| 1 | In [[TheMusical modern musical theatre]], just as in {{Opera}} before it, certain types of roles are commonly associated with certain vocal ranges. While these vocal range cliches differ depending on the style of the show (more rock- or pop-oriented musicals lean toward tenors and alto/mezzo belters across the board), these generally seem to hold up pretty strong. Most of these associations do indeed stem from similar associations in opera, and especially in operetta, which is where American musicals developed from in the first place. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | The six major vocal categories, from highest to lowest ranges, are: |
| 4 | * Female voices |
| 5 | ** Soprano |
| 6 | ** Mezzo-soprano |
| 7 | ** Alto |
| 8 | * Male voices |
| 9 | ** Tenor |
| 10 | ** Baritone |
| 11 | ** Bass |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Also, singing in opera requires a very different technique than pop singers and musical theatre singers; opera has existed since long before microphones and sound systems and opera singers therefore are trained to use easily ten times the breath support and voice projection that pop singers are trained to use to ensure that their voices can be heard without microphones over a full orchestra. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | To further complicate matters, each vocal category has its own subcategories, similar to how wrestlers and boxers are categorized (featherweight, lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight) based on the type of music and the volume of the orchestra; in opera, the most basic subcategories for each voice category can be divided thus: |
| 16 | * Light Lyric (lightweight): Sweet, light but not weak, can be heard over smaller orchestras. There is a special type of Soprano called a Soubrette (featherweight) which is even lighter, bubbly and a bit warmer in timbre. |
| 17 | * Full Lyric (middleweight): richer, and smooth. Can be heard over most orchestrations, but not too heavy. |
| 18 | * Dramatic (heavyweight): Powerful, heavy, metallic, and emotive. Can and must be heard over very heavy orchestrations. *Too many singers have ruined their voices and prematurely ended their careers trying to sing roles that are too heavy for their voices*. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Beyond that, there are two additional subcategories shared by multiple voice types. The first is the spinto voice, found amongst tenors and sopranos. Coming from the Italian phrase "lirico-spinto" (meaning "pushed lyric"), this voice combines the range and bright tone of the full lyric voice, but with a weight that can support dramatic passages with less sustaining power than the dramatic voice. Spinto is effectively "light-heavyweight". |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Furthermore, all three female voice types share the other subcategory: the coloratura. The main attribute of the coloratura singer is her vocal agility - rapid trills, large gaps between successive notes and various other forms of ornamentation are all par for the course. Since they specialise in vocal acrobatics, coloratura singers can have either lyric or dramatic vocal tone. |
| 23 | ---- |
| 24 | !!Voice Types and Examples: |
| 25 | %%% |
| 26 | %% |
| 27 | %% NOTE: Under notable roles, try to limit entries to roles that are generally agreed to be said voice parts. Roles with very contested ranges should be kept to a minimum. |
| 28 | %% |
| 29 | %%%% |
| 30 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[folder: Soprano]] |
| 33 | '''Sopranos''' are almost always TheIngenue and/or SatelliteLoveInterest and/or PurityPersonified -- InnocentSoprano is a whole trope built around this (''[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant not]]'' characters from [[Series/TheSopranos the series of the same name]]). When they're not, they're still more often than not the romantic lead. They may also be a DefrostingIceQueen like Sarah Brown in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'' or Marion Paroo in ''Theatre/TheMusicMan''. |
| 34 | |
| 35 | In opera, it is common that the main protagonist is a soprano, whereas supporting characters (friendly or antagonistic to the protagonist) are mezzo-sopranos or altos. A notable exception is ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'', by Bizet, where the main character, the sensual and volatile Carmen, is a mezzo-soprano, her best friends are a soprano and a mezzo, and her "antagonist", the sweet and pure Micaëla, is a soprano, playing with these voice characterizations. On the other hand, in Turandot, by Puccini, the ruthless princess Turandot and sweet, loyal Liu are both sopranos; Turandot is played by a dramatic soprano (powerful and steely) while Liu is played by a lyric soprano (demure and sweet). Likewise, in Nabucco, by Verdi, the title character's treacherous daughter, Abigaille, is a soprano while his sweet, virtuous daughter, Fenena, is a mezzo-soprano. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Sopranos are also much rarer in rock musicals, because most rock music is not written for soprano vocalists. That is not to say, however, that all soprano roles are written for non-belters; parts in more contemporary musicals that fall within the soprano range, such as Eliza in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', are often belted. |
| 38 | |
| 39 | Other notable soprano roles: |
| 40 | * ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': |
| 41 | ** Christine Daae, in both musical adaptations of ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''. |
| 42 | ** Carlotta is a soprano too, though more of the Viking-helmet opera type. |
| 43 | * Johanna in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' |
| 44 | * Maria from ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' |
| 45 | * Rapunzel and Cinderella in ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' |
