High bass singers. See what “Bass” is in other dictionaries. Male singing voices

All singing voices are divided into women's, men's and children's. The main female voices are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto, and the most common male voices are tenor, baritone and bass.

All sounds that can be sung or played on musical instrument, there are high, medium and low. When musicians talk about the pitch of sounds, they use the term "register", implying whole groups of high, middle or low sounds.

In a global sense, female voices sing sounds of a high or “upper” register, children’s voices sing sounds of a middle register, and male voices sing sounds of a low or “lower” register. But this is only partly true; in fact, everything is much more interesting. Within each group of voices, and even within the range of each individual voice, there is also a division into high, middle and low register.

For example, a high male voice is a tenor, a middle voice is a baritone, and a low voice is a bass. Or, another example, singers have the highest voice - soprano, the middle voice of female vocalists is mezzo-soprano, and the low voice is contralto. To finally understand the division of male and female, and at the same time, children’s voices into high and low, this sign will help you:

If we talk about the registers of any one voice, then each of them has both low and high sounds. For example, a tenor sings both low chest sounds and high falsetto sounds, which are inaccessible to basses or baritones.

Female singing voices

So, the main types of female singing voices are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto. They differ primarily in range, as well as timbre coloring. Timbre properties include, for example, transparency, lightness or, conversely, saturation, and strength of voice.

Soprano– the highest female singing voice, its usual range is two octaves (entirely the first and second octave). IN opera performances often the roles of the main characters are performed by singers with such a voice. If we talk about artistic images, then a high-pitched voice best characterizes a young girl or some fantastic character (for example, a fairy).

Sopranos, according to the nature of their sound, are divided into lyrical and dramatic– you yourself can easily imagine that the parts of a very tender girl and a very passionate girl cannot be performed by the same performer. If a voice easily copes with fast passages and flourishes in its high register, then such a soprano is called coloratura.

Contralto– it has already been said that this is the lowest of women’s voices, moreover, very beautiful, velvety, and also very rare (in some opera houses there is not a single contralto). A singer with such a voice in operas is often assigned the roles of teenage boys.

Below is a table that names examples of opera roles that are often performed by certain female singing voices:

Let's listen to how women's singing voices sound. Here are three video examples for you:

Soprano. Aria of the Queen of the Night from the opera “The Magic Flute” by Mozart performed by Bela Rudenko

Mezzo-soprano. Habanera from the opera “Carmen” by Bizet performed by the famous singer Elena Obraztsova

Contralto. Ratmir's aria from the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by Glinka, performed by Elizaveta Antonova.

Male singing voices

There are only three main male voices - tenor, bass and baritone. Tenor Of these, the highest, its pitch range is the notes of the small and first octaves. By analogy with the soprano timbre, performers with this timbre are divided into dramatic tenors and lyric tenors. In addition, sometimes they mention such a variety of singers as "characteristic" tenor. “Character” is given to it by some phonic effect - for example, silveriness or rattling. A characteristic tenor is simply irreplaceable where it is necessary to create the image of a gray-haired old man or some cunning rascal.

Baritone– this voice is distinguished by its softness, density and velvety sound. The range of sounds that a baritone can sing is from A major octave to A first octave. Performers with such a timbre are often entrusted with courageous roles of characters in operas of a heroic or patriotic nature, but the softness of the voice allows them to reveal loving and lyrical images.

Bass– the voice is the lowest, can sing sounds from F of the large octave to F of the first. The basses are different: some are rolling, “droning”, “bell-like”, others are hard and very “graphic”. Accordingly, the parts of the characters for the basses are varied: these are heroic, “fatherly”, and ascetic, and even comic images.

You are probably interested to know which of the male singing voices is the lowest? This bass profundo, sometimes singers with such a voice are also called octavists, since they “take” low notes from the counter-octave. By the way, we have not yet mentioned the highest male voice - this tenor-altino or countertenor, who sings quite calmly in an almost feminine voice and easily reaches the high notes of the second octave.

As in the previous case, male singing voices with examples of their operatic roles are displayed in the table:

Now listen to the sound of male singing voices. Here are three more video examples for you.

Tenor. Song of the Indian guest from the opera “Sadko” by Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by David Poslukhin.

Baritone. Gliere's romance “The nightingale soul sang sweetly,” sung by Leonid Smetannikov

Bass. Prince Igor's aria from Borodin's opera "Prince Igor" was originally written for baritone, but in this case it is sung by one of the best basses of the 20th century - Alexander Pirogov.

