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{{Short description|Classical singing voice with the highest vocal range}}
:''This article is about singers. For the popular HBO television drama series about the Italian-American mafia, see [[The Sopranos]]''.
{{About|the female voice type|a male singer able to sing in the soprano range|Sopranist|other uses}}
{{wiktionary|soprano}}
{{Redirect|Soprano (singer)|the rapper|Soprano (rapper)}}
In [[music]], a '''soprano''' is a [[singer]] with a voice that ranges from, approximately, the A below [[middle C]] to "high C", two octaves above middle C (i.e. A3-C6). Some sopranos can go much higher, up to F6. In four part [[chorale]] style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the [[melody]].
{{Voice type}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}


A '''soprano''' ({{IPA|it|soˈpraːno}}) is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest [[vocal range]] of all [[voice type]]s. The soprano's vocal range (using [[scientific pitch notation]]) is from approximately middle C (C<sub>4</sub>) = 261&nbsp;[[Hertz|Hz]] to "high A" (A<sub>5</sub>) = 880&nbsp;Hz in [[Choir|choral music]], or to "soprano C" (C<sub>6</sub>, two [[octave]]s above middle C) = 1046&nbsp;Hz or higher in operatic music. In four-part [[chorale]] style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which often encompasses the [[melody]].<ref name=Stark>{{cite book
The word "soprano" generally refers to a female [[singer]] of this highest vocal range and to her voice. Male singers whose voices have not yet changed are known either as "[[boy soprano]]s" or, in the Anglican and Roman Catholic traditions, as [[treble]]s. Some adult male singers use a special technique without using [[falsetto]] in order to sing in this high range, and they are known as [[sopranist]]s.
|title= Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy
{{Vocal range}}
|last= Stark
Historically, women were not allowed to sing in the Church, so the soprano roles were given to young boys, and later to [[castrato|castrati]], who were men whose larynxes had been fixed in a pre-adolescent state through the process of [[castration]].
|first= James
|year= 2003
|publisher= [[University of Toronto Press]]
|isbn= 978-0-8020-8614-3}}</ref> The soprano voice type is generally divided into the [[coloratura soprano|coloratura]], [[soubrette]], [[lyric soprano|lyric]], [[spinto soprano|spinto]], and [[dramatic soprano|dramatic]] soprano.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Aronson|first1=Arnold Elvin|last2=Bless|first2=Diane M.|title=Clinical Voice Disorders|year=2009|publisher=[[Thieme Medical Publishers]]|location=New York|isbn=978-1-58890-662-5|page=278|edition=4th|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wOhkGWBzG2UC&q=%22lyric+soprano%22+%22most+common+female%22&pg=PA278|access-date=1 November 2014}}</ref>


== Etymology ==
More generally, a soprano is a relatively high-pitched member of a group of similar instruments (for example, the [[soprano saxophone]]).
The word "soprano" comes from the Italian word ''[[wikt:sopra|sopra]]'' (above, over, on top of),<ref name="britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/art/soprano "Soprano"], ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''</ref> as the soprano is the highest pitch human voice, often given to the leading female roles in operas.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Opera 101 |url=http://www.theopera101.com/operaabc/voices/ |access-date=21 April 2016}}</ref> "Soprano" refers mainly to women, but it can also be applied to men; "[[sopranist]]" is the term for a male [[countertenor]] able to sing in the soprano vocal range,<ref name="McKinney">{{cite book |title=The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults |last=McKinney |first=James |year=1994 |publisher=Genovex Music Group |isbn=978-1-56593-940-0}}</ref> while a [[castrato]] is the term for a castrated male singer, typical of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries,<ref name="britannica" /> and a [[treble voice|treble]] is a [[boy soprano]], whether they finished puberty or are still a child, as long as they are still able to sing in that range.<ref name="britannica" />


The term "soprano" is also based on the Latin word ''[[wikt:superior#Latin|superius]]'' which, like soprano, referred to the highest pitch vocal range of all human voice types.<ref name="britannica" /> The word ''superius'' was especially used in choral and other multi-part vocal music between the 13th and 16th centuries.<ref name="britannica"/>
==Types of soprano and soprano roles in operas==
In [[opera]], the character and [[timbre]] of soprano voices are often categorized according to the German ''[[Fach]]'' system. However, several roles are regularly sung by sopranos who are considered to belong to another "Fach". For example, Lyric Coloratura Sopranos and Full Lyrics often sing Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor). Sopranos usually play the [[heroine]] in opera. The soprano ''Fächer'', with examples of respective roles, are:
[[Image:Sopran.png|thumb|300px|[[Soprano]]]]
[[Image:Altstimme.png|thumb|300px|[[Alto (voice)|Alto]]]]
[[Image:Tenor.png|thumb|300px|[[Tenor]]]]
[[Image:Bass.png|thumb|300px|[[Basso]]]]
*[[Soubrette]]: A sweet, lightweight voice whose range is mostly in middle voice. Plays comedic, saucy, but likable characters.
** Adele ([[Die Fledermaus]])
** Amor ([[Orfeo Ed Euridice]])
** Ännchen ([[Der Freischütz]])
** Barbarina ([[Le Nozze Di Figaro]])
** Belinda ([[Dido And Aeneas]])
** Despina ([[Così Fan Tutte]])
** Lisa ([[La Sonnambula]])
** Marzellina ([[Fidelio]])
** Musetta ([[La Bohème]])
** Nannetta ([[Falstaff (opera)|Falstaff]])
** Olympia ([[Tales of Hoffmann|Les Contes D'Hoffmann]])
** Servilia ([[La Clemenza Di Tito]])
** Susanna ([[Le Nozze Di Figaro]])
** Tamyris ([[Il Re Pastore]])
** Zerlina ([[Don Giovanni]])


