Fach

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The German Fach (pl. Fächer) system is a method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, by the range, weight, and color of their voices. It is primarily used in Europe, especially in German-speaking countries and in repertory opera houses.

The Fach system is a convenience for singers and opera houses. A singer who is identified as being of a certain Fach will usually be asked to sing only roles that belong to that Fach. This prevents a singer from being asked to sing roles which he or she is incapable of performing. Opera houses keep lists of available singers by Fach so that when they are casting roles for an upcoming production, they do not inadvertently contact performers who would be inappropriate for the part.

Below is a list of Fächer, their ranges as written on sheet music, and their common roles. When two names for the Fach are given, the first is in more common use today. Where possible, an English equivalent of each Fach is listed, however not all Fächer have ready English equivalents. Note that some roles can be sung by more than one Fach.

Koloratursopran / Koloratursoubrette

• English equivalent: Coloratura soprano
• Range: From middle C to the F two-and-a-half octaves above middle C
• Description: Usually a light soprano, with a high voice. Can often have small voices, meaning they can lack the richness and resonance of voice that for example dramatic sopranos have. Must be able to do fast acrobatics and reach at least the f6 notes of Der Hölle Rache (Of the Queen of the Night in the Magic Flute.).
• Roles:
• *Norina, Don Pasquale (Gaetano Donizetti)
• *Giulia, La scala di seta (Gioacchino Rossini)
• *Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor (Gaetano Donizetti)
• *Gilda, Rigoletto (Giuseppe Verdi)
• Singers:
• *Erna Berger
• *Natalie Dessay
• *Lily Pons
• *Erna Sack
• *Beverly Sills

Dramatischer Koloratursopran

• English equivalent: Dramatic coloratura soprano
• Range: From middle C to the F two-and-a-half octaves above middle C
• Description: The same as above, only with a more dramatic, rich voice. Can often be more lyrical, and heavier than a coloratura soprano. Must also be able to do fast vocal acrobatics and reach high notes, such as the f6 of the Queen of the Night. Some of the best examples for this voice type are Joan Sutherland, Maria Callas and June Anderson. This is a very rare vocal Fach, seeing it needs thick vocal chords to produce the large, dramatic notes needed. This usually lessen the flexibility and acrobatic abilities of the voice.
• Roles:
• *The Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
• *Semiramide, Semiramide (Gioacchino Rossini)
• *Armida, Armida (Gioacchino Rossini)
• *Elena, La donna del lago (Gioacchino Rossini)
• *Violetta, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
• *Konstanze, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
• Singers
• *Joan Sutherland
• *Maria Callas
• *June Anderson

Deutsche Soubrette

• English equivalent: Soubrette
• Range: From middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
• Description: a light, pretty voice
• Roles: Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni
• Singers:
• *Kathleen Battle
• *Barbara Bonney
• *Elisabeth Schumann
• *Dawn Upshaw

Lyrischer Sopran

• English equivalent: Lyric soprano
• Range: From middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
• Description: a more supple-sounding soprano, capable of legato, portamento, and some agility; generally has a more soulful and sensuous quality than a soubrette who tend to be largely flirtatious and somewhat tweety.
• Roles:
• *Mimi, La bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
• *Micaela, Carmen (Georges Bizet)

• Singers:
• *Lisa della Casa
• *Angela Gheorghiu
• *Renee Fleming
• *Kiri Te Kanawa
• *Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Jugendlich Dramatischer Sopran

• English equivalent: Light dramatic soprano
• Range: From middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
• Description: The Italian version of this fach is the spinto, which literally means pushed. Thus, a light dramatic soprano must generally push her basically lyric instrument to create big sounds that can cut through an orchestral and/or choral climax. Depending on the singer, however, this voice type can be more versatile, as it lies at neither extreme of the soprano spectrum. Spintos are occasionally able to take on lighter mezzo roles, or conversely, lyric and even coloratura roles. Spinto sopranos are known to be especially well suited to art song and operas in English.
• Roles:
• *Madama Butterfly, Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini)
• *Manon Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (Giacomo Puccini)
• *Floria Tosca, Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)
• *Elizabeth de Valois, Don Carlo (Giuseppe Verdi)
• *Susannah, Susannah (Carlisle Floyd)
• Singers:
• *Gundula Janowitz
• *Lotte Lehmann
• *Karita Mattila

