VOICES Of Summer Presents:

BASS-ICALLY

Bel Canto

22 FEBRUARY 2025

Hosted in Studio 535 of the
Fine Arts Building in Chicago

12:00 -  5:00 PM 

Taught by a bass, for basses

Like other vocal categories, bass voices are divided into types depending on weight, color and range.

They are:

bass-baritone

basso buffo (comic bass)

basso cantante (lyric bass)

dramatic bass (basso profondo)

dramatic bass (dark bass or Schwarze Bass)

Which one are you?

Young basses are often mislabeled as baritones. Choral conductors and voice teachers often focus on light bright and forward vocal production. Attention to vocal color, range and the position of the passaggio are often ignored. The continual rise of orchestral pitch to 440Hz and above from historically lower levels is problematic for basses. The repertory in various collections is often too high for real bass voices.

This class, given by a bass who understands first-hand the challenges of the bass voice, seeks to enhance the understanding of the possessors of bass voices with technical solutions drawn from the bel canto tradition, repertory suitable to real bass voices including concert and operatic rarities no longer in the current repertory, and advice about dealing with conductors, teachers, coaches and agents.

Participants receive the audio/visual contents of the class, including comparison recordings of singers past and present, and a collection of songs and arias for bass not in the standard repertory but suitable for auditions and further study.