The bass-baritone occupies a vaguely defined territory, somewhere between a dramatic baritone and a basso cantante, with a voice fuller of tone in the lower register between C to G on the stave than the average baritone, yet capable of ascending to F sharp and G above the stave. Where the bass-baritone reigns supreme is in the middle voice area between middle C and the C an octave lower. It is here that his great reserve of power will shine through, where his voice will cut through the orchestral forces.
There is a distinct repertoire for the bass-baritone and much of it consists of Wagnerian roles, such as Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürenberg, Alberich and Wotan in The Ring Cycle, Amfortas in Parsifal, Telramund in Lohengrin. But there are also other roles in the French and Italian repertoire. Tonio in I Pagliacci or Escamillo in Carmenare generally considered too low for baritones yet too high for basses – ideal, then, for a bass-baritone. Don Giovanni presents problems to all three of these voices, not because of its range (which goes no higher than a D on the whole) but because of the nature of the role and character itself. All the above are serious contenders for the title of bass-baritone dream role, but it lies elsewhere, in the Russian repertoire.
The bass-baritone’s dream role comes as a bit of a surprise – it is more often associated with basses, yet the role is, in essence, bass-baritone. It is the title role in Boris Godounov by Mussorgsky. Although tackled by many famous basses, it is also a prized role of bass-baritones, namely Hans Hotter, George London, and probably the most famous Boris ever: Feodor Chaliapin.
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Regarded by many singers as the most difficult role in the entire operatic repertoire, mainly because of the psychological and physical demands (not to mention the language for non-Russian speaking singers), it contains some of the finest examples for a bass-baritone to demonstrate his gifts and to distinguish himself from a baritone or a bass.
In the Coronation Scene, Boris’s first entry is the monologue 'Skorbit dusha!' (My soul is sad!). Toward the end of this monologue, there is a particularly high lying phrase rising to top F on the words 'Vsjem vol’nii vkhod, vsjem – gosti dorogije!' (Free access is given to all, all are cherished guests!) Here any failure of the voice would be catastrophic, with Boris so much the centre of attention.
Equally, the other three monologues are taxing on a bass voice, the first of which 'Dostig ja vysšej vlasti' (I have attained the highest power) rises to a top G flat. (Basses tend to perform this section an octave lower!) Shortly after, there follows the Clock Scene, probably the most difficult section in the whole opera, as a tortured Boris imagines the ghost of the murdered Prince Dmitri. Again, a bass-baritone is called for in this scene, with ringing top notes.
Finally, the Death Scene can also be too taxing for the bass, and the bass-baritone adds contrast to the bass cast as Pimen. In Mussorgsky’s original version of 1869, the role is most definitely a baritone (as demonstrated on Valery Gergiev’s recording of both verisons on Philips from 1999). So much of the part seems to call for the bass-baritone as he is the one who can really pull off the daunting requirements of this role. Like Escamillo in Carmen and Wotan in Die Walküre, it is the bass-baritone voice that lends itself best to the role of Boris.
Ian Wilson-Pope
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