters in operas of a heroic or patriotic nature, but the softness of the voice allows them to reveal loving and lyrical images.
Bass– the voice is the lowest, can sing sounds from F of the large octave to F of the first. The basses are different: some are rolling, “droning”, “bell-like”, others are hard and very “graphic”. Accordingly, the parts of the characters for the basses are varied: these are heroic, “fatherly”, and ascetic, and even comic images.
You are probably interested to know which of the male singing voices is the lowest? This bass profundo, sometimes singers with such a voice are also called octavists, since they “take” low notes from the counter-octave. By the way, we have not yet mentioned the highest male voice - this tenor-altino or countertenor, who sings quite calmly in an almost feminine voice and easily reaches the high notes of the second octave.
As in the previous case, male singing voices with examples of their operatic roles are displayed in the table:
Now listen to the sound of male singing voices. Here are three more video examples for you.
Tenor. Song of the Indian guest from the opera “Sadko” by Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by David Poslukhin.
Baritone. Gliere's romance “The nightingale soul sang sweetly”, sung by Leonid Smetannikov
Bass. Prince Igor's aria from Borodin's opera "Prince Igor" was originally written for baritone, but in this case it is sung by one of the best basses of the 20th century - Alexander Pirogov.
The working range of a professionally trained vocalist's voice is usually two octaves on average, although sometimes singers and female singers have much greater capabilities. In order for you to have a good understanding of tessitura when choosing notes for practice, I suggest you get acquainted with the picture, which clearly demonstrates the permissible ranges for each of the voices:
Before concluding, I want to please you with one more tablet, with which you can get acquainted with vocalists who have one or another voice timbre. This is necessary so that you can independently find and listen to even more audio examples of the sound of male and female singing voices:
That's all! We talked about what types of voices singers have, we figured out the basics of their classification, the size of their ranges, the expressive capabilities of timbres, and also listened to examples of the sound of the voices of famous vocalists. If you liked the material, share it on your contact page or on your Twitter feed. There are special buttons under the article for this. Good luck!
TENOR
Comic tenor
German name: Spieltenor - Tenor BuffoEnglish translation:(Lyric) comic tenor. Young singers of this type also often sing the roles of Lyrischertenor
Range: from "C" of the first octave to "B-flat" of the second
Roles:
Pedrillo, Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Monostatos, Die Zauberflote (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
King Kaspar, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Gian Carlo Menotti)
Mime, Das Rheingold (Richard Wagner)
Monsieur Triquet, Eugene Onegin (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
Singers:
Peter Klein
Tenor for character roles
German name: Charaktertenor
English version: Character tenor
Description: this type requires good acting skills.
Roles:
Mime, Siegfried (Richard Wagner)
Herod, Salome (Richard Strauss)
Aegisth, Elektra (Richard Strauss)
The Captain, Wozzeck (Alban Berg)
Singers:
Peter Klein
Paul Kuen
Gerhard Stolze
Robert Tear
Lyric tenor
German name: Lyrischer TenorEnglish translation: Lyric tenor
Range:
Roles:
Tamino, Die Zauberflote (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Belmonte, Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Rodolfo, La boheme (Giacomo Puccini)
Ferrando, Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Almaviva, Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioachino Rossini)
Arturo, I puritani (Vincenzo Bellini)
Elvino, La sonnambula (Vincenzo Bellini)
Ramiro, La Cenerentola (Gioachino Rossini)
Nemorino, L"elisir d"amore (Gaetano Donizetti)
Alfredo, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Il Duca, Rigoletto (Giuseppe Verdi)
Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Faust, Faust (Charles-Francois Gounod)
Singers:
Luigi Alva
Alfredo Kraus
Carlo Bergonzi
Jussi Bjorling
Ian Bostridge
Jose Carreras
Anton Dermota
Giuseppe Di Stefano
Juan Diego Florez
Nikolai Gedda
Beniamino Gigli
Luciano Pavarotti
Jan Peerce
Fritz Wunderlich
Peter Schreier
Leopold Simoneau
Young dramatic tenor
German name: Jugendlicher Heldentenor
English translation: Light dramatic tenor
Range: from "to" the first octave "to" to the third
Description: a tenor with good top notes of dramatic color and a certain amount of sonority to cut through orchestras.