The working range of a professionally trained vocalist's voice is usually two octaves on average, although sometimes singers and singers have much greater capabilities. In order for you to have a good understanding of tessitura when choosing notes for practice, I suggest you get acquainted with the picture, which clearly demonstrates the permissible ranges for each of the voices:

Before concluding, I want to please you with one more tablet, with which you can get acquainted with vocalists who have one or another voice timbre. This is necessary so that you can independently find and listen to even more audio examples of the sound of male and female singing voices:

That's all! We talked about what types of voices singers have, we figured out the basics of their classification, the size of their ranges, the expressive capabilities of timbres, and also listened to examples of the sound of the voices of famous vocalists. If you liked the material, share it on your contact page or on your Twitter feed. There are special buttons under the article for this. Good luck!

Good afternoon, dear students)

We’ve finally gotten to a more detailed classification of voices and let’s try to compare different performers and understand how they differ and why we like some voices and not others.

It's no secret that everyone has different tastes, and the same performance can offend or leave you indifferent. And yet, if the singer has professionalism and has not lost his feeling, then such a performance will not leave anyone indifferent.

Very often, opera connoisseurs listen to the same aria many times from different performers, comparing them, highlighting the resulting passages and being upset about the unsuccessful ones. Moreover, we, ordinary listeners, sometimes don’t even understand what exactly the connoisseurs heard that made them upset. And sometimes this is understandable on some intuitive level even to non-professionals. This is what we will try to figure out.

Today we'll talk about bass.

Bass profundo

A prominent representative of the Bass-profundo type voice was Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov. Before the revolution, Maxim Dormidontovich was church deacon and his voice was heard under the arches of temples. And in Soviet era he became Stalin's favorite singer.

Bass profundo is the lowest type of voice (Italian profondo - deep). It is curious that such a voice is able to break through any musical background. That is, it is almost impossible to drown it out; it will break through anyway (a useful skill for a deacon :)). In operatic works, the low C is usually used (as the lowest note), but a true bass profundo can go lower. Remember the previous lecture and the picture with ranges. Find the lowest notes highlighted - and imagine how low the notes are. Strong, deep voice. If it also has volume, it sounds velvety... The high notes of such singers sound quite light, but the low notes captivate with their volume and timbre rolls.

There are few recordings from those times, but a general idea of ​​this type of voice can be obtained from the surviving recordings folk song“Along St. Petersburg” and Khan Konchak’s arias from “Prince Igor”.

“In cold winters, he would open the windows in his dressing room and breathe in the frosty air; passing by an icy draft blowing from the window, the singers tried to do it as quickly as possible. - Maxim Dormidontovich, you can also catch a cold! - they told him. “Nothing, it’s good for my voice,” he answered in his churchly manner, which was preserved until his death. in a low voice».

I can’t resist and give you another one of his recordings - The Head from “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. He sings it an octave lower than the rest of the choir. But there is an opinion that he sings into some kind of megaphone, because a human voice cannot sound like that.

Of the Western representatives of this type, you can listen to the recordings of Jose Mardones. It should be noted that Westerners often have better technology than ours. And Jose is just an example of this opinion; his technique is much better than Mikhailov’s. In addition, he has a gorgeous timbre, which can be heard on the recording. And there is an opinion that “Mardones is one of the strongest basses of all time, as long as sound recording exists.”

"Huguenots" Meyerbeer. The famous Bang-Bang:

Vladimir Kastorsky. Another representative of Russian opera. Vladimir had a very large and powerful voice. Serenade of Mephistopheles "Faust" Gounod.

It should be noted that with such a low voice, without proper technique, we may not hear individual words. This is exactly what happens sometimes when you come to the Opera for a modern performance. A sound of such power can be heard magnificently, but the words are completely indistinguishable, which sometimes spoils the listening experience. This is especially true for opera in Russian. You can, of course, listen only to sounds, but sometimes you want to hear what they are singing about at that particular moment. In churches this was not so important, but it was the sounds, the mesmerizing sounds of a buzzing bell performed by a human being, that were most welcome. Perhaps this is why most often those with such a voice sing church music.

Center Bass

Owners of this bass can boast a deep, beautiful rich timbre. They have access to cantilena - from Italian. cantilena "song" from Lat. cantilena "singing" - a wide, freely flowing melodic melody, both vocal and instrumental. In addition, the term also denotes the melodiousness of music, the melodiousness of its performance.” Unlike the "high bass", center basses usually have a big, strong voice (remember - there are always exceptions).

As a representative of this type of voice, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the singing of Nikolai Gyaurov. It had a soft bass response that allowed it to sound lyrical and richly dramatic. At the same time, Gyaurov had an excellent timbre, technique, artistry and musicality, which together makes him one of the most best performers. Quite a lot of recordings with his participation have been preserved; such singers as Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, and Franco Corelli sang with him.

