Meaning of Baritone in Music
In music, a baritone refers to a specific voice type. It is the most common male voice type and is characterized by its deep and rich sound. The term "baritone" originates from the Greek word "barytonos," which means "heavy sounding".
A baritone voice typically falls between the bass and tenor voice types. Composers often write music for baritones in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C in choral music, and from the second G below middle C to the G above middle C in operatic music. However, the range can extend at either end.
Baritones play important roles in various musical contexts. In opera, baritones are often cast in roles of generals and noblemen. Some famous baritone characters include Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, Nabucco, and Figaro. In a choir, baritones usually sing either with the tenors or the basses, depending on the specific vocal range.
The baritone voice type is versatile and can be further categorized into subtypes, including the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, Kavalierbariton, Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, baryton-noble baritone, and the bass-baritone.
In summary, a baritone in music refers to a male voice type with a deep and rich sound that falls between the bass and tenor voice types. Baritones play important roles in opera and choral music, and their vocal range can vary depending on the musical context
1. The most common range of male voice pitched between the tenor and bass. Usually a baritone has a range of the low G in the bass clef to an F1 above the bass clef.
2. A voice type in barbershop music that sings bass and lead voices. Since barbershop music is also sung by females, the baritone voice can be either male or female in the barbershop genre.
3. The term baritone is also applied to instruments of a lower range such as the baritone horn or baritone saxophone.
4. The abbreviated form of baritone horn.
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