Roles:
Don Jose, Carmen (Georges Bizet)
Lohengrin, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
Siegmund, Die Walkure (Richard Wagner)
Radames, Aida (Giuseppe Verdi)
Manrico, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
Idomeneo, Idomeneo (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Calaf, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
Cavaradossi, Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)
Florestan, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Canio, Pagliacci (Ruggero Leoncavallo)
Don Alvaro La forza del destino(Giuseppe Verdi)
Max, Der Freischutz (Carl Maria von Weber)
Dick Johnson, La fanciulla del West (Giacomo Puccini)
Singers:
Placido Domingo
Antonio Cortis
Georges Thill
Jose Cura
Richard Tucker
Ben Heppner
Enrico Caruso
Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Giovanni Martinelli
Franco Corelli
James King
Jonas Kaufmann
Dramatic tenor
German name: Heldentenor
English translation: Heroic Tenor
Range: from "B-flat" minor to "C" third
Description: a full-fledged dramatic tenor with baritone coloring in the middle register and sonority. Cuts through dense orchestration well.
Roles:
Othello, Othello (Giuseppe Verdi)
Siegfried, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
Parsifal, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
Tristan, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)
Walther von Stolzing, Die Meistersinger (Richard Wagner)
Singers:
Jean de Reszke
Francesco Tamagno
Ivan Yershov
Giuseppe Borgatti
Wolfgang Windgassen
Lauritz Melchior
James King
Jon Vickers
Mario del Monaco
Ramon Vinay
Set Svanholm
Hans Hopf
Max Lorenz
BARITONE
Lyric baritone
German name: Lyrischer Bariton - SpielbaritonEnglish translation: Lyric baritone
Range: from "B-flat" of the major octave to "G" of the first octave
Description: soft, gentle timbre without harshness.
Roles:
Conte Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Guglielmo, Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Marcello, La boheme (Giacomo Puccini)
Papageno, Die Zauberflote (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Onegin, Evgeny Onegin (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
Albert, Werther (Jules Massenet)
Billy Budd, Billy Budd (Benjamin Britten)
Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioachino Rossini)
Singers:
Giuseppe De Luca
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Gerhard Husch
Hermann Prey
Simon Keenlyside
Nathan Gunn
Peter Mattei
Thomas Hampson
Wolfgang Holzmair
Cavalier baritone
German name: KavalierbaritonRange:
Description: a voice with a metallic timbre that can sing both lyrical and dramatic passages. The voice has a noble baritone quality, not as powerful as Verdi's or the characteristic baritone, which is expected to be more militant on stage and physically strong. The singer of this fakh requires good stage presence and good appearance.
Roles:
Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Tonio, Pagliacci (Ruggiero Leoncavallo)
Iago, Otello (Giuseppe Verdi)
Count, Capriccio (Richard Strauss)
Singers:
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Sherrill Milnes
Characteristic baritone
German name: CharakterbaritonEnglish translation: Verdi baritone
Range: from "A" of the major octave to "G-sharp" of the first
Roles:
Wozzeck, Wozzeck (Alban Berg)
Germont, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Singers:
Mattia Battistini
Lawrence Tibbett
Pasquale Amato
Piero Cappuccilli
Ettore Bastianini
Renato Bruson
Tito Gobbi
Robert Merrill
Dramatic baritone
German name: HeldenbaritonEnglish translation: Dramatic baritone
Range:
Description: The “heroic” baritone is a rare and therefore so desirable phenomenon in German opera houses. The timbre is ringing and flighty, combined with power and a “command tone”.
Roles:
Telramund, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
Count di Luna, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
Singers:
Leonard Warren
Eberhard Wachter
Thomas Stewart
Titta Ruffo
Lyric bass-baritone
German name: Lyrischer Bassbariton
English translation: Lyric Bass-baritone
Range: from "G" of the major octave to "F-sharp" of the first
Description: The range for a bass-baritone often varies greatly from part to part, some of which have little technical difficulty. Some bass-baritones gravitate more towards baritones: Friedrich Schorr, George London and Bryn Terfel, others towards basses: Hans Hotter, Alexander Kipnis and Samuel Ramey.
Roles:
Escamillo, Carmen (Georges Bizet)
Golaud, Pelleas et Melisande (Claude Debussy)
Singers:
Thomas Quasthoff
Dramatic bass-baritone
German name: Dramatischer BassbaritonEnglish translation: Bass-baritone
Range: from "G" of the major octave to "F-sharp" of the first
Roles:
Igor, Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin)
Scarpia, Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)
The Dutchman, The Flying Dutchman (Richard Wagner)
Hans Sachs, Die Meistersinger (Richard Wagner)
Wotan, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
Amfortas, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
Singers:
Friedrich Schorr
Rudolf Bockelmann
Anton van Rooy
George London
James Morris
Bryn Terfel
BASS
Bass cantante - high bass
Italian name: Basso CantanteEnglish translation: Lyric Bass-baritone
Range:, sometimes F sharp first.
