Basso

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
• Ivan Rebroff
• Paul Robeson
• Franco Ventriglia
• Willard White

External link

• BBC Guide to the singing voice