# Let's talk fachs and body types, shall we?



## NatashaB93 (May 4, 2015)

The idea that each fach has an ideal look or body type has come up a lot in conversations recently with my singer friends. We're all in the process of getting our masters degrees, so we want to be prepared to make ourself as marketable to auditioners as possible. So, I'm curious, are these ideas of body type and fach actually a standard or is it all just talk? When you think a certain voice type, what do you want them to look like? What has been your experience with the way you look and getting jobs? Any insight or stories would be much appreciated!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I can think of no reason why a given vocal type should correspond to a given body type, except for the obvious, but not invariable, correlation between very large voices and larger bodies. There may have been petite dramatic sopranos and heldentenors, but not a single example comes to mind.

As far as the business is concerned, there is probably an expectation, at the other end of the size scale, that a soubrette-type coloratura not look like Jessye Norman, unfair as that might be.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Hi Natasha, welcome to the forum!

I think there are some 'typical' body types loosely associated with fach, but these may have more to do with the physiology of singing than the casting team's concept of an ideal body type. For whatever reason, some the best tenors seem to be medium-short with compact to barrel-chested body type, baritones and basses are taller and somewhat lankier. I tend to think of mezzos as generally taller than sopranos too. But there are lots of exceptions: James Valenti is a tall tenor as is Jonas Kaufmann, and Simon Keenlyside is a short and compact baritone.

Especially these days, a director may have an ideal look in mind, but it has more to do with the particular character being cast, not the fach in general. All things being equal, looking the part no doubt helps, but presumably and hopefully being able to deliver the vocal goods is still the prime consideration. Just look at Angela Meade and Johan Botha.

I do know that directors like their leading men to be at least as tall as their leading ladies, otherwise it takes a lot of creative staging to keep them from standing next to each other. I know at least one typically short tenor who was advised to wear lifts even to auditions for that reason.


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## Guest (May 4, 2015)

_Fach_ and body type? Thank Ganesh (or any other deity of your choice) that *Thomas Quasthoff* didn't let such nonsense stand in his way. Good luck with your MMus (performance) degrees; I do hope the examiners display a modicum of grey matter in their _adjudication_ duties.
Quasthoff in Wagner (as _Wolfram_): 



And for the beauty of his voice away from the frippery of Opera:


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I remember that the flap over Voigt's weight loss changed her fach from before.

Best way in my humble opinion to do what pleases you best without worrying about marketability.


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