| 46 | * Cosette in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' |
| 47 | * Anne Egerman in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'' |
| 48 | * Rosa Bud in ''Theatre/{{Drood}}'' |
| 49 | * Julie Jordan and Carrie in ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'' |
| 50 | * Philia in ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' |
| 51 | * Penelope Pennywise from ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'' is a rare character actress variant. |
| 52 | * Guido's mother in ''Theatre/NineMusical'' |
| 53 | * Glinda in ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}''. Creator/KristinChenoweth (who originated the role) specializes in high-pitched singing with her "Cheno Notes". |
| 54 | * Laurey in ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}''. Ado Annie can be played by one as well, but she can also be a mezzo. |
| 55 | * Miss Dorothy in ''Film/ThoroughlyModernMillie''. |
| 56 | * As mentioned above, Sarah in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'' and Marian in ''Theatre/TheMusicMan''. |
| 57 | * Beth in ''Theatre/MerrilyWeRollAlong''. |
| 58 | * Sarah in ''Literature/{{Ragtime}}''. |
| 59 | * Phoebe (Soubrette) in ''Theatre/AGentlemansGuideToLoveAndMurder''. |
| 60 | * Ariel in ''Theatre/TheLittleMermaid'' |
| 61 | * Amalia Balash in ''Theatre/SheLovesMe''. |
| 62 | * Rosabella in ''Theatre/TheMostHappyFella''. |
| 63 | * Sophie in ''Theatre/MammaMia''. |
| 64 | * Eliza in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}''. |
| 65 | * Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and Mary Barrie in ''Finding Neverland''. |
| 66 | * Lili Daurier in ''Carnival!'' |
| 67 | * Lily in ''Theatre/TheSecretGarden''. |
| 68 | * Hope Harcourt in ''Theatre/AnythingGoes''. |
| 69 | * Young Allison Bechdel in ''Theatre/FunHome'' |
| 70 | * Anastasia in ''Theatre/{{Anastasia}}''. |
| 71 | * Natasha in ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'' |
| 72 | * Elisabeth/Sisi in ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}''. |
| 73 | * Sarah in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire''. |
| 74 | * Ich/the second Mrs. de Winter in ''Theatre/{{Rebecca}}'' qualifies, although the role has been played by mezzos. |
| 75 | * Missy in The Marvelous Wonderettes |
| 76 | * Jasmine in ''{{Theatre/Aladdin}}'' |
| 77 | * Jane Doe in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' |
| 78 | [[/folder]] |
| 79 | |
| 80 | [[folder:Mezzo-soprano]] |
| 81 | '''Mezzo-sopranos''', being in the most common vocal register for women, come in a wide variety of types. They can be a wide range of ages, although female characters over fifty tend to be altos more often than mezzos. The majority of mezzo singing, especially nowadays, is belting, and as such mezzos are especially common in pop- or rock-oriented musicals. Just as the leads in most operas are sopranos, the secondary female characters (commonly referred to as "witches, bitches and britches (cross-dressing roles)") are generally mezzos; this is not uncommon in modern musicals, where frequently the soprano will be the main love interest, and the mezzo her best friend or rival, a la Cosette and Eponine in ''Theatre/LesMiserables''. Also referred to in many productions as a "Belt" voice, for someone who can strongly sing passages in the middle and high register in her chest voice (rather than the soprano's lighter head voice.) Elphaba from ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' is prime example of this. |
| 82 | |
| 83 | Other famous mezzo-soprano roles: |
| 84 | * The eponymous role in ''Music/{{Evita}}'' |
| 85 | * Fantine, Madame Thenardier, and as previously mentioned, Eponine in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' - although Mme. Thenardier can be sung by an alto. |
| 86 | * The Baker's Wife, The Witch, Little Red in ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' |
| 87 | * Florence Vassey and Svetlana Sergievsky in ''Theatre/{{Chess}}'' |
| 88 | * Elphaba in ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' |
| 89 | * Hope Cladwell and Little Sally in ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'' |
| 90 | * Dot/Marie in ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge'' |
| 91 | * Kim and Ellen in ''Theatre/MissSaigon'' |
| 92 | * Carla Albanese and Lilliane la Fleur in ''Theatre/NineMusical'' |
| 93 | * Mary and Gussie in ''Theatre/MerrilyWeRollAlong'' |
| 94 | * Helena Landless and the [[GenderBender eponymous role]] in ''Theatre/{{Drood}}'' |
| 95 | * Petra and Charlotte in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'' |
| 96 | * Lucille Frank in ''Theatre/{{Parade|1998}}'' |
| 97 | * Diana and Natalie in ''Theatre/NextToNormal'' |
| 98 | * Madame Giry and Meg Giry in ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' |
| 99 | * Both Sarah and Magda in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire'', though both have been played by sopranos. |
| 100 | * Rosemary, Hedy, Smitty and all of the girls in ''Theatre/HowToSucceedInBusinessWithoutReallyTrying''. |
| 101 | * The girls in ''Theatre/{{Rent}}'': Mimi, Maureen, and Joanne. |
| 102 | * Adelaide in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'' |
| 103 | * Millie in ''Theatre/ThoroughlyModernMillie''. |
| 104 | * Fanny Brice in ''Theatre/FunnyGirl'' |
| 105 | * Belle in ''Theatre/BeautyAndTheBeast'' |
| 106 | * Mrs. Lovett in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' |
| 107 | * Oolie/Donna, Alaura/Carla, and Mallory/Avril in ''Theatre/CityOfAngels''. |
| 108 | * Mother, Emma Goldman in ''Literature/{{Ragtime}}''. |
| 109 | * Nettie in ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}''. |
| 110 | * Sibella in ''Theatre/AGentlemansGuideToLoveAndMurder''. |
| 111 | * Mary Poppins in ''Film/MaryPoppins'' but the role can and has been played by a Soprano, as it goes up to a high C. |
| 112 | * Louise in ''Theatre/{{Gypsy}}''. |
