Voice type in baroque operas. Except for a few very rare voices (such as the American male soprano Michael Maniaci or singers with a disorder such as Kallmann syndrome), singers called countertenors generally sing in the falsetto register, sometimes using their modal voice for the lowest notes. Historically, there is much evidence that the countertenor, in England at least, also designated a very high tenor voice, the equivalent of the French "haute-contre". Until about 1830, all male voices used some falsetto-type voice production in their upper range. Countertenor voices span a broad range, covering E3 to E5. Countertenor subtypes: Countertenors are often
Bass (voice type) "Patience" and "The Yeomen of the Guard" have at least one lead bass. Notable roles include: Bass (voice type) A bass ( ) is a type of classical male singing voice and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera", a bass is typically classified as having a vocal range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C (i.e., E–E). Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef. Categories of bass voices vary according to national