Question: What is the literal sense of the German voice classification system used to identify voice types?

A bass ( ) is a type of classical male singing voice and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types.  According to "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera", a bass is typically classified as having a vocal range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C (i.e., E–E).  Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef.  Categories of bass voices vary according to national style and classification system.  Italians favour subdividing basses into the "basso cantante" (singing bass), "basso buffo" ("funny" bass), or the dramatic "basso profondo" (low bass).  The American system identifies the bass-baritone, comic bass, lyric bass, and dramatic bass.  The German "fach" system offers further distinctions: Spielbass (Bassbuffo), Schwerer Spielbass (Schwerer Bassbuffo), Charakterbass (Bassbariton), and Seriöser Bass.  These classification systems can overlap.  Rare is the performer who embodies a single "fach" without also touching repertoire from another category. <SEP>  It is used worldwide, but primarily in Europe, especially in German-speaking countries and by repertory opera houses. The German Fach system (] ; 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. <SEP> Vocal weight refers to the perceived "lightness" or "heaviness" of a singing voice.  This quality of the voice is one of the major determining factors in voice classification within classical music.  Lighter voices are often associated with the term "lyric" and are usually brighter and more agile; heavier voices are often associated with the term "dramatic" and are usually powerful, rich, and darker.  Other voice types like the spinto have a more medium vocal weight.  Vocal weight can also affect overall vocal agility; heavier voices often have more difficulty maneuvering through florid coloratura passages than their lighter counterparts, as their weight and power compromises agility.  Likewise, dramatic roles are often written with larger orchestras in mind as dramatic voices can carry more easily over larger ensembles. <SEP> A voice type is a particular human singing voice identified as having certain qualities or characteristics of vocal range, vocal weight, tessitura, vocal timbre, and vocal transition points ("passaggio"), such as breaks and lifts within the voice.  Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal register.  A singer's voice type is identified by a process known as voice classification, by which the human voice is evaluated and thereby designated into a particular voice type.  The discipline of voice classification developed within European classical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing.  Several different voice classification systems are available to identify voice types, including the German "Fach" system and the choral music system among many others; no system is universally applied or accepted.  Voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices.