Baritone

Related Topics:
Baritones

This is an article on the voice type. For information about the musical instrument, see Baritone horn. For other instruments, see Baritone instruments.

Baritone (French: baryton; German: Bariton; Italian: baritono) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. Originally from the Greek βαρυτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', it is typically written for in the range from A one octave and a third below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. A2-F4 or A-f¹), Vocal ranges, Yale University Music Library, accessed June 3, 2006 though it can be extended at either end. In addition to describing a voice, baritone can also be used as a descriptive classifier for certain types of instruments, such as the Baritone horn or Baritone saxophone.

Classification

While baritone refers to a type of male voice, there are varying subtypes within the range of the baritone.

Dramatic baritone

A voice with a somewhat heavier, darker quality. This category corresponds roughly to the Heldenbariton in the German fach system except the Verdi baritones have been separated. Roles for this voice are also called bass-baritone and are typically dramatic in their tone. Roles such as these tend not to rise above an F so as not to extend past the accepted top of the baritone range.

Lyric baritone

A voice that is lighter and perhaps mellower than the dramatic baritone. It is probably the most common of the baritone voice types and is typically assigned to comic roles.

Verdi baritone

A more specialized voice category, Verdi baritone refers to a voice capable of singing consistently and with ease in the highest part of the baritone range, sometimes even up to the A natural above middle C.

The baryton-noble

French for noble baritone and describes a part that requires a noble bearing, smooth vocalisation and forceful declamation, all in perfect balance. This category originated in the Paris Opéra, but it greatly influenced Verdi (Don Carlo in Ernani and La forza del destino; Count Luna in Il trovatore; Simon Boccanegra) and Wagner as well (Wotan; Amfortas).

The Martin baritone

A lighter, almost tenor-like voice developed at the Opéra Comique. Quite common in operetta and in French chamber music.

History

The first use of the term "baritone" emerged as baritonans late in the 15th century, Franchino Gaffurio, Practica musicae, liber tertius, 1496 usually in French sacred polyphonic music. At this early stage it was frequently used as the lowest of the voices (including the bass), but in 17th century Italy the term was all-encompassing and used to describe the average male choral voice.

The baritone took the range we know today in the beginning of the 18th century but was still referred to as bass until the 19th century; many works of the 18th century have roles marked as bass that in reality are baritone roles, such as Figaro and Count Almaviva from Le nozze di Figaro or many of Handel's works.

19th century

The bel canto style of singing that had been so popular in the early 19th century gave rise to the acceptance of the baritone as a separate voice part from the bass. Traditionally, bass roles tended towards father figures like the king or the high priest, but with the more fluid baritone voice the roles expanded toward traditionally tenor roles of romantic leads or trusted companions as well as villains.

The early 19th century development of the baritone in opera was primarily due to the bel canto style, with Donizetti, Bellini and of course Verdi opening up new avenues of performance for male voice. There are occasional references to additional baritone subtypes such as the high baritone (French: baryton Martin, after Jean-Blaise Martin Dolmetsch Online, Music Dictionary Vm-Vz, accessed May 28, 2006), the Heldenbaritone of Wagner's operas and the Verdi baritone. A slightly higher voice type of period was the Hoher Bass, but the term is applied more often to the bass-baritone instead of the baritone proper. Lyric baritones made strides in art song and oratorio during this period as well, with Schubert favoring several baritones for his music, in particular Johann Michael Vogl. Charles K. Moss, Franz Peter Schubert: Master of Song, accessed May 28, 2006

Use of the baritone in operetta became the domain of lighter voices and were typically comic parts in the tradition of the buffo bass, a typical characterization by Gilbert and Sullivan in many of their productions, but French composers such as Massenet and Offenbach used them to great effect as villains in Manon and Les contes d'Hoffmann, respectively. OPERA-L, Tenor buffo - Offenbach, accessed May 29, 2006

20th century

The 20th century led to even more opportunities for baritones than before. New operas such as Pelleas et Melisande featured two baritones, Jean Périer and Hector Dufranne, who had differing vocal qualities. Singers such as Giuseppe De Luca, Mario Sammarco and Titta Ruffo also made great strides in originating many 20th century baritone roles; Leo Schützendorf premiered the title role in Wozzeck Lebrecht Music and Art Library, Outside theatre before premiere of Wozzeck, accessed May 29, 2006 in addition to his performances of Boris Godunov, Beckmesser, Faninal, and Mefistofele.