“On earth, the entire human race” Mephistopheles, “Faust” Charles Gounod. “Here Gyaurov uses all the power of his voice, all its beauty, but at the same time highlights hard notes in it to show that it is the Devil who sings.” Pay attention to the artistry. The voice is usually still not enough; while listening, we must experience together with the hero, imagine him. Nikolai usually did it amazingly, he was a great actor and could well have played drama theater. Imagine this Devil in the role of Woland?

And here is another version of the same Mephistopheles, performed by Ferruccio Furlanetto. Western performer, a wonderful artist who is still working on himself to this day. He does not have such a rich timbre as Gyaurov, but at the same time Ferruccio has a soft, pleasant voice, which, if necessary, can be harsh if the role requires it. To enhance the image, Ferruccio could deviate from technique, but this happened very rarely.

Using the example of Ferruccio Furlanetto, we can see how the voice changes depending on the work put into it. With all the God-given nature of the voice, there is always something to work on!

King Phillip, Verdi's Don Carlos, in 1986:

And in 2001:

Compare these two entries. In the later one there is all the strength, softness, and magnificent forte. The acting has also grown, which is very noticeable on the recordings.

Everything is already there: strength, softness, and chic forte. And the difference in the acting is impressive, as if these are two different performers, although, of course, there is something in common between them.

Another wonderful representative of this type of voice is Mark Osipovich Reisen. His rich and beautiful timbre remained free and beautiful until the end of his career, which, in fact, coincided with the date of his death, at the age of 97 (!) years.

To get acquainted, it is best to listen to the already familiar Mephistopheles aria “On earth is the entire human race.”

And here is his performance, recorded when he was 90 years old!

Bass melodious - high

Most likely only specialists will distinguish a melodious bass from a bass-baritone. Yet it is considered a different voice type, with a depth of sound often greater than that of a bass-baritone. They perform each other's parts, but it doesn't always turn out well.

One of the brightest representatives of this type is Boris Hristov. His idol was Chaliapin, and this can be heard in the manner of Christ’s performance; there are imitative moments. To perform Faust “Satan rules the roost there,” Boris had to make his voice heavier in order to sound deeper and lower, like a central bass. But an experienced ear will hear that the lower notes sound heavy and somewhat artificial. Khristov was a magnificent artist, and the modern costume did not interfere with the perception of the image of Mephistopheles.

But in the following example it becomes very clear what it means - there is not enough depth in the voice. Compare this performance with the one you have already heard.

The Barber of Seville, Don Basilio's aria "Slander".

Despite the excellent diction, it is here that you can hear that where you have to sing the words very quickly, the volume is lost. At this speed it is not possible to maintain the required volume for a part usually performed by profundo basses.

Another representative of high bass (although experts here tend to consider it borderline between central bass and high) -B oris Gmyrya. He had the richest timbre, not the largest and deepest voice, which sounded deeper and stronger on the recording than when performed live. To get acquainted with him - a new aria for today:

Aria of the Varangian Guest. Opera Sadko.

I had another recording in the early versions of the lecture, an amateur one. But since then it has been removed from the network and there is no access. And your task will become a little more difficult)

Let's move on to homework. Perhaps the lecture is somewhat overloaded with notes, but the goal of the course is to introduce not only the arias, but also the options for performing these arias. Listen to the arias, compare with each other.

1. The lecture contains arias performed by different singers. Including - and different types voices (Aria of Mephistopheles, Aria of the Barber of Seville). Try to find the differences and describe them in your own words - differences in diction, in depth of sound, in timbre, in artistry. I understand that it is difficult to do this in terms, so try to describe it in your own words. Select the one whose performance you liked the most and state why.

2. Did you like any of the arias offered more than others? Which? Why do you think she is?

Singing voices have their own classification, which is diverse. Differences in classification systems can be based on a variety of factors: the strength of the voice, the degree of virtuosity and clarity of performance, etc. However, experts note the need for all the capabilities of the performer’s voice to have a powerful foundation, which is the support of singing.

Quite often, the classification is based on the performer’s voice range and gender. However, these two criteria also provide grounds for formulating a large number of varieties of classification. By identifying a certain group of voices, professionals clarify the presence of narrower groups within it.

Bass - low male voice

A group of male voices called Bass are classified according to the sound of the very low range of the voice, for which characteristic features are called: breadth, “darkness,” richness of timbre formed by the chest resonator.

When touching on the issue of bass range, experts have mixed conclusions. However, the traditional classical idea of ​​the position occupied by the bass on the staff is that which is united by the framework of the FA of the major and first octave.

