Basso profondo (Italian: "deep bass"), sometimes basso profundo or contrabass, is the lowest bass voice type.
Basso profondo voice range (C2–C4) indicated on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C
While The New Grove Dictionary of Opera defines a typical bass as having a range that extends downward to the second E below middle C (E2),[1] operatic bassi profondi can be called on to sing low C (C2), as in the role of Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier. Often choral composers make use of lower notes, such as G1 or even F1; in such rare cases the choir relies on exceptionally deep-ranged bassi profondi termed oktavists or octavists, who sometimes sing an octave below the bass part.
Range of a basso profondo according to the Italian definition ranging from C2 to F4
According to Rousseau (1775): "Basse-contres – the most profound of all voices, singing lower than the bass like a double bass, and should not be confused with contrabasses, which are instruments."[3]
Oktavistedit
An oktavist is an exceptionally deep-ranged basso profondo, especially typical of Russian Orthodoxchoral music. This voice type has a vocal range which extends down to A1 (an octave below the baritone range) and sometimes to F1 (an octave below the bass staff) with the extreme lows for oktavists, such as Mikhail Zlatopolsky or Alexander Ort, reaching C1.[4]
Slavic choral composers sometimes make use of lower notes such as B♭1 as in Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil, G♯1 in "The Twelve Brigands" by Vladimir Pasjukov, G1 in "Ne otverzhi mene" by Pavel Chesnokov, or F1 in "Kheruvimskaya pesn" (Song of Cherubim) by Krzysztof Penderecki, although such notes sometimes also appear in repertoire by non-Slavic composers (e.g. B♭1 appears in Gustav Mahler's Second and Eighth Symphonies).
In popular culture, several a capella groups have bass singers with an oktavist range, such as Home Free's Tim Foust, VoicePlay's Geoff Castellucci, the members of the bass group The Wellermen, and Avi Kaplan formerly of Pentatonix, as well as Tony-nominated Broadway performer Patrick Page, each of these being able to reach down to a G1 or in some cases even lower, with Castellucci able to hit a B0 using subharmonic singing and Foust able to hit a G0 using growl.
^Owen Jander; Lionel Sawkins; J. B. Steane; Elizabeth Forbes. L. Macy (ed.). "Bass". Grove Music Online. from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2006.; The Oxford Dictionary of Music gives E2 to E4 or F4
^"Lowest vocal note by a male". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
^Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (1775). Dictionnaire de musique (in French). Paris. p. 66. ... des Basse-Contres les plus graves de toutes les Voix, qui chantent la Basse sous la Basse même, & qu'il ne faut pas confondre avec les Contre-basses, qui sont des Instrumens.
^Galbraith, R. (28 March 2018). . Russian Sacred Music. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
Further readingedit
Camp, Philip Reuel (2002). (PDF) (PhD. Thesis). Texas Tech University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
Croan, Robert (7 October 2010). . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
Morosan, Vladimir Choral Performance in Pre-revolutionary Russia, UMI Research Press, 1986. ISBN0-8357-1713-5
Ritzarev, Marina (2006). Eighteenth-century Russian Music. Ashgate Publishing. p. 255. ISBN0-7546-3466-3. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
Smirnov, Georgy (1999). Basso Profondo from Old Russia (CD Liner notes). The Orthodox Singers male choir. Moscow Conservatory: Russian Season. RUS 288 158. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
External linksedit
The dictionary definition of basso profondo at Wiktionary
oktavism.com, website dedicated to the oktavist voice
January 01, 1970
