Classical Unpacked

Guide

Voice Types Explained: Soprano to Bass

Soprano, mezzo, alto, tenor, baritone, bass - what the names mean, and the roles each one sings.

Singers are grouped by voice type: how high or low they can comfortably sing, and the color and weight of their voice. The labels come up constantly in opera, choral music, and concert programs, and once you know them, it's much easier to follow what's happening on stage - and to hear why a composer chose a particular voice for a particular character.

The six main voice types

From highest to lowest, the main types are below. The ranges are rough guides

  • every voice is different, and trained soloists often sing well beyond them.

  • Soprano - the highest voice, usually a woman's, from around middle C up to the C two octaves above it, or higher. Bright and soaring.

  • Mezzo-soprano - a little lower and darker than a soprano, roughly from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above.

  • Contralto - the lowest female voice, rich and deep, and rarer than the others; in choirs, women who sing this part are usually called altos.

  • Tenor - the highest common male voice, roughly from the C an octave below middle C to the C above it.

  • Baritone - the middle male voice, warm and flexible, between tenor and bass.

  • Bass - the lowest voice, reaching down to around the E almost two octaves below middle C - and, for some singers, lower still.

A countertenor is a man who sings in the alto or mezzo range using a highly developed head voice (falsetto).

More than range

Voice type isn't only about how high or low a singer can go. Two sopranos with the same range may suit very different roles, depending on the weight, color, and agility of their voices. Opera singers use a set of descriptive labels:

  • Coloratura - an agile, flexible voice that excels at fast runs, trills, and very high notes.
  • Lyric - a warm, smooth voice suited to long, flowing melodies.
  • Dramatic - a large, powerful voice that can ride over a big orchestra.
  • Spinto - "pushed," a lyric voice with extra power for dramatic climaxes.
  • Heldentenor - "heroic tenor," a powerful tenor with the stamina for Wagner's heroes.
  • Basso profondo and basso buffo - a very deep bass, and a comic bass role.

Who sings what in opera

In opera, voice types often come with typical characters:

  • Sopranos often play heroines: Violetta in Verdi's La traviata, Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème, and the coloratura Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute.
  • Mezzos play seductresses, rivals, and mothers - Carmen is the most famous mezzo role - as well as "trouser roles," young men played by women, such as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.
  • Tenors are very often the hero or the lover: Rodolfo in La Bohème, or Calaf in Puccini's Turandot, who sings "Nessun dorma."
  • Baritones play villains, fathers, and complicated men, from Verdi's Rigoletto to the barber Figaro in Rossini's The Barber of Seville.
  • Basses play kings, priests, and figures of authority, such as the high priest Sarastro in The Magic Flute, as well as comic old men.

Castrati and countertenors

In the Baroque era, the biggest opera stars were often castrati - male singers castrated before puberty to preserve a high voice, combined with an adult's power and lung capacity. The most famous, Farinelli, was a celebrity across Europe. The cruel practice died out in the 19th century; the last castrato, Alessandro Moreschi, sang in the Sistine Chapel choir and made recordings in the early 1900s. Today, the roles Handel and others wrote for castrati are usually sung by countertenors or mezzos.

Voices in a choir

Choirs usually divide into four parts, SATB: sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. Children's choirs and boys' choirs sing the upper parts with treble voices. Our choral music guide explains how choirs work.

Famous voices to hear

  • Soprano - Maria Callas, one of the most celebrated opera singers of the 20th century.
  • Contralto - Kathleen Ferrier, beloved for her deep, warm voice.
  • Tenor - Luciano Pavarotti, whose "Nessun dorma" became a worldwide hit.
  • Baritone - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the great interpreter of German art song.
  • Bass - Feodor Chaliapin, the legendary Russian bass.
  • Countertenor - Alfred Deller, who led the modern revival of the voice.

Where to start listening: the "Queen of the Night" aria from The Magic Flute shows a coloratura soprano at full stretch; "Nessun dorma" is the classic tenor showpiece; and "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville is a baritone's tongue-twisting delight. Hearing them side by side is the quickest way to learn the voice types by ear.