Characteristic of the Wagnerian baritones of the mid-20th century was a general progression of a single singer from higher lyrical bass to lower bass-baritone and bass roles, such as Hans Hotter; over 60 years, he created the Comandant in Strauss's Friedenstag and Olivier in Capriccio and was widely hailed in the 1950s as the top Wagner bass-baritone in the world.

One of the foremost Verdi baritones, Mariano Stabile sang Falstaff at La Scala in the 1920s and performed Iago, Rigoletto and Scarpia. He was followed by Tito Gobbi, who was regarded as an actor capable of both powerfully comic and tragic performances. He learned over 100 roles in his lifetime and was mostly known for his roles in Verdi and Puccini operas, including performances as Scarpia opposite Maria Callas as Tosca at Covent Garden.

Gobbi's frequent collaborator Geraint Evans, a Welsh baritone, first sang the role of Falstaff at Glyndebourne and created the roles of Mr. Flint and Mountjoy. In addition to work in several pieces of Benjamin Britten's, many consider his best work to be Wozzeck. The next significant Welsh baritone was Bryn Terfel, who made his premiere at Glyndebourne in 1990. Deutsche Grammophon, Bryn Terfel's Biographical Timeline, accessed May 28, 2006

Despite the European dominance of classical singing, American baritones Lawrence Tibbett, Leonard Warren and Robert Merrill became renowned singers in their own right. Continuing the success of these singers was Sherrill Milnes, who in addition to becoming famed for his Verdi performances was as just as successful in French opera including Hamlet.

The leading Italian Verdi baritone of the 1970s and 1980s was Piero Cappuccilli, while Britain's Thomas Allen was considered the most versatile baritone of his generation in regards to repretoire, spanning the literature from Mozart to Verdi, French, Russian and modern English music. Many other 20th century baritones became widely noted for their interpretations of Verdi's works, including Britain's Thomas Allen, and one of the first singers from the former USSR, Vladimir Chernov.

In the realm of French literature, few surpassed the interpretation of Gérard Souzay, whose range spanned from the Baroque works of Lully to modern composers like Poulenc. Pierre Bernac, Souzay's teacher, was a primary interpreter of Poulenc's songs. Others excelling in the style include Australian John Brownlee and Russia's Sergey Leiferkus.

Prior to World War II, Germans Heinrich Schlusnus, Gerhard Hüsch and Herbert Janssen, became celebrated for their lieder work. In addition, each one was noted for their onstage contributions to Verdi, Mozart and Wagner, respectively. After the end of the war, Hermann Prey and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau emerged as the most renowned. In addition to his interpretations of lieder and the works of Mozart, Prey displayed talent in pieces by Verdi, Strauss and Wagner as well. Fischer-Dieskau created several new roles as well as performing in the classical repertory. Younger German and Austrian lieder singers include Olaf Bär, Matthias Goerne, Wolfgang Holzman and Stephan Genz.

Popular music singers of the 20th century

Baritones are as at home in the world of popular music as they are in classical. On the Broadway stage, Alfred Drake (Kismet, Kiss me Kate and Oklahoma) and Robert Goulet (notable as Lancelot in Camelot) became especially known for their sound. For pop music interpreters, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole are just a few of the best-known baritones.

Barbershop baritone

In barbershop music, the baritone part sings in a similar but somewhat lower range to the lead (singing the melody), but has a specific and specialised role in the formation of the four-part harmony that characterises the style. Because barbershop singers can also be female, there is consequently such a singer (at least in barbershop singing) as a female baritone. The baritone singer is often the one required to support or 'fill' the bass sound (typically by singing the fifth above the bass root). On the other hand, the baritone will occasionally find himself harmonising above the melody, which calls for a tenor-like quality. Because of the nature of barbershop arrangements the baritone part is invariably the most challenging to learn and the hardest to improvise.

Notes

References

Owen Jander, J.B. Steane, Elizabeth Forbes/Ellen T. Harris (with Gerald Waldman): 'Baritone', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 24 Jan 2006), http://www.grovemusic.com

Vocal ranges

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