Basso
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Template:Vocal range A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. A typical bass has a range extending from around the F below the bottom of the bass clef to the E above middle C. Bass also used to refer to a low speaking voice.
In classical music, and particularly in opera, the following distinctions are often made among different kinds of bass voices:
- Basso profondo (frequently misspelled basso profundo or French basse noble) is a particularly deep and resonant voice. It may reach the B below the bass clef, but is most distinguished by its dark and cavernous timbre. A typical role in opera is Sarastro from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.
- Basso cantante (French basse chantante) is a lighter, more lyrical voice, perhaps with a slightly higher range. A typical role in opera is Escamillo from Bizet's Carmen.
- Basso buffo literally means "comic bass." It is used to describe operatic roles that do not call for lyrical, elaborate singing but do require a strong comic acting ability. A typical role in opera is Bartolo from Mozart's opera Le Nozze di Figaro.
- Bass-baritone is a voice with the resonant low notes of the typical bass but with the ability to sing in a baritonal tessitura. Sometimes it also refers to a voice with a range and tone somewhere between a bass and a baritone.
List
The following is a partial list of well-known bassos:
- Kurt Böhme
- Feodor Chaliapin
- Boris Christoff
- Ezio Pinza
- Nicolai Ghiaurov
- Kurt Moll
- Samuel Ramey
- Thurl Ravenscroft
- Ivan Rebroff
- Paul Robeson
- Franco Ventriglia
- Willard White
External link
- BBC Guide to the singing voice (http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger01/guide.shtml?voice)