Vocal weight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vocal weight refers to a voice's ability to handle changes in vocal dynamic. Weight is often determined by the thickness of the vocal cords. All voices can sing loudly or softly to some degree, but different voices handle changes in dynamic differently. A voice can be said to have a dramatic or lyric quality.
The fach system exists so singers are able to sing roles at an appropriate timbre and weight, so they will be heard in a theatre without having microphones. Fach is often contested over, and there are many singers who can sing roles outside of their fach.
Contents |
[edit] Female voices
[edit] Soprano categories
[edit] Coloratura
A type of decoration of a singers style which a soprano may choose to sing with or possess naturally:
- Coloratura - See coloratura for more information. There are a few subtypes:
- Lyric - A light soprano and ability for coloratura. Sings roles like Lakmé, The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) and Olympia (Tales of Hoffmann), though sometimes lyric coloraturas cover dramatic coloratura roles as well. Soul music lyric coloraturas adlib, employ runs, trills, and melismatic singing and sing well above High C. Examples would be Edita Gruberova, Natalie Dessay Patrizia Ciofi and Regine Velasquez.
- Dramatic - Is powerful enough to sound dramatic, but unlike many other voice types, agility is not compromised and so, can execute vocal acrobatics and melismas. Can span at least three octaves and can sustain coloratura. In classical music, it can sing over the orchestra with ease and agility in roles like Bellini's Norma. Examples are Joan Sutherland and Maria Callas.
- Soubrette - A very light yet bright, sweet soprano voice, that is best in the middle voice. The roles a soubrette plays are usually fun, flirty characters like Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro), and Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier). Soubrette roles are often covered by light lyrics and lyric coloratura's as well. In popular music, a soubrette can be considered a female soprano that sings best in middle voice with no strenuous vocal dynamics. Examples include Kathleen Battle, Barbara Bonney, Ileana Cotrubaş, and Alison Hagley.
- Lyric - This voice is smooth and mellow. When a Lyric voice becomes loud, it can sound strenuous or very pushed. As a result, it does not like to sing loudly frequently. Agility and crisp diction are its strong points. In opera, characters with lyric voices are generally more vulnerable. The voice usually consists of a warm, full, graceful sound which can be heard over an orchestra. Subcategories of this would be full lyric and light lyric. Full lyrics have fairly heavier voices and sing roles like Mimi (La Bohème) or Violetta (La Traviata). Lighter lyrics, which can often be covered by soubrettes, cover roles like Pamina (The Magic Flute). Examples of full lyric soprano would be Mirella Freni and Anna Netrebko. Lighter lyric would be someone like Nicole Cabell or Dorothea Röschmann.
- Spinto - This voice has a more robust and full sound compared to a lyric voice. It can be pushed (hence its Italian name) to dramatic climaxes, but also has a very lyric quality. It handles vocal dynamic changes very well. In opera this voice is often considered a "baby" dramatic; a larger voice but not quite to the level of dramatic. Many spintos will develop into dramatics later into their careers. An example of a spinto role is Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni).
- Dramatic - This voice can sing over the orchestra, the choir, and any other accompaniments. As the vocal chords are thicker, agility is usually compromised. Singers who are classified as having dramatic voices have very strong and vigorous singing voices. In opera, characters with dramatic voices are usually strong, heroic, and frequently tragic. A very powerful and large voice which can be heard over full orchestras; sings Verdi or German roles such as the two Leonoras (Il Trovatore and La Forza del Destino), Turandot, Isolde (Tristan und Isolde), and Brünnhilde (Der Ring des Nibelungen). Examples of dramatic sopranos would be Helen Traubel, Kirsten Flagstad, Astrid Varnay, Birgit Nilsson and Deborah Voigt.
- Lighter dramatics sing roles like Elsa (Lohengrin), Senta (The Flying Dutchman), and Chrysothemis (Elektra). Some prominent singers are Lotte Lehmann, Leonie Rysanek, and Nina Stemme.
[edit] Mezzo soprano categories
Mezzos have similar ranges to sopranos, but darker timbres. The following subcategories apply to them:
- Lyric - A lighter, smaller mezzo voice. Can have a range up to, or even above High C, but has difficulties singing above an orchestra and often has a metallic tonal quality in the upper register. Can often sing breeches roles like Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, but can also sing roles like Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor and Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte. Some examples would be: Frederica von Stade, Jennifer Larmore, Anne-Sofie von Otter, and Susan Graham.
