Fach

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The German Fach (pl. Fächer, literally "compartment") ([ˈfɛçəɐ]) system is a method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, by the range, weight, and color of their voices. It is primarily used in Europe, especially in German-speaking countries and in repertory opera houses.

The Fach system is a convenience for singers and opera houses. A singer who is identified as being of a certain Fach will usually be asked to sing only roles that belong to that Fach. This prevents a singer from being asked to sing roles which he or she is incapable of performing. Opera houses keep lists of available singers by Fach so that when they are casting roles for an upcoming production, they do not inadvertently contact performers who would be inappropriate for the part.

Below is a list of Fächer, their ranges as written on sheet music, and their common roles. When two names for the Fach are given, the first is in more common use today. Where possible, an English equivalent of each Fach is listed, however not all Fächer have ready English equivalents. Note that some roles can be sung by more than one Fach and that many singers do not easily fit into a fach: for instance some sopranos may sing both Koloratursopran and Dramatischer Koloratursopran roles. In addition, roles traditionally more difficult to cast may be given to a voice other than the traditional fach. For instance, the Queen of the Night is more traditionally a dramatic coloratura role, but it is difficult to find enough dramatic coloraturas to sing it (particularly given the extreme range). Therefore, the role is often sung by Lyric Coloraturas.

Soprano Fächer

Lyrischer Koloratursopran / Koloratursoubrette

English equivalent: Coloratura soprano or Lyric Coloratura soprano
Range: From about middle C to the F two-and-a-half octaves above middle C (F6)
Description: Usually a light soprano with a high voice. Can often have small voices lacking the richness and resonance of a dramatic soprano. Must be able to do fast acrobatics with easy high notes. Many have extremely high ranges (with notes above the F of the Queen of the Night, but there are also singers in this fach who do not regularly sing higher than the high E flat.
Roles:

Oscar, Un ballo in maschera (Giuseppe Verdi)
Tytania, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Benjamin Britten)
Zerbinetta, Ariadne auf Naxos (Richard Strauss)
Olympia, Les contes d'Hoffman (Jacques Offenbach)
Adele, Die Fledermaus (Johann Strauss Jr.)
Adina, L'elisir d'amore (Gaetano Donizetti)
Marie, La fille du régiment (Gaetano Donizetti)
Amina, La sonnambula (Vincenzo Bellini)
Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor (Gaetano Donizetti)
Amenaide, Tancredi (Giacchino Rossini)
Elvira, I Puritani (Vincenzo Bellini)

Singers:

Dramatischer Koloratursopran

English equivalent: Dramatic coloratura soprano
Range: From about middle C to the F two-and-a-half octaves above middle C
Description: The same as above, only with a more dramatic, rich voice. Often heavier and more lyrical than a coloratura soprano. Must also be able to do fast vocal acrobatics and reach high notes, such as the F6 of the Queen of the Night. Some of the best examples of this voice type are Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, and June Anderson. This is a very rare vocal Fach, as thick vocal cords are needed to produce the large, dramatic notes, which usually lessens the flexibility and acrobatic abilities of the voice.
Roles:

Donna Anna, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
The Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Konstanze, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Semiramide, Semiramide (Gioacchino Rossini)
Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor (Gaetano Donizetti)
Fioridiligi, Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Imogene, Il pirata (Vincenzo Bellini)
Norma, Norma (Vincenzo Bellini)
Leonora, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
Violetta, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Maria, Maria Stuarda (Gaetano Donizetti)
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth (Giuseppe Verdi)
Odabella, Atilla (Giuseppe Verdi)
Abigalle, Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi)

Singers

Deutsche Soubrette / Charaktersopran

English equivalent: Soubrette
Range: From about A below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
Description: a beautiful, sweet light lyric voice usually capable of executing florid passages similarly to that of a coloratura. The range is usually intermediate between that of a coloratura and lyric soprano.
Roles:

Despina, Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Zerlina, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Belinda, Dido and Aeneas (Henry Purcell)
Adele, Die Fledermaus (Johann Strauss)
Sophie, Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss)
Ännchen, Der Freischütz (Weber)

Singers:

Lyrischer Sopran

English equivalent: Full Lyric Soprano
Range: From about middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
Description: a more supple-sounding soprano, capable of legato, portamento, and some agility; generally has a more soulful and sensuous quality than a soubrette who tend to be largely flirtatious and somewhat tweety. The voice is very common and purity of sound within it is essential. It's the "basic" soprano voice in that it's not found at either extreme of the soprano spectrum of voices nor is it known for having particular vocal attributes such as power, stamina, technical prowess or agility. However, there are several lyric sopranos that possess many of the aforementioned vocal attributes, thus allowing them to sing a broader variety of roles. Nevertheless, the core of the true fundementally lyric voice does not encompass such traits. Therefore innocence, vulnerability and pathos are usually conveyed in the music written for the characters portrayed by the lyric soprano because of this endearing simplicity.
Roles:

