Daniel F. Azar

Next concerts: “Bach Baritone”: A Voice Type?
20 April and 08 May 2026 at the Kleiner Ehrbar Saal, Vienna

In Bach’s lifetime, the term ‘bass’ embraced a wide spectrum of low voices; it was only towards the end of the eighteenth century that the baritone began to establish itself as a clearly defined vocal category. This invites the question of which voices today are best suited to the demanding repertoire Bach conceived for the ‘bass’.

At the point where the dark baritone meets the lyrical bass, one encounters a vocal timbre that brings together all the qualities Bach appears to have sought: dark-coloured yet expressive, weighty yet flexible and with a natural ease above the stave. Whether described as a dark lyric baritone, a dramatic baritone, a bass-baritone or a basse chantante, the designation ‘Bach Baritone’ offers a persuasive way of capturing this vocal identity, while paying tribute to a composer who wrote for such voices with exceptional insight.