Charaktersopran

• English equivalent: Comic soprano
• Range: From the B below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
• Description:
• Roles:

Dramatischer Sopran

• English equivalent: Full dramatic soprano
• Range: From the B below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Elsa, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
• *Lady Macbeth, Macbeth (Giuseppe Verdi)
• *Leonore, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven)
• Singers:
• *Helga Dernesch
• *Jessye Norman

Hochdramatischer Sopran

• English equivalent: Wagnerian soprano
• Range: From the F below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
• Description: A voice equal to the demands of the operas of Wagner's maturity, substantial, very powerful and even throughout the registers. Successful hochdramatischer are rare, only one or two appear in a generation. Arguably there are none singing today.

• Roles:
• *Turandot, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
• *Leonore, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven)
• *Brunnhilde, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
• *Isolde, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)
• *Elektra, Elektra (Richard Strauss)
• Singers:
• *Birgit Nilsson
• *Kirsten Flagstad
• *Gwyneth Jones
• *Frida Leider
• *Eva Turner

Lyrischer Mezzosopran / Spielalt

• English equivalent: Lyric mezzo-soprano
• Range: From the G below middle C to the B 1 octave above middle C
• Description: a lyric soprano's instrument in a lower range; the resulting sound is less piercing, more lachrymose and kind of sensitive
• Roles: Carmen can be sung by lyric mezzos like Denyce Graves. Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (and other pants roles), also Mignon, Cendrillon, Charlotte, Dido.
• Singers:
• *Susan Graham
• *Janet Baker
• *Anne-Sofie von Otter
• *Frederica Von Stade

Koloratur-Mezzosopran

• English equivalent: Coloratura mezzo-soprano
• Range: From the G below middle C to the B above middle C
• Description: a lyric soprano's instrument in a lower range; the resulting sound is less piercing, more lachrymose and kind of sensitive
• Roles: Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia
• Singers:
• *Cecilia Bartoli
• *Conchita Supervia

Dramatischer Mezzosopran

• English equivalent: Dramatic mezzo-soprano
• Range: From the G below middle C to the B above middle C
• Description: The dramatic mezzo possesses an almost freakishly large instrument capable of creating penetrating yet full-bodied projection. Dramatic mezzos must perform alongside dramatic sopranos, and so their voices must be able to carry effectively despite singing in a lower tessitura. They are well-suited to composers who use densely textured orchestration like Beethoven, Wagner, and Strauss. The dramatic mezzo, however stunning in the opera house, is often felt to be too overwhelming for lied and other art songs.
• Roles:
• *Amneris (Aida)
• *Eboli (Don Carlo)
• *Fricka (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre)
• *Ortrud (Lohengrin)
• Singers
• *Grace Bumbry
• *Fiorenza Cossotto
• *Ebe Stignani

Dramatischer Alt

• English equivalent: Contralto
• Range: From the G below middle C to the B above middle C
• Description:
• Roles: Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen

Tiefer Alt

• English equivalent: Contralto
• Range: From the F below middle C to the A above middle C
• Description: A deep, penetrating low female voice. This is a very rare voice type with a darker, richer sound than that of a typical alto.
• Roles: Die Kranke in Moses und Aron; Ulrica in Un ballo en maschera (Giuseppe Verdi)
• Singers:
• *Marian Anderson
• *Clara Butt
• *Kathleen Ferrier
• *Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Spieltenor

• English equivalent: (Lyric) comic tenor
• Range: From low C to the B an octave above middle C (C to b')
• Description:
• Roles: Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)

Charaktertenor

• English equivalent: (Dramatic) comic tenor
• Range: From the B below low C to the C an octave above middle C (C to c')
• Description:
• Roles: Mime (Siegfried)
• Singers:
• *Gerhard Stolze

Lyrischer Tenor

• English equivalent: Lyric tenor
• Range: From low C to the C an octave above middle C (C to c')
• Description:
• Roles: Tamino (Die Zauberflöte)
• Singers:
• *Ian Bostridge
• *Richard Tauber
• *Fritz Wunderlich