Mimi, La bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
Magda, La rondine (Giacomo Puccini)
Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi (Giacomo Puccini)
Liu, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
Pamina, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Micaela, Carmen (Georges Bizet)
Marguerite, Faust (Charles Gounod)
Manon, Manon (Jules Massenet)
Antonia, Les contes d'Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach)
La Contessa, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Amelia Grimaldi, Simon Boccanegra (Giuseppe Verdi)
Thaïs, Thaïs (Jules Massenet)
Rusalka, Rusalka (Antonin Dvorak)
Tatyana, Eugene Onegin (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)

Singers:

Jugendlich Dramatischer Sopran

English equivalent: Light dramatic soprano
Range: From about middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
Description: The Italian version of this fach is the spinto, which literally means pushed. Thus, a light dramatic soprano must generally push her basically lyric instrument to create big sounds that can cut through an orchestral and/or choral climax. This voice is sometimes referred to as a "young" or "youthful" dramatic soprano although this term doesn't necessarily refer to the singer's age as it does to the tonal quality of the voice. Depending on the singer, however, this voice type can be more versatile, as it lies at neither extreme of the soprano spectrum. Spintos are occasionally able to take on lighter mezzo roles, or conversely, lyric and even coloratura roles. Spinto sopranos are known to be especially well suited to art song and operas in English.
Roles:

Madama Butterfly, Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini)
Manon Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (Giacomo Puccini)
Suor Angelica Suor Angelica (Giacomo Puccini)
Elizabeth de Valois, Don Carlo (Giuseppe Verdi)
Leonora La forza del destino (Giuseppe Verdi)
Amelia Un ballo in maschera (Giuseppe Verdi)
Marschallin Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss)
Elsa, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
Susannah, Susannah (Carlisle Floyd)
Donna Elvira Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Aida Aida (Giuseppe Verdi)
Liza The Queen of Spades (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
Floria Tosca Tosca (Giacomo Puccini)

Singers:

Dramatischer Sopran

English equivalent: Full dramatic soprano
Range: From about the B below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
Description: Characterized by their rich, full sounding voices, dramatic sopranos are expected to project across large orchestras, a feat that requires a powerful sound. Dramatic sopranos are not expected to have the vocal flexibility of the lighter fachs. Although most dramatic sopranos have a darker more robust quality to the voice, there are some that possess a lighter lyrical tone. In these instances, however, the substantial amount of volume and endurance normally associated with the dramatic soprano voice is still present. The darker voiced dramatic soprano may even make a foray into the dramatic mezzo-soprano territory with great success.
Roles:

Senta, Der fliegende Holländer (Richard Wagner)
Leonore, Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Ariadne, Ariadne auf Naxos (Richard Strauss)
Magda Sorel, The Consul (Gian Carlo Menotti)
Gioconda, La Gioconda (Amilcare Ponchielli)
Santuzza, Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)

Singers:

Hochdramatischer Sopran

English equivalent: Wagnerian soprano
Range: From about the F below middle C to the C two octaves above middle C
Description: A voice equal to the demands of operas of Wagner's maturity. Basically, a full dramatic soprano voice taken to the next dimension. The voice is substantial, very powerful, and even throughout the registers. It's immense, stentorian and even larger than that of the voice possessed by the "normal" dramatic soprano. Although the two voices are comparable and are sometimes hard to distinguish between, this voice has even greater stamina, endurance and volume than the former. Successful hochdramatischer are rare, only one or two appear in a generation. Arguably there are none singing today.

Roles:

Turandot, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
Elektra, Elektra (opera) (Richard Strauss)
Salome, Salome (Richard Strauss)
Brunnhilde, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
Kundry, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
Isolde, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)

Singers:

Mezzo-soprano and Contralto Fächer

Koloratur-Mezzosopran

English equivalent: Coloratura mezzo-soprano
Range: From about the G below middle C to the B two octaves above middle C
Description: Found especially in Rossini's operas, these roles were written originally for altos with agility and secure top notes. Today they are often played by mezzo-sopranos and sometimes even by sopranos. At times a lyric or full lyric soprano with a flexible voice will assume the roles as written while a true coloratura soprano will sing the same music transposed upwardly to a higher key.
Roles:

Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia (Gioacchino Rossini)
Angelina La Cenerentola (Gioacchino Rossini)
Romeo I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Vincenzo Bellini)
Orsini Lucrezia Borgia (Gaetano Donizetti)

Singers:

Lyrischer Mezzosopran / Spielalt

Range: From about the G below middle C to the B two octaves above middle C
English equivalent: Lyric mezzo-soprano
Description: a lyric soprano's instrument in a lower range; the resulting sound is less piercing, more lachrymose and kind of sensitive. The voices are so similar in fact that many lyric mezzos with strong extensions to their upper vocal registers make the transition to singing as sopranos at some point in their careers.
Roles:

Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Octavian Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss)
The Composer Ariadne auf Naxos (Richard Strauss)
Arianna Arianna (Claudio Monteverdi)
Dorabella Così fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Carmen Carmen (Georges Bizet)
Dido Dido and Aeneas (Henry Purcell)

Singers:

Dramatischer Mezzosopran

English equivalent: Dramatic mezzo-soprano
Range: From about the G below middle C to the B two octaves above middle C
Description: Dramatic mezzo-sopranos have ranges very similar to a dramatic soprano. The main difference is the endurance and ease in which the two voice-types sing - a mezzo will concentrate singing most of the time in her middle and low registers and will go up to notes like high B-flat only at the dramatic climax. Consequently, many dramatic mezzo-sopranos have success in singing some dramatic sopranos roles that are written with a lower tessitura.
Roles:

The Sorceress, Dido and Aeneas (Henry Purcell)
Dalila, Samson et Dalila (Camille Saint-Saëns)
Amneris, Aida (Giuseppe Verdi)
Eboli, Don Carlo (Giuseppe Verdi)
Azucena, Il Trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
Ortrud, Lohengrin (Richard Wagner)
Fricka, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre (Richard Wagner)

Singers

Dramatischer Alt

English equivalent: Dramatic Contralto
Range: From about the G below middle C to the B two octaves above
Description: Stylistically similar to the dramatic mezzo, just lower. Sings usually around the break between the chest-voice and middle-voice. Many mezzos tried their luck in these roles, yet real altos fare better. A deep, penetrating low female voice. This is a very rare voice type with a darker, richer sound than that of a typical alto.
Roles:

Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera (Giuseppe Verdi)
Florence in Albert Herring (Benjamin Britten)
Olga in Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky)
Marfa in Khovanshchina (Mussorgsky)

Singers:

Tiefer Alt

English equivalent: Deep Contralto
Range: From about the F below middle C to the A two octaves above
Description: A deep, penetrating low female voice. This is a very rare voice type with a darker, richer sound than that of a typical alto.
Roles:

Genevève, Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy
Die Kranke, Moses und Aron (Arnold Schoenberg)

Singers:

Tenor Fächer

Spieltenor / Tenor Buffo

English equivalent: (Lyric) comic tenor. It is quite possible for a young Spieltenor to eventually work into the lighter Lyrischertenor category; the deciding factor will be the beauty of voice.
Range: From about low C to the B an octave above middle C (C to b')
Roles:

Pedrillo, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Monostatos, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
King Kaspar, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Gian Carlo Menotti)
Mime, Das Rheingold (Richard Wagner)
Monsieur Triquet, Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky)

Charaktertenor

English equivalent: Character tenor. Must have good acting abilities.
Range: From about the B below low C to the C an octave above middle C (B to c')
Roles:

Mime, Siegfried (Richard Wagner)

Singers:

Gerhard Stolze

Lyrischer Tenor

English equivalent: Lyric tenor
Range: From about low A to the C-F an octave above middle C (C to c')
Roles:

Tamino Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Belmonte Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Rodolfo La bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
Ferrando Cosi fan tutte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Almaviva Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Giacchino Rossini)
Arturo I Puritani (Vincenzo Bellini)
Elvino La Sonnambula (Vincenzo Bellini)
Ramiro La Cenerentola (Giacchino Rossini)
Nemorino L'elisir d'amore (Gaetano Donizetti)
Alfredo La Traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)
Il Duca Rigoletto (Giuseppe Verdi)
Don Ottavio Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Faust Faust (Charles-Francois Gounod)

Singers:

Jugendlicher Heldentenor

English equivalent: Light dramatic tenor
Range: From about low C to the C an octave above middle C (C to c')
Description: A tenor with a dramatic extended upper range with the necessary brightness to come through the orchestra's texture.
Roles:

Singers:

Heldentenor

English equivalent: Heroic Tenor
Range: From about the B below low C to the C above middle C (B to c²)
Description: A full dramatic tenor with baritonal facility in the middle range and the brightness necessary to pierce a thick orchestral texture.
Roles:

Idomeneo, Idomeneo (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Calaf, Turandot (Giacomo Puccini)
Othello, ''Otello (Giuseppe Verdi)
Siegfried, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Richard Wagner)
Parsifal, Parsifal (Richard Wagner)
Tristan, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)

Singers:

