Just the Fachs!

Despite over fifty years in the music biz, I discover new things nearly every day. Often they are in the world of opera as I developed an interest in opera relatively late in life and opera is a universe of its own. We are all aware that there are different types of voice--it was in high school choir that I realized I was a bass (or more likely baritone) when they stuck me in that section. As a classical guitarist I accompanied many singers and noticed that they came in different varieties as well, though in choir, they are only divided into sopranos and altos, tenors and basses.

But when you come to opera the basic division of lower and higher voices divides into a host of different types called "Fachs" (in German the plural is Fächer). These relate more to operatic roles and the qualities needed to realize them. From the Wikipedia article:

The German Fach system (German pronunciation: [fax]; literally "compartment" or "subject of study", here in the sense of "vocal specialization") is a method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, according to the range, weight, and color of their voices. It is used worldwide, but primarily in Europe, especially in German-speaking countries and by repertory opera houses.^[1]

The Fach system is a convenience for singers and opera houses. It prevents singers from being asked to sing roles which they are incapable of performing, or roles for which their vocal timbre is dramatically unsuited. Opera companies 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.^[2]

Why is the German system used? Likely because Germany has 80 opera houses and Austria has another thirteen. Mind you, Italy has a similar number and the names of these different voice types are typically from Italian.

Believe it or no, I only heard of the "Fach" system when I stumbled across this very informative YouTube clip:

And for men's voices: