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Operatic Voices There are five different voice types in opera:
Tenor
Soprano
The highest male singing voice. Tenors are often found as the hero of the piece, or the love interest.
The soprano is the highest female singing voice. Sopranos often take the lead role in opera – hence their reputation for being divas. One of the best known sopranos of recent times is Maria Callas. Mezzo A female voice lower than the soprano. Often characters with mezzo voices support the main action but are not the star roles themselves. However, the role of Carmen in the opera of the same name is a case where the mezzo takes the centre stage.
Baritone A male singing voice that lies between bass (lower) and tenor (higher). Some of the best known baritone roles in opera were created by Mozart, including Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, and the title role in Don Giovanni. Bass The lowest male singing voice. Famous bass roles in opera include Vodník, the water goblin in Dvorák's Rusalka and Sarastro in Mozart's The Magic Flute. Basses can also often be found playing comic, blustering roles in opera, such as Don Magnifico in Rossini’s La Cenerentola.