Bass tone

In accordance with the quality of the sound, basses are considered in three groups:

High bass, also called bass baritone or cantante: a voice that is characterized by a high sounding working range with the framework of the note G of the major and first octave; the maximum similarity to the timbre of a baritone is felt in the upper tessitura; The timbre of this type of voice, in comparison with other basses, is characterized by kindness and radiance;

Central or dramatic bass: characterized by maximum expression of authority, menace, wisdom and firmness of the bass timbre;

The bass is low, also called profundo or octavist.

Each subgroup has its own characteristics. For example, a feature of the dramatic bass can be called the singer’s inability to play the notes F and G of the first octave. However, the range of MI notes of the major and first octave is confident. Associated with the ease of sound of the range on the chest resonator. The percentage of use of the head resonator decreases as the sound of the voice decreases.

We'll talk about bass profundo below. In the meantime, it is worth noting that opera roles with fairly representative characters are created for basses, among whom one can find representatives of royal, princely, boyar and other families, sages, generals and other characters who are characterized by masculinity and confidence. All this can be heard in the performer’s voice, which, according to experts, always inspires confidence among listeners.

Another remarkable fact is evidence that in Italy they recognize Russia as the primacy of a state rich in beautiful bass sounds. And Italy itself is famous as the birthplace of excellent tenor voices.

Bass profundo

Returning to this type of bass, it is worth noting that the translation of the word with Italian roots sounds like “deep”. The owner of such a voice is recognized as unique. The difference between this type of male voice and others lies in the extremely low tessitura of the sound. Experts note the possibility of going beyond human conceivable capabilities.

The exclusivity that the bass profundo exhibits is recorded in all aspects of vocal art: in timbre and range, in physiological structure and resonance, and other parameters.

The timbre is deep, but quantitatively, within the framework of low sound, it is limited in overtones, that is, without excluding attractiveness, it is characterized by a lack of timbre saturation. Bass profundo can almost never be heard in solo parts. A rare exception is the church choir. The octavist bass can often be heard in choirs, but its sound is minimal and is required to highlight the volume of the timbre.

Another use of the bass profundo is to double the root note of chords in major and minor triads. When the sound of the timbres of regular and octavist basses, occurring in choral bass parts, merges, the latter acquire the character of massiveness and monumentality. This technique is important in terms of its impact on the listener, who will certainly develop feelings of anxiety and association with the sound of the alarm bell.

Dwelling on the issue of range for the profundo bass, it is worth noting that its framework can be the note FA of the counter octave and DO of the first octave.

When considering the resonance factor for bass profundo, professionals point to the peculiarity of the process in which only the larynx and chest resonator are involved. The structure of the ligaments (long) and their characteristics (dense, elastic) exclude the possibility of using a head resonator in this case.

Three categories of basses should be distinguished: bass profundo ( low bass), bass cantante (literally - melodious bass) and bass comic.

The profundo bass, like the contralto bass (as already noted), disappeared.

With Chaliapin, cantante basses, that is, not quite basses and not quite baritones, came into fashion; These are indefinite, intermediate voices, which allows them to either “whiten” and falsetto in a tenor manner, or only “outline” and not sing this or a complete musical passage.

It’s not at all uncommon to hear a bass muttering through Philip’s aria in “Don Carlos” (“I’ll fall asleep alone”), without any hint of a real sound, and the audience applauds such a mystifying vocalist as if he had passed the most risky test! This aria really needs to be sung with a barely audible exhalation, but the bass timbre must be revealed, the mezza voce must go in a controlled manner, with breathing, without shocks or pauses; Every note here is a piece of the soul. I dwell on this aria because it illustrates the technical ignorance of many singers and the aesthetic deafness and excessive tolerance of our public. To distort, distort and profane Verdi’s music in such a way means to encroach on the honor and dignity of art. To hear how the ferocious Philip, buried alive in the gloomy Escurial, hums his aria, as if modern hippie some melancholic song, truly funny.

The hybrid “comic bass” is suitable for such caricatured roles as Don Bartolo, Dulcamara, Don Pasquale. This category of characteristic voices is also gradually disappearing. Pini-Corsi and Azzolini were the last great performers of these roles; V recent years During their artistic career, they were especially famous thanks to such great baritones as Cushman and Stabile, who formed a striking comic counterpart with them.

The profundo bass is suitable for parts built on a combination of wisdom and majesty. This is the Father Superior from “The Favorite” and from “Force of Destiny”, Wagner’s Wotan, the High Priest from “Norma”, etc.

A typical bass cantante is Mephistopheles in Faust, Verdi's Sparafucile, Rossini's Don Basilio.