Baritone Fächer

Lyrischer Bariton / Spielbariton

English equivalent: Lyric baritone
Range: From about the B below low C to the G above middle C (B to g')
Description: A sweeter, milder sounding baritone voice, lacking harshness.
Roles:

Conte Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Marcello, La bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
Papageno, Die Zauberflöte (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Onegin, Eugene Onegin (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
Albert, Werther (Massanet)
Billy Budd, Billy Budd (Britten)
Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini)

Singers:

Kavalierbariton

English equivalent: A metallic voice, that can sing both lyric and dramatic phrases, a manly noble baritonal color, with good looks. Not quite as powerful as the Verdi baritone or Charakter bariton who is expected to have a powerful appearance on stage, perhaps muscular or physically large.
Range: From about the A below low C to the G# above middle C (A to g#' )
Description: Harsher, more pronounced than the Lyric baritone.
Roles:

Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Tonio, Pagliacci (Ruggiero Leoncavallo)
Di Luna, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)
Iago, Otello (Giuseppe Verdi)
Count, Capriccio (Richard Strauss) (Range: c-ab' - does not require A2-B2 part of range)

Singers:

Charakterbariton

English equivalent: Verdi Baritone.
Range: From about the A below low C to the G# above middle C (A to g#')
Description: A voice particularly effective with passages in its higher reaches. A high tessitura vis-a-vis the range extremes.
Roles:

Wozzeck (Alban Berg)
Germont, La traviata (Giuseppe Verdi)

Singers:

Heldenbariton

Range: From about the G below low C to the F# above middle C (G to f#')
Description: Means ‘heroic baritone’. In the German opera houses a true Heldenbariton is a prized possession: a singer with exciting power at command and a brightly resonant quality.
Roles:

Telramund, Lohengrin (Wagner)
Count di Luna, Il trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi)

Examples:

Bass Fächer

Hoherbass

English equivalent: Literally translated, High bass, means bass-baritone, term used by Wagner. This is equivalent to what the Italians call basso cantante.
Range: From about the E below low C to the F above middle C (E to f')
Roles:*

Méphistophélès, Faust by Charles Gounod
Boris, Boris Godunov by Modest Musorgsky
Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini
Leporello, Don Giovanni By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Prince Gremin, Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Count Rodolfo, La Sonnambula by Bellini
Philip II, Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi
Count Walter, Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi
Zaccaria, Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi)
Caspar, Der Freischütz (Carl Maria von Weber)

Singers:

Bassbariton

English equivalent: Bass-baritone
Range: From about the E half an octave below low C to the F above middle C (E to f')
Description: The Bass-baritone's required range can vary tremendously based on the role, with some less demanding than others.
Roles:

Duke Bluebeard Bluebeard's Castle by Bela Bartok
Don Pizarro, Fidelio by(Ludwig van Beethoven)
Igor, Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin
Méphistophélès, Faust by Charles Gounod
Blitch, Susannah by Carlisle Floyd
Don Alfonso, Cosi fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Leporello, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Boris, and Varlaam, Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky
Don Basilio Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini
Count Walter, Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi
Klingsor, Parsifal by Richard Wagner
Wotan Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner

Singers:

Spielbass / Bassbuffo

English equivalent: Lyric comic bass
Range: From about the E half an octave below low C to the F above middle C (E to f')
Roles:

Don Pasquale, Don Pasquale (Gaetano Donizetti)
Dottor Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti
Don Bartolo, The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini
Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini
Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola by Gioachino Rossini
Méphistophélès, Faust by Charles Gounod
Don Alfonso, Cosi fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Leporello, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Singers:

Schwerer Spielbass

English equivalent: Dramatic comic bass
Range: From about the C one octave below low C to the F above middle C (C to f')
Roles:

Khan Konchak, Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin
Baculus, Der Wildschütz (Albert Lortzing)
Ferrando, Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi
Daland, Der fliegende Holländer by Richard Wagner
Pogner, Die Meistersinger by Richard Wagner
Hunding, Die Walküre by Richard Wagner

Singers:

Seriöser Bass

English equivalent: Dramatic bass/Basso Profundo.
Range: From about the C one octave below low C to the F above middle C (C to f')
Roles:

Arkel, Pelléas et Mélisande by Claude Debussy
Brogni, La Juive by Jacques Halévy
Osmin, Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Commendatore, Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sarastro, Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Pimen, Boris Godunov(Modest Mussorgsky)
L'Arbre, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges by Maurice Ravel
Grand Inquisitor, Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi
Hagen, Götterdämmerung by Richard Wagner
König Marke, Tristan und Isolde (Richard Wagner)

Singers:

References

Rudolf Kloiber, Wulf Konold and Robert Maschka: Handbuch der Oper, 9. Auflage, Kassel (Bärenreiter) 2002, ISBN 3-7618-1605-7
Steane, J B: Fach in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7

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