Extremities of the human vocal range

[frazzy]

Found these fascinating sound clips showcasing the lowest and highest notes that people have sung. Enjoy!

From the earth rumblingly low:
Contraltos (female):

1) Schubert, Der Tod und das Mädchen, Marian Anderson with a G#,
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/der_tod.wma

Basses (male):

1) Entführung aus dem Serail, Matti Salminen with low D
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/seraglio.wma

2) Fragment from Meyerbeer's opera Les Hugenots, low C by the Italian bass Cesare Siepi
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/siepilowC.wma

3) Cherubic Hymn, opus 27/5 by Chesnokov, Vladimir Pasuikov with low Ab1, (52/53Hz, that is in the Contra-octave range, below the point with the graphic starts, the C from the Great Octave), about 56 seconds from the beginning
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/pasuikovAb.wma

4) Viktor Wichniakov, one of the famous Russian Basso Profundo, with a low C#1 (from the Contra-octave range, C1-B1, European notation) in the second part of the sample, after about 32 seconds to be exactly
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/viktor_wichniakov.wma

From the high:
Tenors:

1) Cavatine of Tonio from Donizetti's 'La fille du régiment', Amici miei, che allegro giorno, with 5 high C's, Jon van Kesteren
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/kesteren02.wma

2) Adolphe Adam's Le postillon de Lonjumeau, Nicolai Gedda with d2
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/postillon.wma

3) Rossini, L'Italiana in Algeri "Languir per una bella", William Matteuzzi with a high F (f2) in full voice
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/matteuzzi.wma

4) Bellini's I Puritani, Nicolai Gedda with a high F (f2)
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/gedda.wma

5) Bellini, I Puritani, Finally Luciano Pavarotti, the same fragment, also with a high F (f2)
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/pavarotti_f5.wma

6) "Gb5 (Gb2)", Gregory Kunde a semi tone higher than in the former three fragments
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/gregory_kunde_Gb5.wma

Sopranos:

1) Carnaval de Venice, Mado Robin, with the b3
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/mado_robin.wma

2) Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Mad scene, Mado Robin, again with a b3, shortly changing into a c4
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/mado_robin2.wma

3) Strauss's Frühlingsstimmen Walzer, Erna Sack, with a c4 (and incredible sustain)
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/erna_sack.wma

Both extremes:

1) Chuncho - the forest creatures, Yma Sumac from E2 (Great octave) up to and including c#4, almost 5 octaves
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/yma_sumac.wma

The truly freakish:

1) Georgia Brown, a pop singer from Brazil who is in the Guinness Book of Records for having an unheard of (pardon the pun) 9 octave range, being able to produce notes that only babies and dogs can hear: High vocal range - F8, Georgia Brown, not with a g10, but at the end - at about 56 sec.- with a f8 (European notation f5), two octaves higher then the f6(f3) from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte)
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/georgia_brown.wma

2) "From A#7 to B7", pop singer - male soprano - Adam Lopez sings even higher than Mariah Carey. He gets these supersonic high notes: from A#7 to B7 - 1 1/2 note above Mariah's high G7# - around 6 seconds from the beginning
- mms://home.hetnet.nl/~joop.lindeijer/sound/adamlopez.wma