Jugendlicher Heldentenor

• English equivalent: Light dramatic tenor
• Range: From low C to the C an octave above middle C (C to c')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Don José, Carmen (Georges Bizet)
• *Lohengrin, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
• *Parsifal, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
• Singers:
• *Plácido Domingo
• *Georges Thill

Heldentenor / Tenorbariton

• English equivalent: Full dramatic tenor
• Range: From the B below low C to the B above middle C (B to b')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Siegfried, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
• *Tristan, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)
• *Otello (Giuseppe Verdi)
• Singers:
• *Ben Heppner
• *Lauritz Melchior
• *Jon Vickers

Bariton-Martin

• English equivalent: Baritenor
• Range: From the B below low C to the A above middle C (B to a')
• Description: A light, flexible baritone with a range between lyric baritone and lyric tenor. Generally seen only in French repertoire, this fach was named after the French singer Jean-Blaise Martin
• Roles:
• *Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande (Claude Debussy)
• *Ramiro, L'Heure espagnole (Joseph-Maurice Ravel)
• Singers:
• *Pierre Bernac
• *Camille Maurane

Lyrischer Bariton / Lyric Baritone

• English equivalent: Lyric baritone
• Range: From the B below low C to the G above middle C (B to g')
• Description: A sweeter, milder sounding baritone voice, lacking in harshness.
• Roles:
• *Conte Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
• *Marcello, La bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
• Singers:
• *Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
• *Gerhard Hüsch
• *Hermann Prey

Charakterbariton

• English equivalent: Comic baritone
• Range: From the A below low C to the G# above middle C (A to g#')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Papageno, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
• Singers:
• *Tito Gobbi
• *Leo Nucci
• *Lawrence Tibbett
• *Leonard Warren

Kavalierbariton / Dramatic Baritone

• English equivalent: Dramatic or Verdi baritone
• Range: From the A below low C to the G#above middle C (A to g#' )
• Description: Harsher, more aggressive and pronounced than the Lyric baritone.
• Roles:
• *Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
• *Tonio, Pagliacci (Ruggiero Leoncavallo)
• *Di Luna, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
• Singers:
• *Thomas Hampson
• *Dmitri Hvorostovsky
• *Eberhard Wächter

Heldenbariton / Hoherbass

• English equivalent: Dramatic or heroic baritone, or bass-baritone
• Range: From the G below low C to the F# above middle C (G to f#')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Rigoletto, Rigoletto (Giuseppe Verdi)
• *Don Pizarro, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven)
• *Scarpia, Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)
• *Wotan, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
• Singers:
• *Hans Hotter
• *Friedrich Schorr
• *Bryn Terfel

Spielbass / Bassbuffo

• English equivalent: (Lyric) comic bass
• Range: From the E one-and-a-half octaves below middle C to the F above middle C (E to f')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Don Pasquale, Gaetano Donizetti

Schwerer Spielbass

• English equivalent: (Dramatic) comic bass
• Range: From the C two octaves below middle C to the F above middle C (C to f')
• Description:
• Roles: Baculus, Der Wildschütz (Albert Lortzing)

Charakterbass / Bassbariton

• English equivalent: Bass-baritone
• Range: From the E one-and-a-half octaves below middle C to the F above middle C (C to f')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Figaro, Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart
• *Don Alfonso, Cosi fan tutte by (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Hoher Bass

• English equivalent: Lyric Bass
• Range: From the E one-and-a-half octaves below middle C to the F above middle C (C to f')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Zaccaria, Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi)
• *Mephistofeles, Faust by (Charles Gounod)
• Singers:
• *Ezio Pinza
• *Cesare Siepi

Seriöser Bass

• English equivalent: Dramatic bass
• Range: From the C two octaves below middle C to the F above middle C (C to f')
• Description:
• Roles:
• *Boris Godunov (title role) (Modest Mussorgsky)
• *Sarastro, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
• *König Marke, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)
• Singers:
• *Feodor Chaliapin
• *Boris Christoff
• *Gottlob Frick
• *Nicolai Ghiaurov
• *Kurt Moll
• *Matti Salminen
• *Martti Talvela

Sources

• Rudolf Kloiber, Wulf Konold und Robert Maschka: Handbuch der Oper, 9. Auflage, Kassel (Bärenreiter) 2002, ISBN 3761816057
• Steane, J B: Fach in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7

 

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