Description: a bass who is good at singing in a sing-song manner. Translated from Italian, basso cantante means melodious bass.
Roles:
Dosifey - Khovanshchina (Modest Mussorgsky)
Prince Ivan Khovansky - Khovanshchina (Modest Mussorgsky)
Salieri - Mozart and Salieri (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Ivan Susanin - Life for the Tsar (Glinka)
Miller - Mermaid (Dargomyzhsky)
Ruslan - Rulan and Lyudmila (Glinka)
Duke Bluebeard, Bluebeard's Castle (Bela Bartok)
Don Pizarro, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Count Rodolfo, La sonnambula (Vincenzo Bellini)
Blitch, Susannah (Carlisle Floyd)
Mephistopheles, Faust (Charles Gounod)
Don Alfonso, Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Leporello, Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Figaro, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Boris, Boris Godunov (Modest Mussorgsky)
Don Basilio Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioachino Rossini)
Silva, Ernani (Giuseppe Verdi
Philip II, Don Carlos (Giuseppe Verdi)
Count Walter, Luisa Miller (Giuseppe Verdi)
Zaccaria, Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi)
Singers:
Norman Allin
Adamo Didur
Pol Plancon
Feodor Chaliapin
Ezio Pinza
Tancredi Pasero
Ruggero Raimondi
Samuel Ramey
Cesare Siepi
Hao Jiang Tian
Jose van Dam
Ildebrando D" Arcangelo
High dramatic bass
German name: HoherbassEnglish translation: Dramatic Bass-baritone
Range: from "mi" of the major octave to "fa" of the first
Roles:
Boris, Varlaam - Boris Godunov (Modest Mussorgsky)
Klingsor, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
Wotan Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
Caspar, Der Freischutz (Carl Maria von Weber)
Philip, Don Carlo (Giuseppe Verdi)
Singers:
Theo Adam
Hans Hotter
Marcel Journal
Alexander Kipnis
Boris Christoff
Cesare Siepi
Fyodor Chaliapin
Mark Reizen
Nikolai Ghiaurov
Young bass
German name: Jugendlicher BassEnglish translation: Young bass
Range: from "mi" of the major octave to "fa" of the first
Description: young bass (meaning age).
Roles:
Leporello, Masetto, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Figaro, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Varlaam, Boris Godunov (Modest Mussorgsky)
Colline, La boheme (Giacomo Puccini)
Lyrical comic bass
German name: SpielbassItalian name: Bassbuffo
English translation: Lyric comic bass
Range: from "mi" of the major octave to "fa" of the first
Roles:
Farlaf - Ruslan and Lyudmila (Glinka)
Varangian Guest (Sadko, Rimsky-Korsakov)
Don Pasquale, Don Pasquale (Gaetano Donizetti)
Dottor Dulcamara, L "elisir d"amore (Gaetano Donizetti)
Don Bartolo, Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioachino Rossini)
Don Basilio, Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioachino Rossini)
Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola (Gioachino Rossini)
Mephistopheles, Faust (Charles Gounod)
Don Alfonso, Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Leporello, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Singers:
Luigi Lablache
Fernando Corena
Ferruccio Furlanetto
Dramatic buffo
German name: Schwerer SpielbassEnglish translation: Dramatic comic bass
Range:
Khan Konchak - Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin)
Varangian Guest - Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Baculus, Der Wildschütz (Albert Lortzing)
Ferrando, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
Daland, Der fliegende Holländer (Richard Wagner)
Pogner, Die Meistersinger (Richard Wagner)
Hunding, Die Walküre (Richard Wagner)
Low Bass
German name: Lyric Serioser Bass
Italian name: Basso Profundo
English translation: Low bass
Range: from "C" of the major octave to "F" of the first
Description: bass profundo is the lowest male voice. According to J.B. Steane, which he cited in his book “Voices, Singers, and Critics” by J. B. Steane, this voice uses sound production that excludes fast vibrato. It has a dense, pounding timbre. Singers sometimes use other types of vibrato: slow or "frightening" swing.
Roles:
Rocco, Fidelio (Ludwig von Beethoven)
Osmin, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Sarastro, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Pimen - Boris Godunov (Modest Mussorgsky)
Sobakin - The Tsar's Bride (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Prince Yuri - The Legend of Kitezh (Rimsky-Korsakov)
King René - Iolanta (Tchaikovsky)
Prince Gremin - Eugene Onegin (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
Singers:
Matti Salminen
Low dramatic bass
German name: Dramatic Series BassEnglish translation: Dramatic low bass
Range: from "C" of the major octave to "F" of the first
Description: powerful bass profundo.