Finally, it should be said about one more part that requires a combination of the qualities of the profundo bass and the “singing” bass - this is the Michelangelo figure of Moses, created by Rossini, in which passion, anger and inspiration are combined. - Only a voice that can rumble like an organ, ring like a trumpet, and rage like a storm can sing the prayer “From its starry throne.” But can you now find voices of such power on the opera stages of the world?

The public is now disoriented and disappointed; it does not feel the difference in styles, vocal patterns, timbres, and takes for granted singing, in which a mishmash of ideas, tastes, and genders reigns. The howls of cannibals please the ears of many, as do the antics of radio sopranists, which give goosebumps to normal people with taste.

Parallel Chaliapin - Rossi-Lemeni

To the glorious legends of Tamagno, Caruso and Titta Ruffo, another legend was added when the Russian giant, a friend of Maxim Gorky, Fyodor Chaliapin, appeared. This singer made people talk about himself as much as they never talked about any other bass. The reason for this was not only his singing, but also the ups and downs of his personal life and enormous growth. To stand out even more from the crowd, he liked to appear accompanied by a puny secretary, evoking another famous couple - Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (in this Massenet opera Chaliapin had no rivals).

Chaliapin got everything he wanted. For a quarter of a century he dominated the stage and life, arousing passionate curiosity and intense sympathy everywhere. For him, the voice was only a means, only an obedient (and sometimes insidious) instrument of his will and his imagination. He was a tenor, a baritone, and a bass at will, because he had all the colors of the vocal palette. Among basses, he is a historical figure, both due to his stormy and eventful life, and thanks to his equally fabulous fees.

In Italy, this giant first appeared in Mephistopheles at La Scala. The audience was hypnotized by the plasticity of the movements of this sculptural body and the truly satanic gaze of the artist to such an extent that Carelli, Caruso and the Toscanini orchestra seemed to disappear, obscured by this monstrous singer. All this is already history. From that moment on, all doors opened for him.

One tenor at the Metropolitan Opera complained that he seemed comically inappropriate on stage when Chaliapin wrapped his scarlet cloak around him. The bass replied: “My friend, I am Mephistopheles, you sold me your lousy little soul, I gave you youth and beauty, but you are mine, my will consumes you, grinds you into powder. I can do whatever I want with you, you know?” The tenor, with his finch mind, did not understand the eagle's answer and went to protest to Gatti-Casazza. Recounting this episode to the writer of these lines, the Russian singer said: “Excuse me, but many of your “classmates” have earned the reputation of being rare cretins!”

Without a doubt, never before has a creature so mysterious, an artist so complex, appeared on stage. His brilliant ingenuity did not take into account the limitations put forward by the conductors, and often the many and best of them, the most authoritative and powerful, cleared the battlefield.

But the public does not pay attention to who is conducting when such a bright personality appears on stage. One phrase, one stroke, a short laugh, a barely noticeable gesture was enough. In Gounod's Faust, Mephistopheles makes Martha fall in love with him, and the news of her husband's death in the war does not bother her at all. “La voisine est un peu mure” - “The neighbor is a little overripe”; With this “mure,” pronounced through clenched teeth, almost inarticulately and accompanied by a most expressive gesture, Chaliapin, as they say in the theater, “put the audience in his pocket.”

The secret of this magical actor-singer was his ability to achieve subtle shades. He achieved them with the help of vocal “echoes”. Very few singers have mastered the secret of vocal echo. When a bell strikes, its sound produces an echo where it resonates best. This physical phenomenon is known to everyone and should provide a useful example for those who study the character of the singing voice. When a visceral, pharyngeal or nasal sound is heard, one usually does not think about the cause of the defect. And the defect is caused by the fact that the vibrations emanating from the larynx encounter obstacles on their way. The same thing will happen if a foreign body is placed inside a bell or crystal glass before or during a strike. The sound of the bell will inevitably be suppressed, killed, and the propagation of the wave will stop at its very beginning. The role of a foreign body in the human throat is played by those muscular spasms and contractions that prevent the vibrations of the larynx, caused by the flow of air from the lungs, from freely reaching the cranial cavities; it is there that the sound finds its echo, enhancing and dispersing euphonious timbres in space. Learning to sing must be accompanied by a persistent, diligent, tireless search for a vocal echo.

Chaliapin knew this most precious secret of vocal echo and used it with amazing skill, supplying his sound with distant and seemingly muffled response echoes. These echoes always produced an effect and made it possible to wisely save vocal resources.

In the shades of his singing one could feel the inner essence of his personality, which many tried and are trying to recreate in themselves, achieving, however, only an external resemblance, which turns out to be rather caricatured.

These plagiarists do not even try to achieve “merger with the character,” that amazing likeness that explained the inimitability of Fyodor Chaliapin.