== Vocal range ==
* Lyric [[Coloratura]]: A light, acrobatic voice, with a range into the 6th octave.
[[File:Soprano voice range on keyboard.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|Soprano vocal range (C<sub>4</sub>–C<sub>6</sub>) notated on the [[treble clef|treble]] [[staff (music)|staff]] and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C]]
** Adina ([[L'Elisir D'Amore]])
{| align=right
** Agrippina ([[Agrippina (opera)|Agrippina]])
|<score>{ \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } c'4 c'''4 }</score>
** Alcina ([[Alcina]])
|}
** Alminera ([[Rinaldo (opera)|Rinaldo]])
The soprano has the highest [[vocal range]] of all [[voice type]]s, with the highest [[tessitura]]. A soprano and a [[mezzo-soprano]] have a similar range, but their tessituras will lie in different parts of that range.<ref name=Boldrey>{{cite book
** Amina ([[La Sonnambula]])
|title= Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias
** Blondchen ([[Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail]])
|last= Boldrey
** Celia ([[Lucio Silla]])
|first= Richard
** Elisa ([[Il Re Pastore]])
|year= 1994
** Elvira ([[I Puritani]])
|publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
** Gilda ([[Rigoletto (opera)|Rigoletto]])
|isbn= 978-1-877761-64-5}}</ref>
** Ilia ([[Idomeneo]])
** Lakmé ([[Lakmé]])
** Lucia ([[Lucia Di Lammermoor]])
** Magda ([[La Rondine]])
** Norina ([[Don Pasquale]])
** Ophélie ([[Hamlet]])
** Oskar ([[Un Ballo In Maschera]])
** Queen of the Night ([[Die Zauberflöte]])
** Sofie ([[Der Rosenkavalier]])
** Zerbinetta ([[Ariadne Auf Naxos]])


The low extreme for sopranos is roughly A<sub>3</sub> or B{{music|b}}<sub>3</sub> (just below middle C). Within opera, the lowest demanded note for sopranos is F<sub>3</sub> (from [[Richard Strauss]]'s ''[[Die Frau ohne Schatten]]''<ref>''Die Frau ohne Schatten'' vocal score, Dover vocal scores 2003, act 1, scene 2, 5th bar of figure 102, {{ISBN|0-486-43127-4}}</ref>). Often low notes in higher voices will 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 (music)|staff]]). However, rarely is a soprano simply unable to sing a low note in a song within a soprano role.<ref name=Boldrey /> Low notes can be reached with a lowered position of the [[larynx]].
*Dramatic Coloratura: An acrobatic voice with powerful dramatic qualities, with a range up to F6.
** Anne ([[The Rake's Progress]])
** Cleopatra ([[Giulio Cesare]])
** Donna Anna ([[Don Giovanni]])
** Fiordiligi ([[Così Fan Tutte]])
** Königin der Nacht (Queen of the Night) ([[Die Zauberflöte]])
** Konstanze ([[Die Entführung aus dem Serail]])
** Lady Macbeth ([[Macbeth]])
** Leonora ([[Il Trovatore]])
** Lucrezia ([[Lucrezia Borgia]])
** Mathilde ([[Guillaume Tell]])
** Norma ([[Norma (opera)|Norma]])
** Rosalinda ([[Die Fledermaus]])
** Violetta ([[La Traviata]])