- Dramatic - Fuller sound than a lyric mezzo, often with a somewhat lower range, but the voice itself is larger. Can sing above an orchestra, chorus and so on with ease. Sings roles like Amneris in Aida, the Kostelnicka in Jenufa, Dalila in Samson et Dalila, and the title role of Carmen. Some examples would be Christa Ludwig, Marilyn Horne, and Dolora Zajick.
Mezzo sopranos can also be coloraturas; Rossini especially liked to employ mezzo coloratura in his operas, such as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the title role in Tancredi. There are also great coloratura mezzo roles in Baroque opera, such as 'Ruggiero' in Alcina. Some great coloratura mezzos are Teresa Berganza, Cecilia Bartoli, and Vesselina Kasarova.
- German Dramatic - Sing mezzo parts in Wagner's and Richard Strauss' operas such as 'Klytämnestra' in Elektra, 'Herodias' in Salome and the 2nd Norn in Der Ring des Niebelungen. Many German dramatic mezzos start out their career as German dramatic sopranos. Some prominent examples are Astrid Varnay, Leonie Rysanek, Anja Silja.
[edit] Alto categories
Alto's (also called Contralto's) have lower ranges and tessitura than Mezzo's or Soprano's.
- Contralto - Deep and dark voice; true contraltos are very rare. They sing roles like Azucena in Il Trovatore, Erda in Das Rheingold, Penelope in Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, and Public Opinion in Orphée aux Enfers. Prominent classical examples of this vocal type are Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Marian Anderson, and Ewa Podles.
[edit] Male voices
Male voices can be divided into counter-tenor, tenor, baritone and bass.
[edit] Counter-tenor
Counter-tenors have the highest male voice range and generally sing roles written for castrato such as the title role in Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Farnace in Mitridate, Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea and Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice. They sing exclusively in the falsetto voice. Some prominent counter-tenors are David Daniels, Brian Asawa, and Jean-Paul Fouchecourt.
[edit] Tenor categories
- Leggiero - The male equivalent of a lyric coloratura, this tenor voice is very light and is capable of reaching high notes. Roles include Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Gerald in Lakmé, Tonio in La fille du régiment, and Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte. An example of a tenor leggiero would be Gregory Kunde.
- Lyric - A strong yet not heavy voice with range up to C5. Sings roles like Rodolfo in La Boheme, Argirio in Tancredi, and The Duke in Rigoletto. An example of a classic lyric tenor would be Luciano Pavarotti, Ramon Vargas, and Salvatore Licitra.
- Spinto - Heavier than a lyric but not quite a dramatic. Sings roles like Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, the title role in Werther, and Don José in Carmen. Some prominent spintos include Alfredo Kraus and Roberto Alagna.
- Heldentenor ("heroic tenor") - A rich, powerful, and dramatic voice capable of reaching the low G or A below Middle C and effortlessly executing the Tenor C (or B one step below). As its name implies, the Heldentenor vocal fach is usually featured in musico-drama settings, and in the German Romantic operatic repertoire in particular (especially in the works of Wagner and in Beethoven's Florestan). Ben Heppner is considered the premier Heldentenor of the present generation; prominent Heldentenors of past decades include Lauritz Melchior, Hans Hotter, and Jon Vickers. The keystone of any heldentenor's repertoire is arguably Wagner's Siegfried, an extremely demanding role requiring a wide vocal range, great stamina, and extended dramatic suspension. In the dramatic Italian operatic repertoire, Verdi's Otello also stands out as a demanding test of the Heldentenor's abilities.
[edit] Baritone Categories
- Lyric - High tessitura and lighter voice, quite often a comic character. Examples would be Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, and Escamillo in Carmen. Examples of this voice type would be Simon Keenlyside and Teddy Tahu Rhodes.
- Dramatic - Lower tessitura than a lyric, rich and full voice. Sings roles like the title character of Rigoletto.
[edit] Bass Categories
- Lyric - Has agility but also a deep tone. Roles are often sung by lyric baritones and vice-versa. Example roles would be both Figaro roles and Leporello in Don Giovanni. Examples of this type of singer would be Lorenzo Regazzo and Bryn Terfel.
- Heavy - Very dark and deep. An example role would be Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. Example: René Pape.
[edit] Miscellaneous male voice categories
- Profondo - A rich and deep, extremely dark dramatic male bass voice capable of executing notes at or lower than C2, C two octaves below Middle C.
- Baritenor - a voice having a range between that of a tenor and a baritone; a lower tessitura than that of a true tenor but one higher than a true baritone.
