# Favourite voice type



## Grosse Fugue (Mar 3, 2010)

I know that there are a million different subtypes but in general what is you favourite vocal type for men and women and why.

Men
Baritones-Many of my favorite roles are baritone

Women
Mezzo-sopranos- Same as above and sometimes sopanos can sound a bit too 'sweet' for my taste

If your favoured type is not here then please list it.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Sopranos for me.


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

Sopranos for me too.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Sopranos for women, basses for men. I don't enjoy much in between those extremes for solo arias or songs. Contraltos sound particularly uncomfortable to me, though I am not sure why. I think it depends on the context.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Tenor in italian operas, soprano, tenor and baritone in german/other.

To tell the truth I consider all male voices up from baritone minor, good just for minor roles. A bass aria leasting ten minutes? Disaster.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Soprano for me as well.


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## Grosse Fugue (Mar 3, 2010)

Andre said:


> Soprano for me as well.


Any particular reason?


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## matsoljare (Jul 28, 2008)

Alto is not included in the poll....


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Grosse Fugue said:


> Any particular reason?


I just like the songs cycles that have been written for soprano (but also mezzo soprano). Heck, I like virtually any song cycles, especially where there is orchestral accompaniment, but I'm begining to warm to piano accompaniment as well. I really like listening to Messiaen (_Poemes pour Mi; Harawi; Trios Melodies_)...


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I really can't choose... and don't see a reason for doing so. I might admit to a preference for the female voice... but undoubtedly that is biological more than anything else. It all depends upon the work... and the singer. Beniamino Gigli, Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Andreas Scholl, Philippe Jaroussky, and certainly the inimitable Fritz Wunderlich make a mockery of the notion that any male voice beyond the bass or baritone are only worthy of minor roles. By the same token, I would not give up such brilliant sopranos as Maria Callas, Birgit Nilsson, Véronique Gens, Joan Sutherland, or Rene Fleming... and still Magalena Kozena, Janet Baker, Cecilia Bartoli, and Teresa Berganza could sing the phone book and make it sound sensuous and seductive.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

For the poll I chose baritone - Simon Keenlyside, Dmitri Hvorostovky, Ruggero Raimondi etc. My favourite tenors also have something of the baritone about them - Domingo, Kaufmann.
But I love mezzos to bits too. 

Sopranos come a distant fourth.


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## karenpat (Jan 16, 2009)

My favourite voice type is countertenor, which is not in the poll  The strange thing is I can't really explain why I prefer countertenor voices....my family thinks I'm a little weird because of it. Anyway I do listen to a LOT of other singers with different voice types - My favourite tenor being Richard Croft, my favourite soprano Natalie Dessay, favourite mezzo Magdalena Kozena, and favourite bass-baritone Ruben Drole (It's a shame he has no CD out yet....)


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Soprano for me, specifically coloratura soprano, with baritone just a fraction behind. Probably my least favorite is mezzo-soprano. Favorite singers are Diana Damrau for soprano and Bryn Terfel for baritone.

As for why, difficult to say. Why do you prefer chocolate over vanilla (or vice versa)? Good baritones are just amazing. Deep, resonant voice similar to a bass but able to project more like a tenor.


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

Aramis said:


> Tenor in italian operas, soprano, tenor and baritone in german/other.
> 
> To tell the truth I consider all male voices up from baritone minor, good just for minor roles. A bass aria leasting ten minutes? Disaster.


King Marke?


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

When it comes to opera, I love the basses, and lower baritones. I just couldn't really get into the tenors, aside from the greats like Pavarotti, Domingo, Caruso....

My favorite singers really have a dark tone to their voices. Sherill Milnes can hit the roof, but he has a mellow warmth to his voice. Ruggero Raimondi, his voice is so dark, that it makes me wonder what the fach he is singing. (Please tell me you got that joke) Ferruccio Furlanetto (I think I talk to much about him) Cesare Siepi, the king of bass.

Then for some guys who swim in the deeper end of the pool. I like Kurt Moll, he has that large voice. Everything about his voice is big. John Tomilinson, he may not sound that low, but this man hits deep. Martti Talvela, like Kurt Moll, his voice was huge. I think people just don't understand how big it was.

When it comes to women, I don't care. As long as they don't pierce my ears. I usually go for sopranos like Kiri Te Kanawa, Dawn Upshaw, and Renée Fleming. Most women like to shake things up a bit (if you catch my drift.) So many great singers, sound like they are singing on a paint mixer. These 3 women do not suffer that. Yes, vibrato is good, but a little can go a long way. It is like putting too much miracle whip on your sandwich. 
*
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## hlolli (Dec 31, 2006)

Fischer-Diskau is baritone. So I choose baritone.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Soprano. Mezzo-sporano is not far behind. But the most important thing is it has to suit the sung role.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Soprano. Mezzo-sporano is not far behind...


For once we agree on something ...


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I picked soprano, even though I prefer the depth of a really good contralto.

And by soprano I don't mean the "hoyotoho" type (always sounds very silly to me, really), but the sort of shimmering, warm sound. Lyrical, I suppose.


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## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

Take away the soprano's (including Mezzo) and there is not one opera I would care 2 cts for!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Baritone as I love the roles that voice has. Boccanegra, Macbeth, Rigoletto, Dr. Malatesta. But if I could have chosen a woman's voice as well it would be Mezzo for the same reason. eg Carmen, Princess Eboli, Preziosilla.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

Mezzo,by far.

Jim


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## Gneiss (Feb 3, 2009)

Although I have broad taste in music, my music of choice is opera, but for me whatever the genre it is soprano voice I find most appealing... in general I prefer the more lyrical repertoire.

For male voices it would have to be tenor...


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## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

Gneiss said:


> Although I have broad taste in music, my music of choice is opera, but for me whatever the genre it is soprano voice I find most appealing... in general I prefer the more lyrical repertoire.
> 
> For male voices it would have to be tenor...


 I could have written this post, per batem, myself!


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