| 113 | * Lady Thiang in ''Theatre/TheKingAndI'' but the role can be played by an Alto. |
| 114 | * Angelica in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}''. |
| 115 | * Esmeralda in the ''Theatre/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. |
| 116 | * Martha in ''Theatre/TheSecretGarden''. |
| 117 | * Nabalungi in ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon''. |
| 118 | * Peggy Sawyer in ''Film/FortySecondStreet'' but the role can be played by a high soprano as well. |
| 119 | * All of the females in ''Theatre/{{Heathers}}'' are generally mezzo-sopranos, though Heather [=McNamara=] and Martha are sometimes classified as sopranos, and Veronica is sometimes classified as an alto. |
| 120 | * Sonya and Princess Mary in ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812''. |
| 121 | * Cindy Lou and Suzy in The Marvelous Wonderettes |
| 122 | * Sandy and Pearl in ''Theatre/TheSpongebobMusical'' |
| 123 | * Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' |
| 124 | * Anita from ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' |
| 125 | [[/folder]] |
| 126 | |
| 127 | [[folder:Alto/Contralto]] |
| 128 | '''Altos''' or '''Contraltos''' are the lowest female singers commonly heard. Unlike their male counterparts the basses, however, roles for altos are a bit more common, especially in rock musicals. In more traditional pieces, altos are frequently middle-aged leading women, though some of those are mezzos as well. The only role demographic altos have a firm hold over is for women over sixty - which in most shows means grandmothers like Mme. Armfeldt in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'' or Gran in ''Film/BillyElliot''. In the rare case that there is a female villain in a show, [[EvilSoundsDeep she will probably be]] [[AltoVillainess an alto.]] |
| 129 | |
| 130 | Other famous alto roles: |
| 131 | * Sally Bowles ''and'' Fraulein Schneider in ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}'' |
| 132 | * Mama Rose in ''Theatre/{{Gypsy}}'' |
| 133 | * Dolly Gallagher Levi in ''Theatre/HelloDolly'' Dolly sings so low that it is often joked that the role was written for a basso profundo. |
| 134 | * The female cast of ''Theatre/PassingStrange'' |
| 135 | * Luisa Contini and Sarraghina in ''Theatre/NineMusical'' |
| 136 | * Ilse in ''Theatre/SpringAwakening'' |
| 137 | * Mrs. Johnstone in ''Theatre/BloodBrothers'' |
| 138 | * Princess Puffer in ''Theatre/{{Drood}}'', and quite a low one too |
| 139 | * Rebecca in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire''. |
| 140 | * In addition to Mme Armfeldt, Desiree in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic''. |
| 141 | * Joanne in ''[[Theatre/CompanySondheim Company]]'' |
| 142 | * Mrs. Meers and Muzzy in ''Theatre/ThoroughlyModernMillie''. |
| 143 | * Aunt Eller in ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'' verges on female tenor, which is strikingly rare in any choral type but especially so in musical theater. |
| 144 | * Mame and Vera in ''Mame''. |
| 145 | * ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'': If a woman plays Pirelli, she falls in the contralto/female tenor range. |
| 146 | * Madame Morrible from ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'' is a contralto, and in "Thank Goodness" gets a ''very'' low note. |
| 147 | * Mary Magdalene in ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar.'' |
| 148 | * Bobbi/Gabby in ''Theatre/CityOfAngels''. One of the few love-interest contralto roles (she has a low d-flat on the cast recording!) |
| 149 | * [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Agent Clarice Starling]] from [[Theatre/SilenceTheMusical Silence! The Musical]] |
| 150 | * Mrs Du Maurier in Finding Neverland |
| 151 | * Morticia Addams from ''Theatre/TheAddamsFamily'' Musical. |
| 152 | * Middle Allison and Allison from Theatre/FunHome, but Middle Allison has some rather high notes. |
| 153 | * Ilona Ritter in ''Theatre/SheLovesMe''. |
| 154 | * The Dowager Empress in ''Anastasia''. |
| 155 | * Marya and Helene in ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812''. Marya could almost qualify for a female tenor. |
| 156 | * Persephone in ''Theatre/{{Hadestown}}''. |
| 157 | * Mrs. Danvers in ''Theatre/{{Rebecca}}''. |
| 158 | * Betty Jean in The Marvelous Wonderettes |
| 159 | * Constance Blackwood in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' |
| 160 | [[/folder]] |
| 161 | |
| 162 | [[folder:Counter-Tenor]] |
| 163 | '''Counter-Tenors''', also known as falsettists, are men who sing in their falsetto register, allowing them to enter the rarefied pitch-sphere normally reserved for women singers. Counter-tenor roles are rare outside of gospel and classical European opera-- most operatic counter-tenor roles were originally sung by '''castrati''' but are now performed by counter-tenors, women, or the very rare male sopranos, also known as sopranists (such as Michael Maniaci). Castrati were in fact not counter-tenors because they sang in the modal voice rather than the falsetto. For the same reason, prepubescent boys who sing in a high range are not called countertenors, but rather boy sopranos or trebles. |
| 164 | |
| 165 | * Mary Sunshine from ''Theatre/{{Chicago}}'', written to be played by a man in drag singing soprano, is often played by a woman in amateur productions due to the difficulty of finding men who can sing that high. |
| 166 | [[/folder]] |
| 167 | |
| 168 | [[folder:Tenor]] |
| 169 | '''Tenors''' are mostly good guys, and mostly leading men or ingenues--hence the TenorBoy trope. There are a couple of villainous tenors, such as Pirelli in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', the Duke of Mantua in ''Theatre/{{Rigoletto}}'', and John Jasper in ''Theatre/{{Drood}}''. There are also a few character tenors, such as Sancho in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls''. Because most people's voices deepen as they age, there are few tenor roles for men over forty, although Jean Valjean from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', one of the rangiest tenor roles in popular musical canon, is usually played by a middle-aged man. |
