In search of the Verdi Baritone

Abstract

As a performer of the Verdi baritone repertoire, I have always been fascinated by Verdi’s works and the diverse voice types and vocal sizes that have interpreted these roles. While the prominence of high notes and the demand for a wide vocal range are noteworthy characteristics, they alone do not sufficiently elucidate the essence of the Verdi baritone voice within Verdi’s operatic oeuvre.

John Clayton Seesholtz, in his work on the Verdi baritone looks beyond the challenges of the higher register associated with this repertoire into the realm of timbral control needed to express Verdi’s intentions for the character. Timbre is therefore an essential part of this project, not only in terms of voice timbre, but it reacts with other musical parameters. These musical parameters including harmony, orchestration, and formant tuning and their overall affect will be extensively discussed.

Titled, ‘In search of the Verdi baritone,’ this project offers a survey of Verdi’s precursors, before examining the Verdi baritone through the discussion of vocal technique, formant tuning, formant tuning, harmony, and orchestration. Throughout this exploration, the voice remains at the heart of this analysis, serving as the cornerstone for the examination of this distinctive repertoire. Rather than offering prescriptive directives to singers, this study aims to provide a myriad of interpretative possibilities, empowering performers to create their own organic interpretations in response to features of this music that resonates with them.

Beyond its practical implications for baritones in performance, the work establishes a framework that can be applied to the vocal compositions of other composers, and other voice types. The concept of formant tuning and its interplay with the orchestra represents relatively uncharted territory, ripe for further research to deepen our comprehension of how orchestral and vocal timbres synergise both theoretically and practically.