Plagiarists do not understand that true art consists in infiltrating an image, becoming oneself into the character being portrayed, reviving it with the warmth of one’s own heart. To be, to live in an image, but to live in it, being renewed, to exist not next to it, but with it. This is what it means for an artist to live “under the sign of eternity,” filling the present with the past and extending it into the future.

A plagiarist, constantly looking for external signs and signs that he could cling to, is only a sluggish mannequin, a funny doll, moved by invisible threads reaching to the mind, to the will, to the soul of another artist.

Chaliapin remains a lonely giant.

Like Caruso among tenors and Titta Ruffo among baritones, Chaliapin became the standard bass, and his name spread across the continents.

Raoul Gunsburg (who converted Berlioz's oratorio The Damnation of Faust into an opera) decided to play with Chaliapin cruel joke. At the time when the great artist sang “Boris Godunov” at the Monte Carlo Theater, this capricious and cunning entrepreneur, generous with extravagant inventions, set out to prove to the French that Chaliapin was just a primitive physical strength and that he owed his entire career to his height and the charming gestures of his long arms. What did he come up with? He summoned another Russian bass from Paris, equally gigantic in stature, taught him Chaliapin's gestures and stage manners, and presented him to the Monte Carlo audience as Chaliapin's successor, as a new, young Chaliapin, possessing the same voice and greater musicality. The copy seemed completely accurate to everyone. The similarity was aggravated by the related manner of word delivery, especially when both sang in native language. In general, outwardly everything was completely the same: the same mise-en-scène, the same impressive gait, the same realistic horror at the sight of a ghost, the same majesty during the coronation scene. But the fake did not escape a close look. After this experiment, no one heard from the unfortunate bass, on whom Gunsburg played such a cruel joke. The experiment itself remains clear and living proof of the wrongness of those who believe in the effectiveness of the external and deny the existence of the absolute in life, in the reality around us and in art. Small and ordinary people really don’t believe in exceptions. They think that great names are always, without any exception, created only by chance, tricks, cunning, that their bearers are simply successful mediocrities.

In recent years, Rossi-Lemeni, a bass with a sonorous voice and an ardent supporter of the “scientific” school of singing, has made people talk about himself.

In Macbeth, Don Carlos, Boris, and Faust he demonstrated a deeply penetrating analytical mind. The Russian blood of his ancestors and the Slavic makeup of soul and body are felt in his interpretations. But the indecision and embarrassment of a man who sees before him an image that inexplicably attracts him, from which he would like to move away so as not to fall under its spell, are noticeable. He feels his own strength, but it does not yet determine his entire appearance. It will still take time before he can rebel against a ready-made model, against an existing fact with its clearly defined boundaries. Will he succeed in this rebellion? The talented artist has outstanding vocal abilities and great intelligence, and he has the opportunity to “work out” his face. Let him not neglect the roundness of sound, which is necessary for singers of all registers, but especially for basses.

Parallel Mansueto - Pasero

During the production of "Rigoletto", which La Scala is proud of and which took a strong place in the annals of this theater (the premiere took place at the beginning of the Tuscanini seventh anniversary, that is, in the 1923/24 season), among the performers of the main roles of this opera, a Ligurian came forward in the role of Sparafucile Claudio Mansueto.

His voice was as strong as his muscles, which made the careless and impudent actresses tremble, who, deceived by the good-natured simplicity of this proud man, tried to make stupid jokes at his expense, for which they later paid with resounding slaps in the face. Both the Ligurian’s voice and biceps were very famous among the gallery regulars, and not only there. Mansueto’s mighty voice in the phrase “I am called Sparafucil, Sparafucil” on this last “and” rumbled like infrasound (if infrasound could be heard), so wide and powerful was this final note. It was not the usual “low” characteristic of baritone basses and similar to an indefinite hum. Mansueto did not shoot with a gun, but with a cannon.

Before us is one of the rare examples of profundo bass, which can be placed on a par with such basses of the last century as Navarrini, Nanetti, Lablache. “Sound the trumpet fearlessly... Glory, victory, honor” - this call of the Puritan knights sounded to him like the blows of a hammer on a bronze bell. And in “Norma” his terrifying voice with barbaric fury ordered a screaming crowd of priests dissatisfied with the proconsul and the power of Rome: “Gather on the hill, Druids!”

In 1933, tens of thousands of spectators honored him at the Verona Arena in Les Huguenots. The famous “Bang and Bang” by the implacable and stubborn Huguenot Marcel was remembered forever in that production in which Rosa Raisa and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi performed the roles of Valentina and Raoul (so far the last performers of this amazing opera, so beloved by Berlioz and despised by modern critics).