| 170 | |
| 171 | Other famous tenor roles: |
| 172 | * Frederick Trumper in ''Theatre/{{Chess}}'' |
| 173 | * Tony in ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' |
| 174 | * Quasimodo in the ''Theatre/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', ''even more'' so in the stage version |
| 175 | ** Phoebus is a tenor too, though he does not go as high. |
| 176 | * Frankie Epps, Jim Conley, Britt Craig, and generally half the cast of ''Theatre/{{Parade|1998}}'' |
| 177 | * Bobby Strong in ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'' |
| 178 | * Roger and Angel in ''Theatre/{{Rent}}'', with the former being a rock version. |
| 179 | * Gabe Goodman in ''Theatre/NextToNormal'' |
| 180 | * The eponymous character and the Leading Player (if played by a man) in ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'' |
| 181 | * Henrik Egerman in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'' |
| 182 | * George(s) in ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge'' |
| 183 | * In addition to Pirelli, Tobias and the Beadle in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet''. |
| 184 | * Jonathan Harker in any and all musical adaptations of ''{{Dracula}}'' |
| 185 | * Moritz, Georg, and Otto in ''Theatre/SpringAwakening'' |
| 186 | * Che in ''Theatre/{{Evita}}'' |
| 187 | * Chris, Thuy, and John in ''Theatre/MissSaigon'' |
| 188 | * The Padre from ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' |
| 189 | * C.B. in ''Theatre/StarlightExpress''. Starts off appearing to fit the male-ingenue standard, but that impression quickly, um, [[PsychoForHire fades]]. |
| 190 | * Jesus in ''Theatre/JesusChristSuperstar'' and ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}'', unsurprisingly. Judas in ''JCS'', surprisingly. |
| 191 | ** Annas is also a tenor, even though he sings high enough to be mistaken for a counter-tenor by some people. |
| 192 | * Charles Guiteau, Giuseppe Zangara and the Balladeer in ''Theatre/{{Assassins}}'' |
| 193 | * Jimmy in ''Theatre/ThoroughlyModernMillie''. |
| 194 | * Elders Price, Cunningham, and [=McKinley=] in ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon''. |
| 195 | * Jimmy Powers in ''Theatre/CityOfAngels'' |
| 196 | * Aaron Burr, King George and Philip Hamilton/John Laurens in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}''. |
| 197 | * J.M Barrie in ''Finding Neverland''. |
| 198 | * Dickon in ''Theatre/TheSecretGarden''. |
| 199 | * Billy and Moonface Martin in ''Theatre/AnythingGoes''. |
| 200 | * Steven Kodaly and Arpad Laszlo in ''Theatre/SheLovesMe''. |
| 201 | * Most of the newsies in ''Theatre/{{Newsies}}''. |
| 202 | * Orpheus in ''Theatre/{{Hadestown}}'' (d'huh). And while he was originally written as a baritone, Hermes has become a tenor since being played by André De Shields. |
| 203 | * Death, Franz Joseph, and Rudolf in ''Theatre/{{Elisabeth}}'' are all tenors, with varying degrees of heroism/wide-eyed-ness/obliviousness depending on the production. |
| 204 | * Alfred in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire'' is an idealistic TenorBoy. [[spoiler: Until he's bitten.]] |
| 205 | * Anatole from ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812''. He has ''very'' high notes at some point, which composer Dave Malloy put in the score as a joke. Lucas Steele managed to hit them, and they stayed. |
| 206 | * John Jasper in ''{{Theatre/Drood}}''. Though he does have his fair share of low notes. |
| 207 | * Patrick, Plankton, and the title role in ''Theatre/TheSpongebobMusical'' |
| 208 | * Noel Gruber in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' |
| 209 | * Leading men Moses and Ramses in ''Theatre/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' (though Moses needs the higher range) |
| 210 | [[/folder]] |
| 211 | |
| 212 | [[folder:Baritone]] |
| 213 | '''Baritones''', like their female counterpart, the mezzos, come in all shapes and sizes. They are common for leading men, villains, and character parts. There are even a few ingenues, or at least roles for young men, in the baritone range, such as Arpad in ''She Loves Me'', and Anthony in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet''. Because it is range shared by many singers, there are many subtypes of baritone roles. Villains and leading men in heavier pieces are frequently dramatic baritones, whereas character types are comic baritones, and younger characters or characters in lighter shows are lyric baritones. Because it is the most common male vocal register, the voice can also have an "everyman" implication, and such roles are frequently baritones. |
| 214 | |
| 215 | There are many who also use the term ''baritenor'' which is an informal use to describe the high baritone roles that are increasingly common in modern musical theatre, such as Marius and Enjolras in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', Bobby in ''[[Theatre/CompanySondheim Company]]'', or The Phantom and Raoul in ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''. |
| 216 | |
| 217 | Other famous baritone roles: |
| 218 | * Don Quixote in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' |
| 219 | * InspectorJavert and Thenardier in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' |
| 220 | ** [[TheCynic Grantaire]] has the deepest voice out of Les Amis, which makes sense since he is decidedly ''not'' a TenorBoy. |
| 221 | * The eponymous role in the Yeston/Kopit version of ''Franchise/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', and ironically also Raoul can be played by one. |
| 222 | * Billy Bigelow in ''Theatre/{{Carousel}}'' |