Roles:
Vladimir Yaroslavich, Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin)
Hagen, Götterdämmerung (Richard Wagner)
Heinrich, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
Gurnemanz, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
Fafner, Das Rheingold, Siegfried (Richard Wagner)
Marke, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)
Hunding, Die Walküre (Richard Wagner)
Singers:
Ivar Andresen
Gottlob Frick
Kurt Moll
Martti Talvela
SOPRANO(female high) - S (Soprano)
ALTO(female low) - A (Alt, Alto)
TENOR(male high) - T (Tenor)
BASS(male low) - B (Bass)
In turn, each of these voices can be divided into several more, then this will be called division (divisi) - see the section Choral terms. And they will be called, for example, first sopranos and second sopranos, first basses and second basses, etc.
Women's(from top to bottom): coloratura soprano, lyric-coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, dramatic soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto)
Men's(from top to bottom): tenor, baritone, bass. Each of them can have varieties.
Below we will look at each of the voices separately. For each voice, the sound range is also indicated. Because This question interests many choir artists, so we have also included this data in a separate table. But at the same time, I would like to draw attention to the fact that these ranges are more applicable to professional singers than to amateurs.
In our terminological dictionary, we did not allow ourselves to give all the meanings of words. We consider the meanings of the word only from the vocal or choral sense (for example, the word Viola can also mean a bowed instrument of the violin family - these are the meanings of words that we immodestly allowed ourselves to omit)
So, here's our little terminology guide to voices. The terms are arranged alphabetically.
ALTO(Latin altus - high; in Middle Ages music it was performed above the tenor leading the main melody) -
1) Part in the choir or ensemble, comp. from low children or middle and short wives. voices (mezzo-soprano - first altos, contralto - second altos); range from fa is small. Oct. to fa 2nd Oct. (above - very rarely), most commonly used. salt (la) small Oct. - E-flat (E) 2nd Oct.
BARITONE(Greek - heavy-sounding) - Male of medium height. voice; A-flat (G) range is large. Oct. - A-flat 1st Oct.; transitional registers. note D sharp (D) 1st Oct.
There are lyrical baritone (approaching tenor in lightness of sound) and dramatic baritone (close in breadth and power to bass), with intermediate shades between them.
In the choir, baritones are included in the first bass part; range G large octave - F 1st octave (higher very rarely, mostly in unison with tenors)
BASS(Italian basso - low) -
There are high basses (cantante - melodious), central and profundo (deep) - low (they are also called Octavist Bass. A special, rarely found, variety of the lowest bass; the name Octavis is usually applied to choral singers (in solo singing - bass profundo ) Octavists sing an octave below the bass (in rare cases, descending to the F counter-octave). Octavists are most often used in a chord structure, with a quiet sound. The acoustic effect of the participation of octavists is the merging of the sounds of the chord, which is, as it were, relative to the main tone. overtones (therefore, it is most natural to use Octavists when singing the bases of major triads). Octavists should be used carefully, taking into account the instructions of the composer and the style of the production.)
2) Part in the choir or wok. ensemble; composed of baritones and basses themselves; range (without octavists) F of the major octave (rare below) - F of the 1st octave, the most common G of the major octave is D (E-flat) of the 1st octave. The use of octavists extends the range of the bass line down an octave. Bass part - harmonic. the foundation of the choir, hence the need for its intonation. stability and sonority. At the same time, it must have mobility, flexibility in dynamics. attitude, which is also beneficial for the purity of intonation.
TREBLE(from Latin dis - prefix meaning dismemberment, cantus - singing) -
2) Part in the choir or wok. ensemble, performed by high children's voices.
COLORATURA(from Latin coloro - color) - fast virtuosic passages (scales, arpeggias) and melismas that decorate the vocal part. Coloratura was often used in ancient choral music (starting from the Renaissance), in Bach, Handel, in Russian. church concert of the 18th century In modern choral works it is sometimes used as a figurative device. Coloratura is also the ability of the voice to move (hence the term coloratura soprano). Virtuoso mobility of any choral voice (including bass) is desirable in every qualified choir; it helps develop ease of sound and accuracy of intonation.
