Voices and how they are used

Baritone

A male voice with a range in between the bass and tenor voices. Listen to an excerpt from a musical and notice the rich orchestral accompaniment, the harp playing arpeggios, and note that the song is sung with rubato, ie elasticity of tempo, and that this excerpt ends on an imperfect cadence. 

  Listen to this baritone aria from an oratorio by Handel from the Baroque period and notice the accompaniment by an orchestra, an obbligato played by two oboes, a harpsichord in the background and the rising sequences in the voice part with the excerpt finishing with a perfect cadence.    If you are in doubt and would like to compare the sounds with tenor or bass click on the link to go to the page with these excerpts.

(Simon Keenlyside, a baritone operatic and recital singer).

Mezzo soprano

Listen to an excerpt of this middle-range female voice with a timbre halfway between soprano and alto. This is an aria from a Mozart opera from the Classical period and on this occasion is accompanied by piano. Listen for the arpeggios in the accompaniment. 

  Compare the quality and heavier feel of the lower notes with the soprano voice.

(Felicity Palmer, a Mezzo soprano  operatic and recital singer.)