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ital. basso – low; French bass; English bass

1) The lowest male voice. There are high, or melodious, bass (Italian basso cantante) and low, or deep bass (Italian basso profundo), in opera performance – a characteristic, comic bass (Italian basso buffo). High bass is of two types: lyrical – softer and dramatic – stronger; lyrical bass range – G-f1, dramatic – F-e1. High basses are characterized by strength and power in the upper sounds and weaker sounding of low sounds. Low bass (in Russian choral singing it is called “central”) is distinguished by a deep, full sound in the low register and tense – in the upper; its range is (C, D)E – d1(e1).

Among the brightest opera parts for high (melodious) bass are Wotan (Valkyrie), Susanin, Boris Godunov, Dosifey, Konchak, Kutuzov, for low (deep) bass – Sarastro (Magic Flute), Osmin (Abduction from the Seraglio” by Mozart), Fafner (“Siegfried”), for comic bass – Bartolo (“The Barber of Seville”), Gerolamo (“The Secret Marriage” by Cimarosa), Farlaf.

High and low basses form a bass group of voices and in the choir they perform the part of the second basses (the part of the first basses is performed by baritones, which are sometimes joined by lyrical basses). In Russian choirs, there is a special, lowest type of bass – bass octaves with a range (A1) B1 – a (c1); Octavist voices sound especially beautiful in a cappella choirs. Bass-baritone – see Baritone.

2) The lowest part of a polyphonic piece of music.

3) Digital bass (basso continuo) – see General bass.

4) Musical instruments of low register – tuba-bass, double bass, etc., as well as folk cello – basola (Ukraine) and basetlya (Belarus).

I. Mr. Licvenko