Parallel Mardones - Neri

The vocal bass instrument has found a highly accomplished performer in the person of the Spaniard Giuseppe Mardones.

He did not sing or recite. Nothing like it. He was, we repeat, a performer, playing a musical instrument, like Retberg and Stignani. Image? Mise-en-scene? Facial expressions? Depth of execution? There was no trace of any of this. But what a tool! Two octaves of surprisingly smooth and soft sound, a timbre full of nobility and severity. “Gods, give us victory,” sung by the High Priest of Memphis, sounded in the mouth of the Navarrese Mardones, like the chant of praise of a devout crowd.

Not so deep and monolithic, but also with a predominance of matte timbres and a dim, dimmed shine, Giulio Nari's voice with biblical grandeur is reminiscent of a Spanish bass. The Tuscan was the best artist, but the Spaniard was the best singer.

In Don Carlos, the inquisitor Giulio Nari could indeed awe the lonely master of the Escurial. Unusually tall, ascetically thin, he brought down such powerful waves of sound on the head of the unfortunate monarch that goosebumps ran over the skin, and even the most unreceptive listeners began to understand the supreme beauty of Verdi’s music. And anyone who was at the performance in the Baths of Caracalla will never forget the glorious figure of Moses, vividly outlined by the gesture and voice of this last real bass.

It is not clear why La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera ignored him, preferring less perfect and weak-sounding voices even in low-tessitura roles. Who, for example, could compare with Neri in the tonsure scene in “Force of Destiny”? We are, of course, talking about the voice, and not about acting. There are parts for which the most important thing is sound and in which the artist must give way to a singer with a strong voice.

Neri died in 1958, unable to fulfill his cherished dream of singing at La Scala. This is a sad fact, a clear injustice, so often encountered in the grotesque world of the theater.

Parallel De Angelis - Journet

We unite the long-silent voices of the original Roman Nazzareno De Angelis and the Frenchman Marcel Journet, who owes so much to Italy and Toscanini, thanks to the inherent plastic expressiveness and sculptural vocal style of these singers. Let De Angelis not be offended by us. Journet is more suitable for comparison than Chaliapin (whose voice is difficult to define).

Who does not remember Wotan, Boit's Mephistopheles and Moses Nazzareno De Angelis? An almost painful tension, felt in the air throughout the entire performance, kept everyone in a daze, as if some kind of wires connected the singer and the audience. De Angelis gave neither himself nor his audience any respite. And this is one of the most interesting and exciting phenomena of reality, and not at all the hyperbolic exaggeration that memoirists sometimes commit. For some artists, singing is just a pastime from which they derive this or that income; they do not care about art or spiritual values ​​in general. Others, on the contrary, suffer on stage, dare, fight, win, only to die exhausted, burned by passion, constant restlessness of creativity, thirst for perfection. De Angelis, this operatic Laocoon, still lives and sings invisibly, he set a milestone in the history of vocal art.

Marcel Journet will go down in the annals of opera as Simon Magot from Voit's Nero at La Scala and especially as William Tell at the Paris Opera. He was an incomparable interpreter.

The author of this book spoke with him in 1930. After that, he participated in the anniversary performances of many famous theaters that celebrated the centenary of William Tell, this so powerful and so strict opera. But neither Danise at the Metropolitan Opera, nor Franchi at La Scala, nor Galeffi at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires - none of these baritones made an impression on him in this role, because this image was embedded in him memory in the wonderful performance of this literally melodious bass. Heroism, plasticity, breadth, power - this is what distinguishes the voice, art and soul of Marcel Journet.

Parallel of Pinza - Siepi

In opera, the bass is usually tasked with expressing wisdom, fatherly severity, ascetic martyrdom, and holiness. A character brought to life by such a voice usually appears on stage invested with power, he is sedate, assertive, and reserved. But under the makeup and clothes of the character there is almost always a strong and energetic person with a low voice but tall stature.

Bass Ezio Pinza, originally from Romagna, debuted in the role of a “singing bass” and played the role of Des Grieux, the father. A short time later, this classical singer already sang the role of the Father Superior in “Force of Destiny”, and later in “The Favorite”. He had a voice of amazing beauty and mobility, rich, velvety, perfect in timbre and volatility.

But, once at the Metropolitan Opera, he decided that the impressiveness of the above-mentioned characters forced him to work in a manner and timbre palette that was alien to him. Instinct and his rich nature pushed him broadly and upward. And he switched to baritone roles, trying his hand at the role of the daring brat and heartthrob Don Giovanni in Mozart's opera. To succeed, he needed to lighten his sound, give it baritone languor and tenor agility. And he succeeded at the cost of discoloring his voice and depriving it of its natural modulations. But the dynamism and masculinity of his acting personality, which made him so famous among the fair sex, were revealed.