| 223 | * The male leads of ''Theatre/BeautyAndTheBeast'' prove how diverse baritone roles can be (Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Maurice, etc.) |
| 224 | * Ditto the the male leads of ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' (The Baker, The Princes, The Narrator/Mysterious Man) |
| 225 | * Graf von Krolock in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire'' is the dramatic type; Chagal in the same show is a character baritone. Krolock's son Herbert is a low tenor/high baritone in the Webber!Phantom range. |
| 226 | * Like Herbert above, Maxim de Winter in ''Theatre/{{Rebecca}}'' is a low tenor/high baritone similarly to the Phantom in the Webber musical. |
| 227 | * Tevye in ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof'' |
| 228 | * Sky Masterson and Nathan Detroit in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'' |
| 229 | * Pseudolus in ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' |
| 230 | ** Same with Benny and Collins. All three could be described as baritenors, although Collins does need a solid low range. |
| 231 | ** Hanschen is a straight-up baritone, though. |
| 232 | * Anthony in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' |
| 233 | * Coalhouse Walker Jr. in ''Literature/{{Ragtime}}'' |
| 234 | * The Emcee in ''Theatre/{{Cabaret}}'', though this one can go all over the place. |
| 235 | * Henry Higgins in ''Theatre/MyFairLady'', which can also vary because Henry Higgins' lines can be spoken as easily as sung. |
| 236 | * Anatoly Sergievsky in ''Theatre/{{Chess}}''. |
| 237 | * Mr. Graydon in ''Film/ThoroughlyModernMillie''. |
| 238 | * Guido Contini in ''Theatre/NineMusical''. |
| 239 | * Billy Flynn and Amos Hart in ''Theatre/{{Chicago}}''. |
| 240 | * Stine (high baritone), Stone, Buddy/Irwin, and Munoz/Pancho in ''Theatre/CityOfAngels'' |
| 241 | * Citizen Chauvelin in ''Theatre/TheScarletPimpernel''. |
| 242 | * Monty Navarro and all eight of the D'Ysquith family as played by the same actor in ''Theatre/AGentlemansGuideToLoveAndMurder''. |
| 243 | * The Prince in ''Theatre/CinderellaRodgersAndHammerstein'' |
| 244 | * Mafala Hatimbi in ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon''. |
| 245 | * The King of Siam in ''Theatre/TheKingAndI''. |
| 246 | * Paul Berthalet, Marco, and all other male roles in Carnival! |
| 247 | * Archibald Craven in ''Theatre/TheSecretGarden''. |
| 248 | * Georg Nowack and Mr. Maraczek in ''Theatre/SheLovesMe''. |
| 249 | * Pierre and Dolokov in ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812''. |
| 250 | * Captain Georg von Tropp in ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' |
| 251 | * The Chairman and Crisparkle in ''{{Theatre/Drood}}''. |
| 252 | * Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and Patchy the Pirate in ''Theatre/TheSpongebobMusical'' |
| 253 | * Mischa Bachinski in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' |
| 254 | * Ricky Potts in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' |
| 255 | [[/folder]] |
| 256 | |
| 257 | [[folder:Bass-Baritone]] |
| 258 | '''Bass-baritones''' are either low baritones or high basses. They are often held to many of the same tropes as basses (see below), but are more common and likely to be a major role due to the fact true basses are rare. These roles are written with the darker sound in mind, but can be expected to sing as high as a baritenor at times. An example of this Officer Lockstock from ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'' who is required to sing a solid high G and has an optional A above that, yet is still expected to have a solid low range. Bass-baritone roles are common features in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, including the Pirate King from ''Theatre/PiratesOfPenzance'' and Dick Dead-Eye from ''Theatre/HMSPinafore''. |
| 259 | |
| 260 | * Officer Lockstock in ''Theatre/{{Urinetown}}'' |
| 261 | * Alexander Molokov from ''Theatre/{{Chess}}''. |
| 262 | * The eponymous role in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' |
| 263 | * Jud Fry in ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'' |
| 264 | * Bill Sykes in ''Theatre/{{Oliver}}'' |
| 265 | * Audrey II in ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors'' |
| 266 | * Mack Sennett in ''MackAndMabel'' |
| 267 | * Scar and Mufasa in ''Theatre/TheLionKing'' |
| 268 | * The Wazir from ''Kismet''. |
| 269 | * Balaga in ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812''. |
| 270 | * Music/BarryWhite , by his own admission. |
| 271 | [[/folder]] |
| 272 | |
| 273 | [[folder:Bass]] |
| 274 | '''Basses''' are very rare in modern musical theatre, chiefly because there are few vocalists who have sufficient volume at those low registers. Because of the unique qualities of the sound, most bass roles are [[EvilSoundsDeep villains]] and/or authority figures, and in either case older men. The most notable exceptions to this are Emile de Becque of ''Theatre/SouthPacific'', who is the romantic lead (though still middle-aged), and Joe of ''Show Boat'', who is the [[MagicalNegro wise old black man]]. Otherwise, bass roles are few and far between, and it is more likely to find bass soloists from the ensemble rather than bass leads. Basso profundo is when someone has a very low voice ''even when compared to other basses''. |
| 275 | |
| 276 | Other famous bass roles: |
| 277 | |
| 278 | * Judge Turpin in ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' |
| 279 | * Caiaphas in ''Theatre/JesusChristSuperstar'' |
| 280 | * Leon Czolgosz and the Proprietor in ''Theatre/{{Assassins}}'' |
| 281 | * The Innkeeper in ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' |
| 282 | * Walter de Courcey (if he's not a tenor) in ''Theatre/{{Chess}}''. |
| 283 | * The Boatman from ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge'' |
| 284 | * Frollo in ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' |
| 285 | * Lurch in ''Theatre/TheAddamsFamily'' |