CONTRALTO(Italian contralto - low female voice; range from F of the small octave (lower - rarely and predominantly in folk choirs) to F2. Transitional notes E1 (F1), C-sharp2 (D)2; in the choir - part of the second altos . Sometimes used in unison with tenors as a kind of vocal color or to support high tenor notes, since this changes the timbre of the tenor part, the latter cannot serve as a rule, but rather an exception.
Mezzo-Soprano(Italian mezzo - average) - average female voice. The A range is small. Oct. - la2 (rarely higher). There are high (lyric) mezzo-soprano, whose sound is close to soprano, and low, which is close to contralto. Transitional register notes F-sharp1 (F1) - D-sharp2 (D2). In the choir, mezzo-sopranos make up the part of 1 alto, in the 3-voice female. chorus, depending on the specific conditions are included in the party of the 2nd or 3rd vote.
MIXT(from Latin mixtus - mixed) - the register of the singing voice, transitional between the chest and head (falsetto) registers; characterized by greater softness and lightness compared to the chest register and greater richness and sonority than falsetto. A well-produced voice requires a mixture of the main registers (chest and head) throughout the entire range, and the head sound increases in the upward direction. In Mixed music, the male voice has a predominant chest sound, while the female voice has a head-like sound. The role of the Mixt is especially important for the male voices of the choir; in particular, for tenors, the sounds of the 1st octave should be mixed.
SOPRANO(from Italian sopra - above, above) -
1) The highest female, children's (also treble) voice. The range is up to 1 - up to 3, occasionally there are higher (sol 3) and low (a small octave) sounds. There are 3 main varieties of Soprano: dramatic (characterized by fullness and strength of sound), lyrical (softer) and coloratura (characterized by mobility, ability to reach high notes, pronounced vibrato; not used in choirs). There are also intermediate types (lyric-dramatic and lyric-coloratura). Transitional register notes mi1 - fa1 and fa2 (F-sharp2).
2) The highest part in the choir or vok. ensemble, consisting of lyrical (first Soprano) and dramatic (second Soprano) voices; range up to 1 (rarely below) - up to 3, the most used ones are re1 - sol2 (la2).
The soprano part is the most important in the choir, since (in homophonic-harmonic music) it is most often assigned the melody; hence the need for it to be dynamic. flexibility, mobility, beauty of timbre.
TENOR(Italian, from Latin teneo - hold) -
2) High male singing voice. Range up to a small octave - up to 2; transition register note (between the chest and head registers) F - F-sharp1. Notated in treble clef (an octave higher than the actual sound), in bass and tenor clefs.
The main varieties of T.: lyrical (tenore di grazia), dramatic (tenore di forza), as well as the middle one between them - mezzo-characteristic - and the rare Tenor-altino (with a developed upper register - above C2). In the choir, the Tenor lyric and altino make up the first part, the rest - the second. Due to the frequent use of high tessitura in choirs (especially in men's choirs), the ability of tenors to use falsetto and mixed voice is important.
FALSETTO(from Italian falso - false), fistula is one of the registers of the male singing voice (upper), in which only the head resonator is used, isolated from the chest; The vocal cords do not close tightly and fluctuate at the edges, resulting in a weak, colorless falsetto sound. In solo singing, falsetto is used occasionally as a kind of color. In choral singing, falsetto is used when learning high notes, on PP, when the conductor sets the tone. Some tenors, performing extremely high notes, use a “voiced” falsetto, approaching a mixed voice: such voices are very useful for a choir. The ability to use falsetto is mandatory for singers (for the sake of “saving the voice”) and for the conductor.
Singing voice range table:
Choir voices:| Voice | Range |
| Coloratura soprano | up to 1 - up to 3, occasionally higher ones occur (salt 3) |
| Lyric soprano | |
| Dramatic soprano | do1 - do3, occasionally there are higher (sol3) and low (a small octave) sounds; most commonly used re1 - sol2 (la2) |
| Mezzo-soprano | la small Oct. - la2 (rarely higher) |
| Contralto | from fa small Oct. (below - rarely and predominantly in folk choirs) to F2 |
| Lyric tenor | up to small Oct. - up to 2 |
| Dramatic tenor | up to small Oct. - up to 2 |
| Tenor-altino | tenor with a developed upper register - above C2 |
| Baritone | A-flat (sol) major. Oct. - A-flat 1st Oct. |
| Bass | fa big Oct. - fa 1st Oct. |
| Bass profundo | sing an octave below the bass (in rare cases, going down to F counter-octave) |
The selection and arrangement of materials was prepared by T.A. Fedotova.
The following publications were used: Romanovsky N.V. Choral Dictionary. Kruntyaeva T., Molokova N. Dictionary of foreign musical terms