Soprano – There are several
types of soprano: the coloratura soprano has a light,
high-pitched voice of great agility (for roles such as Olympia, a
clockwork doll, in Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann),
the light soprano has an agile voice and is comfortable
in the higher register (Susanna in Mozart’s Marriage of
Figaro), the lyric soprano, the most common
type, has a warmer, stronger voice at a slightly lower pitch (Marguerite
in Gounod’s Faust, Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème,
Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata); the soprano
spinto or soprano lirico spinto is basically a lyric soprano
with strong dramatic ability and enough power to mark certain climaxes
(Verdi’s Aïda); lastly, the dramatic soprano
has a voice that is powerful throughout its range, energetic and full
of character.
Mezzo-soprano – The range of the mezzo-soprano
lies between the soprano and contralto voices. A high mezzo voice
is often identical to a dramatic soprano or soprano
spinto, and many roles can be performed by either type. A
coloratura mezzo-soprano has a warm lower register
and an agile high register (Rosina in Rossini’s Barber of
Seville), whereas a dramatic mezzo-soprano has a strong medium
register, a warm high register and a voice that is generally broader
and more powerful (Amnéris in Verdi’s Aida).
Contralto – The lowest women’s voice,
with a compass of around two octaves. It is warm and rich, with a
generous and noble timbre. Despite its apparent heaviness, the contralto
voice is capable of great agility.
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