| 286 | * Hades in ''Theatre/{{Hadestown}}'', drifting towards basso profundo. |
| 287 | * Perch Perkins in ''Theatre/TheSpongebobMusical'' |
| 288 | * Ramfis and The King of Egypt in ''Theatre/AidaVerdi'' |
| 289 | * Timur in ''Theatre/{{Turandot}}'' |
| 290 | * Seti and Hotep from ''Theatre/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' |
| 291 | [[/folder]] |
| 292 | |
| 293 | [[folder:Basso Profundo]] |
| 294 | Voice archetype: A guy who sings bass. Allow us to rephrase that: a guy who sings '''BASS''', a bass singer's '''BASS''', a '''BASS''' that makes Music/BarryWhite's bass sound like a [[superscript:[--boy soprano--] ]]. |
| 295 | |
| 296 | ''Basso profundo''[[note]]in Spanish[[/note]] (also spelled ''Basso profondo''[[note]]in Italian[[/note]]) is the technical term for the lowest of all voices. To qualify, the character must be able to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z6gVn6qwAA give a tuba a run for its money when it comes to low notes.]] Many may be "Oktavists", men who sing a ''full octave'' below the normal bass range. Also known as Russian Bass due to its prevalence in [[UsefulNotes/OrthodoxChristianity Russian Orthodox]] chant and other Slavic music. |
| 297 | |
| 298 | This voice range is rare, just like women able to sing in Whistle register. Even more rare are men who speak naturally within this register, a trait that almost always overlaps with BaritoneOfStrength and EvilSoundsDeep. Contrast TenorBoy. |
| 299 | |
| 300 | * Will J. "Dub" Jones of [[Music/LeiberAndStoller the Coasters]], who sings backup vocals on "Yakety Yak" (Don't talk back), "Young Blood", [[DastardlyWhiplash Salty Sam's lines]] in "Along Came Jones", and "Charlie Brown" (Why's everybody always pickin' on me?) |
| 301 | * Guinness world record holder for lowest note ever sung and widest vocal range, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJcjCztvn70 Tim Storms]]. He is able (proven by technology) to vibrate his vocal cords at 7 cycles per second, well below the lower human hearing threshold. That's right -- he sings so low you ''can't hear it.'' [[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/lowest-vocal-note-by-a-male He's since gone even lower than that]], somehow reaching down another ''two octaves'' to 0.189hz. |
| 302 | * Richard Sterban of Music/TheOakRidgeBoys, most famously from the "oom papa mow mow"s on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icO_ggaox2w "Elvira"]]. |
| 303 | * Harold Reid of Music/TheStatlerBrothers. |
| 304 | * J.D. Sumner of Music/TheBlackwoodBrothers and The Stamps Quartet held the Guinness World Record for lowest recorded human voice for a 1968 recording of "Blessed Assurance." He would match this feat singing backup for the 1977 Music/ElvisPresley song "Way Down." |
| 305 | * Southern Gospel music has a ton of low-down basses, including Ken Turner, Paul Downing, Rex Nelon, Tim Riley, Mike Holcomb, Glen Dustin, George Younce, Tim Duncan, London Parris, and numerous others, all of which regularly reach notes on a night-after-night basis that would make the average operatic or doo-wop bass singer cringe. |
| 306 | * Music/TennesseeErnieFord was another below-the-staff Southern Gospel singer before moving on to country and crossover success. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khxx3sCVhtE One example.]] |
| 307 | * Melvin Franklin of Music/TheTemptations was renowned for his extremely rich and deep bass voice, which gave the Tempts a truly unique harmony during his tenure with the group. |
| 308 | * Creator/ThurlRavenscroft did the voice of Tony the Tiger. He's also the bass lead of the Mellomen, the group that sings "Grim Grinning Ghosts" in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyworld, and was the vocalist for "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." |
| 309 | * Creator/GeorgeSanders is another deep bass, as evidenced by Shere Khan's "That's... What... Frieeeeeends... Are foooooor" in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967''. Pick some guy you ''think'' is a bass, and have him try to hit that last note. Technically, that was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Lee_(singer) Bill Lee]] doing that note, since George Sanders was unavailable. |
| 310 | * In the song "North To Alaska" Music/JohnnyHorton hits a basso-profondo note ("way up noooooooooorth"). |
| 311 | * Music/JohnnyCash, at times, too. |
| 312 | * Music/TraceAdkins, he of "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" (and ''Series/CelebrityApprentice'') fame. |
| 313 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxCzfybdI_c Barry Carl]], the bass guy from [[Series/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego Rockapella.]] |
| 314 | * Isaac Freeman of the Fairfield Four. |
| 315 | * Boris Christoff: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cgCDHz6G1s the start of this is a good example.]] |
| 316 | * The late American bass [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Hines Jerome Hines]] tried singing Wotan but gave it up because the pitch was '''too high''' for him. |
| 317 | * Parodied in "The Dooright Family" by Music/RayStevens, where the bass singer in the titular gospel family band (voiced entirely by Ray) is asked to "go for another octave". He does (by way of studio trickery on Ray, who is a baritone at best in RealLife), causing him to [[MadeOfExplodium explode onstage.]] |
| 318 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beo_jHowU-I Noriel Vilela,]] a Brazilian samba singer. |
| 319 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2PhAQAJ7so Michel Bell,]] Tony-nominated actor-singer and former member of the Fifth Dimension. |
| 320 | * Male choir Chanticleer features bass Eric Alatorre, whom you can hear in all his glory in John Tavener's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9_FAZAEeJM "Village Wedding"]] (listen for him during the tenor's solo that starts with "let them throw white rice like a spring shower"). |
