Information AboutSoprano |
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''This article is about the singing voice part. For other uses, see Soprano (disambiguation) .'' A soprano is a Singer with a voice range from approximately Middle C (C4) to "high A" (A5) in Choral Music , or to "soprano C" (C6, two Octaves above middle C) or higher in Opera tic music. In four part Chorale style harmony the soprano takes the highest part which usually encompasses the Melody . Male singers whose voices have not yet changed are known either as " Boy Soprano s" or in church traditions as Treble s, whilst adult male sopranos are known as Countertenor s or Sopranist s. Historically women were not allowed to sing in the Church so the soprano roles were given to young boys and later to Castrati - men whose larynxes had been fixed in a pre-adolescent state through the process of Castration . More generally a soprano is a relatively high pitched member of a group of similar instruments. TYPES OF SOPRANO AND SOPRANO ROLES IN OPERA In Opera , the Tessitura , Vocal Weight , and Timbre of soprano voices, and the roles they sing, are commonly categorized into Voice Type s, often called ''fächer'' (sg. ''fach'', from German ''Fach'' or ''Stimmfach'', "vocal category"). A note on vocal range vs. tessitura: Choral and Pop singers are classified into voice parts based on Range ; solo Classical singers are classified into Voice Type s based in part on Tessitura – where the voice has the best Timbre and easy Volume . For instance a soprano and a mezzo-soprano may have the same range, but their tessituras will lie in different parts of that range. Soprano Range : The low extreme for sopranos is roughly B3 or A3 (just below middle C). Often low notes in higher voices project less, lack Timbre , and tend to "count less" in roles (although some Verdi, Strauss and Wagner roles call for stronger singing below the staff). Rarely is a soprano simply unable to hit a low note. The high extreme: at a minimum, non-coloratura sopranos have to reach "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C), and many roles in the standard repertoire call for D6 or D-flat6. A couple of roles have optional E-flat6’s, as well. In the Coloratura repertoire several roles call for E-flat6, and the ''Queen of the Night'' in '' The Magic Flute '' has several staccato F6’s, though few singers will have this role in their repertoire. While not necessarily within the Tessitura , a good soprano will be able to sing her top notes full-throated, with Timbre and Dynamic control. Following are the Opera tic soprano classifications, with their standard repertory roles: Coloratura soprano
:Singers include Natalie Dessay , Ruth Ann Swenson , Kristin Chenoweth , and Beverly Sills .
:Singers include Diana Damrau , Joan Sutherland and June Anderson .
Soubrette A light voice with a bright, sweet Timbre and a Tessitura in the mid-range. In opera, this voice often plays comedic, saucy, but likable characters, and some soubrettes can also sing lyric coloratura roles such as Gilda or Norina . In addition, Baroque Music , Early Music and Baroque Opera , as well as many Art Songs , all call for this kind of beautiful, light voice. Soubrette roles in turn may be performed by light lyric and lyric coloratura voices, and sometimes by Mezzo-soprano s as well. :Singers include Elisabeth Schumann , Kathleen Battle , Dawn Upshaw and Barbara Bonney .
Lyric soprano A warm voice with a bright, full Timbre which can be heard over an orchestra. It generally has a higher Tessitura than a Soubrette and usually plays Ingenue s and other sympathetic characters in opera. There is a tendency to divide lyric sopranos into two groups:
:Singers include Lucrezia Bori , Hei Kyung-Hong , Anna Netrebko , Leontina Vaduva and Ileana Cotrubaş .
:Singers include Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Victoria De Los Ángeles , Lisa Della Casa , Anna Moffo , Mirella Freni , Teresa Stratas Kiri Te Kanawa , Angela Gheorghiu , Eleanor Steber , Montserrat Caballé and Renee Fleming .
Spinto soprano Also lirico-spinto, Italian for "pushed lyric". It has the brightness and height of a lyric soprano, but can be "pushed" to dramatic climaxes without strain, and may have a somewhat darker Timbre . It generally uses '' Squillo '' to "slice" through a full orchestra (rather than singing over it like a dramatic soprano). It also handles Dynamic Changes very well. The spinto repertoire includes many Verdi , Verismo and Puccini roles, some of which are very popular in opera. The fact that spinto sopranos are uncommon means that these popular roles are often performed by singers from other classifications, and more than a few lyric sopranos have damaged their voices singing spinto roles. :Singers include Zinka Milanov , Leontyne Price and Aprile Millo .
Dramatic soprano A powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained fuller sound. Usually (but not always) this voice has a lower Tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker Timbre . Used for Heroic , Tragic women of opera. :Singers include Maria Callas , Leyla Gencer , Nina Stemme , Ghena Dimitrova , Jessye Norman , Karita Mattila and Deborah Voigt .
:Singers include Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson .
Other soprano types Two types of soprano especially dear to the French are the '' Dugazon '' and the '' Falcon '', which are intermediate voice types between the soprano and the Mezzo Soprano : a Dugazon is a darker-colored soubrette, a Falcon a darker-colored soprano drammatico. SOPRANO ROLES IN OPERETTAS
Also the Gilbert And Sullivan Savoy operas have prominent soprano roles. SOPRANO ROLES IN MUSICALS
SEE ALSO
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