His fame as a conqueror of hearts, even more than his rare voice, made him popular in a country where matrimonial cataclysms help fortune and promote success. Indeed, Pinza subsequently left opera and moved to the Broadway Revue, where his reputation as an irresistible seducer was strengthened; this additionally brought him a lot of hard dollars. You can still see him in the Review; he grimaces and hums under his breath, and this is after he thundered in the part of Ramfis, laughed like Mephistopheles and playfully coped with the baritone part of Don Juan.

At the Metropolitan Opera he was replaced by Cesare Siepi, a young bass cantante whose creative attitudes do not seem to coincide with those of his predecessor.

But Siepi, it seems, managed to outgrow the instinctive method and subjugate the subject of his art. A diligent researcher, he discovered the melody of the soul and directs his voice to the right goal. Hence the tenderness and persuasiveness of his singing, the dignity of his style, the severity of his colorful diction, the biblical significance of his stage behavior. The opera expects a lot from him.

Parallel Didur - Christov

One of them is Pole, the other is Bulgarian. Nature gave Didur a sonorous voice at the top and soft at the bottom, an athletic figure, an expressive face, soulful eyes - in a word, everything except an understanding of vocal technique.

Over the course of several years, he squandered his capital, and he had to be content with the crumbs that fell to him from the Metropolitan Opera feast table; the once glorious voice was now hidden under the pitiful robes of a supporting singer.

When you see once-great artists reaching such a state, your heart clenches with pain and you involuntarily begin to reflect on the reasons for such a fall. Anyone who squandered their inheritance and ended up on the pavement is pitiable. But a once great vocal artist, going on stage and either screaming at the top of his lungs or howling pitifully, as if in mortal anguish, is the most painful sight that can be seen.

How much better it would have been if Didur had left the stage in time! Colleagues who were at their climax would certainly have helped him. They are responsive and generously give their voice when it comes to helping a fellow performer. Thus, Didur would eventually receive what he gave in the beginning.

We do not at all want to say that the parts of the Count in “Somnambulist” and Philip in “Don Carlos” find in the person of Christ an unworthy and incompetent performer. But how he wins when he sings in his native language! If Didur had been able to use his voice as cleverly as Hristov, he would have lasted much longer and would not have had to endure the pangs of need.

The Bulgarian has found the right sounding guiding thread and is following it like a train on rails. He is familiar with the phenomenon of vocal echo, and this distinguishes him very favorably.

Didur made sounds. Khristov sings the notes and knows how to sew them together, reliably masking the seams. He is always attentive and careful and does not go beyond his vocal capabilities. He is smart and educated and managed to take his special place on the opera stage. And in this he had a brilliant assistant - Riccardo Stracciari, his teacher.

Parallel Chirino - Rotier

There was a time golden time vocal art, when Italian opera troupes, replete with beautiful voices and filled with good intentions, crossed the oceans and carried the light of music to the most distant countries. Gatti-Casazza at the Metropolitan Opera, Emma Carelli and Walter Mocchi at Municipal Theater Rio de Janeiro and San Paolo, at the Solis Theater in Montevideo and at the Coliseum Theater in Buenos Aires, Bonetti at the Colon Theater in Buenos Aires, Salviati in Santiago and Valparaiso, Bracle in Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Gaetano Merola in California and Fortunato Gallo throughout North America and in Canada - they all competed with each other, planting the banner of Italian melos in all corners of the civilized world. Under these impresarios, not only famous singers prospered, but also less fortunate artists of all races and countries.

Among these we should mention the bass cantante of the Frenchman Rotier and the Roman Giulio Chirino. Such singers, thanks to their versatility and performing flexibility, are absolutely indispensable in large opera companies that make complex tours and are subject to all sorts of surprises during their long seasons.

You had to hear Chirino in the role of the old boyfriend in Der Rosenkavalier to understand how many winning artistic possibilities this role hides. And the cunning Don Basilio in his performance was animated and amazed with his varied, but at the same time restrained comedy, which never lapsed into clowning, vulgarity and bad taste.

Leon Rotier, who had a richer voice, was inclined to be clever in the technique of sound delivery. This “chemistry” usually deprived his singing of simplicity, but in the role of Mephistopheles in Gounod’s “Faust” it suddenly became a performative color - because of it, a repulsive cunning and sophisticated insincerity arose, so suitable for this character and so successfully expressed.

Both of these singers managed to deceive time - the Roman with careful cunning, the French with precise calculation. None of their contemporaries can compare with these two masters in dexterity, wise economy of force and depth of performance.