The Octivist
A full bass range can creep to the depths of most male voices . In musical terms (a.k.a, from the Oxford Grove Dictionary of Opera), it generally runs from the second F below middle C to the E above, finding comfort within the lines of the bass cleft (G through A). Play it out if you have a piano and try to sing it. It's low.
Most notable Bass singers have a slightly larger range, but even the best, like Paul Robeson or Kevin Maynor fade by low C. A few whisper the B-flat below. The timbre and vitality of the voice creates a unique tone, ranging from cavernous harmonies to lyrical lines of melody.
But the Basso Profundo (or "Big Bass") lies lower than the average range. These singers excel at the lower depths, and a certain breed dominates the groaning, rumbling tones a full octave lower than most bass singers. Aptly named "octivists," they commonly sing in Russian Orthodox choirs, but a few, like J.D. Summers, find other outlets for their unique vocal range.
Four currently dominate the market: Timothy Storms, Vladimir Miller, Yuri Wichniakov, and Vladimir Pasuikov. Tim Storms currently holds the record for the lowest note sung by any male, growling below the range of human hearing. He also has the widest range of any male, holding both records since 2006. His talents appear in various functions, generally in modern music or Christian classics. Here's an example of him singing Amazing Grace: www.youtube.com/watch
Vladimir Miller shines in the field of choral song and opera. His voice control allows him to belt low notes with peerless power or caress a line of music will flawless technique, making him quite adaptable. He has a rich tone, especially for low notes, like G1. They gape with resonance, but also carry a certain culture. Here's one of his more delicate examples: www.youtube.com/watch
Yuri Wichniakov has dominated Orthodox hymns with his range and timbre, ringing out the bottom G of the piano regularly. It carries and expands as if without source, droning apart from the rest of the choir with a sheer wall of sound. Some critics have compared his tone and range to an organ, an accurate description mirrored by his towering frame and venerable beard. Here's an example: www.youtube.com/watch
I have found little about Pasuikov, but that does not diminish his tone, a rich, dark bass similar to Wichniakov but with a air of bel canto delicacy. Here's an example from Russian Orthodox music: www.youtube.com/watch
The niche these singers fill seems random, out of place--bizarre. In the well-measured beats and comfortable ranges of most popular music, a dark rumbling hardly constitutes music. The operatic brilliance of classical also has few places for this deep resonance. Yet it does fit. The haunting depth it lends to a full choir cannot be matched by instruments. It cannot be matched by synthesizers.
The rolling lines of chords sometimes sound dismal, but they inspire awe. It can sound like the waves of the ocean, rolling with leagues of saltwater and sea creatures taken below by tides and currents. It can sound like a march of mountains or the deep breathing of a tree. Ripe, full, powerful, it shows the vitality of a breathing, living voice.
Most notable Bass singers have a slightly larger range, but even the best, like Paul Robeson or Kevin Maynor fade by low C. A few whisper the B-flat below. The timbre and vitality of the voice creates a unique tone, ranging from cavernous harmonies to lyrical lines of melody.
But the Basso Profundo (or "Big Bass") lies lower than the average range. These singers excel at the lower depths, and a certain breed dominates the groaning, rumbling tones a full octave lower than most bass singers. Aptly named "octivists," they commonly sing in Russian Orthodox choirs, but a few, like J.D. Summers, find other outlets for their unique vocal range.
Four currently dominate the market: Timothy Storms, Vladimir Miller, Yuri Wichniakov, and Vladimir Pasuikov. Tim Storms currently holds the record for the lowest note sung by any male, growling below the range of human hearing. He also has the widest range of any male, holding both records since 2006. His talents appear in various functions, generally in modern music or Christian classics. Here's an example of him singing Amazing Grace: www.youtube.com/watch
Vladimir Miller shines in the field of choral song and opera. His voice control allows him to belt low notes with peerless power or caress a line of music will flawless technique, making him quite adaptable. He has a rich tone, especially for low notes, like G1. They gape with resonance, but also carry a certain culture. Here's one of his more delicate examples: www.youtube.com/watch
Yuri Wichniakov has dominated Orthodox hymns with his range and timbre, ringing out the bottom G of the piano regularly. It carries and expands as if without source, droning apart from the rest of the choir with a sheer wall of sound. Some critics have compared his tone and range to an organ, an accurate description mirrored by his towering frame and venerable beard. Here's an example: www.youtube.com/watch
I have found little about Pasuikov, but that does not diminish his tone, a rich, dark bass similar to Wichniakov but with a air of bel canto delicacy. Here's an example from Russian Orthodox music: www.youtube.com/watch
The niche these singers fill seems random, out of place--bizarre. In the well-measured beats and comfortable ranges of most popular music, a dark rumbling hardly constitutes music. The operatic brilliance of classical also has few places for this deep resonance. Yet it does fit. The haunting depth it lends to a full choir cannot be matched by instruments. It cannot be matched by synthesizers.
The rolling lines of chords sometimes sound dismal, but they inspire awe. It can sound like the waves of the ocean, rolling with leagues of saltwater and sea creatures taken below by tides and currents. It can sound like a march of mountains or the deep breathing of a tree. Ripe, full, powerful, it shows the vitality of a breathing, living voice.