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Bass (vocal range)

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Vocal ranges

Female ranges

Male ranges

Bass

A bass (or basso in Italian) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. According to Grove Music Online a bass has a range extending from around the F below Low C to the E above middle C (ie F2-E4). <ref>OWEN JANDER, LIONEL SAWKINS, J. B. STEANE, ELIZABETH FORBES: 'Bass', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 14 June 2006), <http://www.grovemusic.com></ref> The Harvard Dictionary of Music defines the range as being from the E below low c to middle c (ie E2-C4). <ref name="yaleshowingharvardmusicinfo">Ranges Guide - Yale University Music Library, taken from the Harvard Dictionary of Music [1]</ref> It is also common for men who are classified as "basses" (and have a full bass choral range) to have a speaking voice which may sound much higher than would be expected. Most seasoned basses also can train a very versatile falsetto making their usefulness in a choral arrangement even more welcome.

1 Bass roles in opera
2 Bass roles in operettas
3 Bass roles in musicals
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Bass roles in opera

Common vocal ranges represented
on a musical keyboard

In classical music, and particularly in opera, the following distinctions are often made among different kinds of bass voices:

[edit] Basso Profondo

Basso profondo in English, is a particularly deep (profondo means deep). It may reach the D, C or even B flat below the bass clef, but is most distinguished by its dark and cavernous timbre. This kind of bass typically plays an older man. In Russian choir or music sung by Buddhist monks it is even one octave lower than normal bass range.
Roles:
- Sarastro, The Magic Flute/Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. <ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/>
- Grand Inquisitor, Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi. <ref name="bbccardifftwokone">Bass Guide - BBC link</ref>
- Osmin, Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. <ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/>
- Hagen, Götterdämmerung by Wagner. <ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/>

[edit] Basso Cantante

Basso Cantante means 'singing'.<ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/> Basso cantante is a more lyrical voice.
Roles:
- Boris, Boris Godunov by Musorgsky<ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/>
- Count Rodolfo, La Sonnambula by Bellini <ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/>
- Philip II, Don Carlos by Verdi<ref name="bbccardifftwokone"/>
- Zaccaria, Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi.^{[citation needed]}
- Mephistofeles, Faust by Charles Gounod.^{[citation needed]}