| 321 | * One of the background singers on Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn's "Anything, Anytime, Anywhere" is an oktavist. Listen particularly at the end. |
| 322 | * Paul David Kennamer from Valour Music. His solo starts at 1 minute 54 seconds in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNXZKiecs6U here.]] |
| 323 | * Eric Alatorre of Chanticleer is one of few powerful American profondos, reaching down to a solid F♯1 ("Ease on Down the Road") and perhaps beyond. |
| 324 | * Music/TomWaits is best known as a basso profondo singer, though in his earlier career he was better known as a smooth voiced baritone. And he's a ''gravelly'' basso profundo, too. |
| 325 | * Yuri Wichniakov is a particularly low basso profondo, whose lowest recorded note is an E1 during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ZRrh4s8f0 "Evening Bell"]] at about 4:00 in. |
| 326 | * Peter Steele of Music/TypeONegative usually sang in the upper register of his voice, but was certainly capable of this; he often noted that their shows were so loud he couldn't even hear himself sing. |
| 327 | * Music/BoyzIIMen's Mike [=Mc=]Cary. |
| 328 | * Club for Five's Tuukka Haapaniemi. One of the strongest vocal basses in contemporary a cappella, also a trained classical vocalist. Just... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laCn0STKhA0 Watch.]] |
| 329 | * Avi Kaplan of Music/{{Pentatonix}} is the reason fans of the group always recommend listening with headphones. He can hit notes so low that he once ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeHRokYRVms blew out a speaker]]'' during a performance of "Hit the Road, Jack." |
| 330 | * Music/AtsushiSakurai of Music/BuckTick can do this as part of his extraordinary range. |
| 331 | * [[InsistentTerminology His Excellency Demon Kogure]] of Music/SeikimaII is even more notable for it - he can reach almost all ranges from here to high tenor verging on falsetto. |
| 332 | * The two well-known vocalists of Music/MaliceMizer, Gackt[[note]]yes, ''that'' '''''Music/{{Gackt}}'''''[[/note]] and Klaha, though Gackt is more of a Bass Baritone, rather than Basso Profondo. Fairly evident in their most well-known (and sadly, their last) hit, "Beast of Blood", where Klaha manages to combine his low register with a PerishingAltRockVoice. |
| 333 | * Ittoku "Sally" Kishibe, Lead Bassist of Music/TheTigers, who had easily the most recognizably distinct voice of the band, matching his instrument. |
| 334 | * Ken Turner takes this trope to [[StealthPun a whole new low]] in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxJXtF3FQCM "Rainbow of Love"]]. |
| 335 | * Josh Turner hits a basso profundo note on "Would You Go with Me" ("If we rode from town to town and never shut it ''down''"). |
| 336 | * In ''Film/PitchPerfect2''[='=]s soundtrack, bass singer Elliott Michael repeatedly hits notes in the F1-G1 range, even hitting E♭1 during their mash-ups. He also has a surprising baritone and falsetto register ("Sugar Medley" "[=Talk2Me=]"). |
| 337 | * One of the most famous basses in recent history, late great [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feodor_Chaliapin Feodor Shalyapin]], ironically wasn't a Basso Profondo, but instead a higher and more lively Basso Cantante. He ''could'' go as low as he wanted, but personally preferred to sing closer to a baritonal register. |
| 338 | * The Spine of Music/SteamPoweredGiraffe has been known to hit ridiculously low notes in some of the band's harmonies; what makes this even more remarkable is his tendency to jump from bass straight into an impressive falsetto. |
| 339 | * Italian singer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RgWAGY99i0 Mario Biondi]], whose voice has been compared to Barry White's. |
| 340 | * Stefan Poiss of mind.in.a.box and Thyx. |
| 341 | * Tim Foust of Home Free. His last note in their cover of [[http://youtu.be/0l3dsHCScxU "Ring of Fire"]] will rattle your floorboards. Likewise his impressive E1 on a cover of the aforementioned "Elvira", where he out-basses even Sterban! |
| 342 | * Music/LeonardCohen, though it only started to set in during the eighties; his voice on his seventies records is noticeably higher. He remarked that when he started recording 1984's ''Various Positions'' after a five-year break, his voice had deepened almost an octave, and it only got deeper. |
| 343 | * Music/JonathanYoung, known for his covers of Disney music. Sometimes it fits really well, like when he's doing [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Scar]] or [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Frollo.]] But then you hear him doing [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa]] or [[WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}} the Muses]]... Somehow, it still works. |
| 344 | * In the 1960s and 70s, fans of world music put on the Nonesuch recording ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cCxy9RHxRU Liturgical Music of the Russian Cathedral]]'' and wondered what had happened to the speed on their turntables. It was just Michael Trubetzkoi, the unbelievable basso profundo of the Johannes-Damascenus Choir of Essen, [[https://youtu.be/lXRAmoQ91oY?t=6m14s chanting verses from Paul's epistle to the Romans]]. Blogger [[http://chiseler.org/post/118698330106/no-i-dont-understand-a-word Derek Davis]] describes hearing it for the first time: |
| 345 | -->... starts in the subbasement of the human voice and ascends, step by step, a full octave, until he’s half way up the cellar stairs. Then stops. It’s chilling, unnerving, exhilarating – a mountain asking for permission to roam the world. |
| 346 | * T.J. Osborne of Music/BrothersOsborne can sing basso-profundo, as demonstrated on "It Ain't My Fault". |
| 347 | * Music/RandyTravis hits a basso-profundo note on "If I Didn't Have You". |
