Baritone

What it means

The baritone is the middle male voice range between tenor and bass. Its range usually reaches from the low A to about f′ or g′, the boundaries being fluid and depending more on tone colour and carrying power than on individual extreme notes. Characteristic is a full, warm core in the middle range. Within the type further categories are distinguished, for instance the lyric baritone, the character baritone and the heroic baritone, which differ in weight and direction of expression; the bass-baritone lies at the lower boundary.

Musical use

In opera the baritone frequently takes on roles of confidants, adversaries or adult counter-figures to the tenor; in church music the words of Christ and many arias; in song a large part of the repertoire, which is frequently set for middle voice. In the choir the baritone range forms no voice of its own but is distributed among the second tenors or first basses. As a voice designation the term exists only since the seventeenth century; older polyphonic music knows a different division of the vocal ranges.

Performance practice

Seek the core of your voice in the middle range, not at the boundaries; the classification follows colour and resilience, not the highest reachable note. Work at the transition area, which with the baritone usually lies around D′ and E♭′, and practise it in legato exercises without pressure. Keep the breath deeply supported, so that the low range stays carrying without your pressing into the throat. Choose repertoire that suits your own size and maturity — too heavy a category taken on too early harms the voice. Warm up regularly and grant the voice recovery.

Remember that the category spans a wide range: between a light song part and a heavy stage role lie worlds, and the same voice is not equally suited to both. With a part, check how much time it spends in the upper middle range, for there the strain is decided. In song, the choice of the fitting key is worthwhile, since many collections exist in several ranges. Work at clarity of text, because the baritone range is easily covered in the orchestral sound.