The baritone voice is a popular male voice. It's not too high or too low, and there are many sub-categories of baritone singers.
Read on to learn more.
The baritone voice is the middle voice type of the male voices. Its name originated from a Greek word that translates to "heavy sounding."
Like the other voice types, baritone singers may have slightly different ranges. However, the standard range is from F2 (an octave and a perfect fifth below middle C) to F4. In opera, the baritone range may extend up to an A4.
Due to its position in the middle, it's the most common male voice type. For better or worse, it didn't become an official voice type until the 1800s.
While it didn't become an official voice type for centuries, musicians first used the term "baritone" near the end of the 1400s. At first, musicians used it to describe the lowest voice type, the bass.
However, in the 1600s, Italian singers started referring to "baritone" as the average male voice. In the 1700s, baritone and bass voices were still grouped together as one. Because of that, some "bass" opera roles are more suited for baritone singers.
It wasn't until the latter half of the century that composers started to differentiate the two voice types. One of the most famous baritone opera roles is Guillaume Tell from Rossini's opera of the same name.
Other Italian composers started to write roles for baritone singers. Verdi was another example of a composer who used the middle male voice.
Since then, more composers have used the baritone label for certain operatic roles. Because it's the most common male voice type, these roles have helped more men sing opera without the risk of damaging their voice due to singing too high or too low.
Like other voice types, the baritone voice has multiple sub-types. Consider some of the more popular sub-types and how they differ.
Also called a light baritone, the Baryton-Martin baritone sounds almost like the tenor voice. Singers of this type can't hit the extreme low notes, such as G2. However, they can often sing as high as the B above middle C.
The name for this sub-category comes from Jean-Blaise Martin. He loved singing falsetto, and his singing helped pave the way for baritones. Singers of this type share the same passaggio as dramatic tenors, so they can sing some tenor roles.
Well-known baritone roles for this voice type include Orfeo in L'Orfeo and Dancaire in Carmen.
Another somewhat sweet sub-type is that of the lyric baritone. On average, singers with this type can reach notes as low as A2 and as high as G4. The voice type isn't as harsh as some other categories.
If you're a lyric baritone, you can expect to play various comic roles in operas. Examples include Papageno in The Magic Flute and Figaro in The Barber of Seville.
The Kavalierbariton voice is more versatile than some. A singer with this type can take on many lyric baritone roles. However, they can also perform dramatic baritone roles. The range is the same as that of a lyric baritone.
This voice type sounds very noble, but it's not as powerful as the dramatic baritone. Well-known operatic roles for this sub-type include Giorgio Germont from La traviata and Don Giovanni from the opera of the same name.
A Verdi baritone is a sub-type of dramatic baritone. Most singers of this sub-type can sing from G2 to Bb4. Of course, like all other voice types, some may sing higher or lower.
Verdi baritone singers are most comfortable singing higher in their range. In opera, these singers may audition for roles such as Conte di Luna from Il trovatore or Amonasro from Aida.
A full, rich voice may be a sign that a singer is a dramatic baritone. This sub-type often has a darker quality compared to lyric baritone singers. Compared to the Verdi baritone, the passaggio and tessitura are slightly lower.
However, singers may have a range of about two octaves from G2 to G4. Puccini wrote a lot of roles for dramatic baritone singers in his operas, such as Scarpia from Tosca. Another dramatic baritone role is Iago from Otello.
Baryton-noble baritone singers have a very similar voice to Kavalierbariton. This is a French sub-type that got its start in the Paris Opera. However, it eventually inspired international composers, from Verdi to Wagner.
Some opera roles for this type are the same as for other baritones. Examples include Figaro from The Barber of Seville and Marcello from La bohème.
The bass-baritone voice is another popular sub-category. Singers with this voice type usually have a range of F2 to F4 or F#4. Of course, some may be able to sing higher or lower than the standard range.
However, like the regular baritone voice, there are sub-categories, including lyric and dramatic bass-baritone singers. Lyric bass-baritone singers can perform roles such as Leporello from Don Giovanni. Dramatic bass-baritone singers can audition for roles like Igor from Prince Igor.
Gilbert and Sullivan frequently wrote a main role for a baritone voice. While this isn't technically a separate voice category, it's worth noting. They tended to write comic roles for baritone singers.
Examples include Dr. Daly and John Wellington Wells from The Sorcerer. Many of their operas included multiple roles for baritone singers.
The baritone voice is not the deepest voice. That title goes to the bass voice, but the bass-baritone voice isn't far behind.
The baritone voice is the middle voice type for men. Because of that, many men have this voice type since higher and lower voices aren't as popular.
In general, anyone with a voice range from G2 to G4, give or take a few notes, is considered a baritone.
The most significant differences between a baritone and a tenor are the range and tessitura. A vocal range is the span of notes a singer can produce. Meanwhile, the tessitura refers to where the voice sits most comfortably in its range.
Tenor singers have a higher tessitura and range compared to baritone singers. However, the Baryton-Martin sub-type is almost like a mix of the two.
The baritone voice is neither deep nor high as it sits in the middle, making it the average male voice type. However, some baritone singers may have a deeper range, such as bass-baritone performers.
Others may have a higher range, such as Baryton-Martin or lyric baritone singers.
The baritone voice is one of the most common voice types, and it's the most common for men. It sits between the tenor and bass voices, and there are many sub-types. Consider the average range and the different categories to determine if you're a baritone singer.