| 348 | * Mikhail Zlatopolsky's documented lowest note is E♭1, which means his voice was so low that accordingly it made his nearby singers tremble. Hear for yourself: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyIB3yPTivM]]. |
| 349 | * Larry Hooper, one of Music/LawrenceWelk's featured vocalists, was a popular attraction of the band thanks to his basso profundo voice, featured on such hits as "Oh Happy Day" and "This Old House". |
| 350 | * R&B vocal group The Ravens, very successful in the late 1940s and early 1950s, owed a big part of its success to bass vocalist Jimmy Ricks, who became the standard against which R&B bass vocalists would be measured for the next generation. [[note]]An urban legend claims that Lee Gaines, the bass singer of the Delta Rhythm Boys, could sing as deep as Ricks if not deeper, but had to restrict his range because a lot of bass would cause the resulting record to have larger grooves that would wear out quicker and [[Creator/RCARecords RCA Victor]], the Boys' label, prided itself over the quality of its product. The Ravens' label, National, didn't care and let Ricks sing as low as he wanted, resulting in him becoming the bass singer everyone looked up to instead of Gaines (who, ironically, was Ricks' idol). |
| 351 | * Even though he's a bass-baritone, George Ezra hits a very low note in about three minutes of his song "Shotgun" ("Feeling like a someone, someone, someone, ''someone''."). |
| 352 | * Chuck Barksdale of the Dells was a key contributor to the group's harmonic blend, but could use his deep voice to great effect when called to the spotlight (e.g. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZwXtgHeKso "I Can Sing a Rainbow/Love Is Blue"]]). |
| 353 | * Geoff Castellucci of VoicePlay is certainly this, (although he says he would never call himself a true bass and thinks of himself more as "a baritone with a bass range") with his lowest recorded note being a B0 ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNh6_XubM2A as heard in the 'Warriors' cover]]), and hitting various other low notes in their other covers by using subharmonics. Geoff has cited Thurl Ravenscroft as a major inspiration of his, and this is very noticeable if you listen to both of them sing. |
| 354 | * Korean vocal quartet Forestella has Ko Woo-rim. He's a classically trained basso profundo opera singer, having studied music in college, and bass singers are extremely rare to come by in the Korean music industry. Not only can he reach pretty damn low (his lowest note on record is a G#1), but he's also the ''youngest'' member of the group at age 28 (his fellow Forestella members and tenors Doohoon, Hyungho and Mingyu are 37, 35 and 32, respectively), which is quite shocking to find out once you've heard him sing. |
| 355 | [[/note]] |
| 356 | [[/folder]] |
| 357 | |
| 358 | ---- |
| 359 | |
| 360 | !!'''Usage outside standard musical theatre''': |
| 361 | |
| 362 | * The opera sequence from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' features two male characters: the heroic tenor Draco and the villainous [[EvilSoundsDeep bass]] Prince Ralse. |
| 363 | * The four basic voices (sop, alt, ten, bas) are also used to organize and classify singers in any genre where singing happens, but rarely involve any personality associations ("How many tenors does it take to change a lightbulb" jokes notwithstanding). Also, this organization only matters when multiple singers will be singing at once; the tenor/bass division is important in a {{Boy Band}}, for instance, but Music/BritneySpears' voice part[[note]]Alto, from the sound of things[[/note]] is irrelevant because she's a solo act. |
| 364 | * The characters in Music/TheDecemberists album ''The Hazards of Love'' have voice types that both match well with the stereotypes and play with them. Of the female parts, Margaret (Becky Stark), the sweet LoveInterest, is a soprano. (On stage she would probably be played by a soubrette, who can either be a soprano or a mezzo.) The villainous Queen (Shara Worden) is a mezzo-soprano. The parts of William and the Rake are both sung by Colin Meloy. You would expect William, the innocent hero, to be a TenorBoy - but he falls more in the baritone range. The evil Rake, on the other hand, who one would expect to be a baritone, gets some high notes and falls into the tenor range. |
| 365 | * The song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLdWmq0W0KM&feature=related Alto's Lament]]" is about [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin an alto lamenting]] the fact that she always gets stuck singing the harmony in big, show-stopping musical numbers instead of the livelier and much more recognizable melody. |
| 366 | * On ''Series/{{Glee}}'', Rachel is a mezzo-soprano and Santana is an alto. Most of the boys are in the tenor range, with the exception of Kurt (Creator/ChrisColfer), who is a true countertenor and does ''not'' use falsetto. |
| 367 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''{{Fanfic/Pagliacci}}'' has a group of characters known as [[GangOfHats the Choir Boys]] who are all named after different vocal types. But since they're all vicious killers, [[BrownNote their songs]] [[YourHeadAsplode shouldn't be listened to]] unless you have a deathwish! |
| 368 | * The manga ''Manga/ShonenNoteBoySoprano'' is about a middle school choir. The protagonist, Yutaka, is a prodigious boy soprano but recognizes soon his voice will crack. Yutaka fits TheIngenue stereotype, being a bright eyed and sensitive boy. |
| 369 | * Katja from ''VisualNovel/MissingStars'' is said to be a soprano. She's reserved and a potential love interest. |
| 370 | * The three leading ladies in ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' have the three basic female voice types. Tori is an alto, the intimidating Jade is a mezzo-soprano, and the sweet and more childish Cat is a soprano. |
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