basso, profondo, italian, deep, bass, sometimes, basso, profundo, contrabass, lowest, bass, voice, type, voice, range, indicated, piano, keyboard, green, with, marking, middle, while, grove, dictionary, opera, defines, typical, bass, having, range, that, exten. Basso profondo Italian deep bass sometimes basso profundo or contrabass is the lowest bass voice type Basso profondo voice range C2 C4 indicated on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C While The New Grove Dictionary of Opera defines a typical bass as having a range that extends downward to the second E below middle C E2 1 operatic bassi profondi can be called on to sing low C C2 as in the role of Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier Often choral composers make use of lower notes such as G1 or even F1 in such rare cases the choir relies on exceptionally deep ranged bassi profondi termed oktavists or octavists who sometimes sing an octave below the bass part Bass singer Tim Storms holds the Guinness World Record for the lowest note produced by a human 2 Contents 1 Definition 2 Oktavist 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksDefinition edit nbsp Range of a basso profondo according to the Italian definition ranging from C2 to F4 According to Rousseau 1775 Basse contres the most profound of all voices singing lower than the bass like a double bass and should not be confused with contrabasses which are instruments 3 Oktavist editAn oktavist is an exceptionally deep ranged basso profondo especially typical of Russian Orthodox choral music This voice type has a vocal range which extends down to A1 an octave below the baritone range and sometimes to F1 an octave below the bass staff with the extreme lows for oktavists such as Mikhail Zlatopolsky or Alexander Ort reaching C1 4 Slavic choral composers sometimes make use of lower notes such as B 1 as in Rachmaninoff s All Night Vigil G 1 in The Twelve Brigands by Vladimir Pasjukov G1 in Ne otverzhi mene by Pavel Chesnokov or F1 in Kheruvimskaya pesn Song of Cherubim by Krzysztof Penderecki although such notes sometimes also appear in repertoire by non Slavic composers e g B 1 appears in Gustav Mahler s Second and Eighth Symphonies In popular culture several a capella groups have bass singers with an oktavist range such as Home Free s Tim Foust VoicePlay s Geoff Castellucci the members of the bass group The Wellermen and Avi Kaplan formerly of Pentatonix as well as Tony nominated Broadway performer Patrick Page each of these being able to reach down to a G1 or in some cases even lower with Castellucci able to hit a B0 using subharmonic singing and Foust able to hit a G0 using growl See also editFach Vocal weightReferences edit Owen Jander Lionel Sawkins J B Steane Elizabeth Forbes L Macy ed Bass Grove Music Online Archived from the original on 16 May 2008 Retrieved 14 June 2006 The Oxford Dictionary of Music gives E2 to E4 or F4 Lowest vocal note by a male Guinness World Records Retrieved 7 April 2022 Rousseau Jean Jacques 1775 Dictionnaire de musique in French Paris p 66 des Basse Contres les plus graves de toutes les Voix qui chantent la Basse sous la Basse meme amp qu il ne faut pas confondre avec les Contre basses qui sont des Instrumens Galbraith R 28 March 2018 Russian Basses Russian Sacred Music Archived from the original on 25 June 2022 Retrieved 11 July 2019 Further reading editCamp Philip Reuel 2002 A Historical and Contextual Examination of Alexandre Gretchaninoff s Second Liturgy of St John Chrysotom Opus 29 PDF PhD Thesis Texas Tech University Archived from the original PDF on 20 July 2011 Retrieved 8 January 2009 Croan Robert 7 October 2010 The basses of the Barber Pittsburgh Post Gazette Archived from the original on 15 November 2010 Retrieved 17 October 2010 Morosan Vladimir Choral Performance in Pre revolutionary Russia UMI Research Press 1986 ISBN 0 8357 1713 5 Ritzarev Marina 2006 Eighteenth century Russian Music Ashgate Publishing p 255 ISBN 0 7546 3466 3 Retrieved 8 April 2015 Rommereim J C 1998 The Choir and How to Direct It Pavel Chesnokov s magnum opus Choral Journal XXXVIII 7 American Choral Directors Association Smirnov Georgy 1999 Basso Profondo from Old Russia CD Liner notes The Orthodox Singers male choir Moscow Conservatory Russian Season RUS 288 158 Retrieved 8 April 2015 External links edit nbsp The dictionary definition of basso profondo at Wiktionary oktavism com website dedicated to the oktavist voice Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Basso profondo amp oldid 1214567260, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