The high extreme, at a minimum, for non-coloratura sopranos is "soprano C" (C<sub>6</sub> two octaves above middle C), and many roles in the standard repertoire call for C{{music|#}}<sub>6</sub> or D<sub>6</sub>. A couple of roles have optional E{{music|b}}<sub>6</sub>s, as well. In the [[coloratura]] repertoire, several roles call for E{{music|b}}<sub>6</sub> on up to F<sub>6</sub>. In rare cases, some coloratura roles go as high as G<sub>6</sub> or G{{music|#}}<sub>6</sub>, such as Mozart's concert aria "[[Popoli di Tessaglia!]]", or the title role of [[Jules Massenet]]'s opera ''[[Esclarmonde]]''. While not necessarily within the tessitura, a good soprano will be able to sing her top notes full-throated, with timbre and dynamic control.<ref name=Coffin>{{cite book
*Full [[vocal weight|Lyric]] Soprano: A sweet, graceful voice, with range similar to that of the soubrette but with a stronger quality, and stronger upper register. Reserved for [[ingenue (stock character)|ingenue]]s and other sympathetic characters.
|title= Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1
** Agathe ([[Der Freischütz]])
|last= Coffin
** Antonia ([[Les Contes D'Hoffmann]])
|first= Berton
** Contessa ([[Figaro]])
|year= 1960
** Euridice ([[Orfeo Ed Euridice]])
|publisher= Rowman & Littlefield
** Juliette ([[Roméo Et Juliette]])
|isbn= 978-0-8108-0188-2
** Liù ([[Turandot]])
|url-access= registration
** Manon ([[Manon]])
|url= https://archive.org/details/singersrepertoir0000coff
** Marie ([[La fille du régiment|The Daughter Of The Regiment]])
}}</ref>
** Marguerite ([[Faust]])
** Martha ([[Martha (opera)|Martha]])
** Micaëla ([[Carmen]])
** Mimi ([[La Bohème]])
** Nedda ([[Pagliacci]])
** Pamina ([[Die Zauberflöte]])
** Zaide ([[Zaide]])


In opera, the [[tessitura]], [[vocal weight]], and [[timbre]] of voices, and the roles they sing, are commonly categorized into voice types, often called {{lang|de|Fächer}} ({{abbr|sg.|singular}} {{lang|de|[[Fach]]}}, from German {{lang|de|Fach}} or {{lang|de|Stimmfach}}, "vocal category").<ref name=Coffin /> A singer's tessitura is where the voice has the best timbre, easy [[Dynamics (music)|volume]], and most comfort.
* [[Spinto]] Soprano: A full lyric voice that can be pushed to dramatic climaxes.
** Agathe ([[Der Freischütz]])
** Aida ([[Aïda]])
** Alice Ford ([[Falstaff (opera)|Falstaff]])
** Butterfly ([[Madama Butterfly]])
** Desdemona ([[Othello]])
** Donna Elvira ([[Don Giovanni]])
** Elisabetta ([[Don Carlos]])
** Manon ([[Manon Lescaut]])
** Margherita ([[Mefistofele]])
** Rusalka ([[Rusalka (opera)|Rusalka]])
** Tatajana ([[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]])
** The Marschallin ([[Der Rosenkavalier]])
** Wally ([[La Wally]])


== In choral music ==
* [[vocal weight|Dramatic]] soprano: A powerful, rich, emotive voice. Used for the [[heroic]], [[tragic]], and/or victimized women of opera. Range from Bb3 or A3 to C6. (Note: The listed range is not correct for all of the below roles; some exceed the listed range.)
{{Choral voice classification}}
** Abgaille ([[Nabucco]])
In [[SATB|SATB four-part mixed]] chorus, the soprano is the highest vocal range, above the [[alto]], [[tenor]], and [[bass (voice type)|bass]]. Sopranos commonly sing in the tessitura G4-A5. When the composer calls for divisi, sopranos can be separated into Soprano I (highest part) and Soprano II (lower soprano part).
** Amelia ([[Un Ballo In Maschera]])
** Ariadne ([[Ariadne Auf Naxos]])
** Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly) ([[Madama Butterfly]])
** Elsa ([[Lohengrin]])
** Gioconda ([[La Gioconda]])
** Kundry ([[Parsifal]])
** Leonora ([[La Forza Del Destino]])
** Leonore ([[Fidelio]])
** Santuzza ([[Cavalleria Rusticana]])
** Sieglinde ([[Die Walküre]])
** Tosca ([[Tosca]])


In contrast to choral singing, in classical solo singing a person is classified through the identification of several vocal traits, including range, vocal [[timbre]], [[vocal weight]], vocal [[tessitura]], [[vocal resonance]], and vocal transition points (lifts or "[[passaggio]]") within the singer's voice.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}
* Wagnerian soprano (Hochdramatischer sopran): A dramatic voice that can assert itself as an instrument over a large orchestra (over eighty pieces). Usually a mythic heroine.
** Brünnhilde ([[Die Walküre]], [[Siegfried (opera)|Siegfried]], [[Götterdämmerung]])
** Elektra ([[Elektra (opera)|Elektra]])
** Elizabeth ([[Tannhäuser]])
** Isolde ([[Tristan Und Isolde]])
** Salome ([[Salome (opera)|Salome]])
** Senta ([[The Flying Dutchman (opera)|Der Fliegende Holländer]])
** Turandot ([[Turandot]])


These different traits are used to identify different sub-types within the voice. Within [[opera]], particular roles are written with specific kinds of soprano voices in mind, causing certain roles to be associated with certain [[voice type|kinds of voices]].<ref>{{cite book
Two types of soprano especially dear to the French are the ''[[Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre|Dugazon]]'' and the ''[[Marie-Cornélie Falcon|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.
|title= The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application
|last= Appelman
|first= D. Ralph
|year= 1986
|publisher= Indiana University Press
|isbn= 978-0-253-20378-6}}</ref>


==Soprano roles in operettas and musicals==
== Subtypes and roles in opera ==
{{hatnote|See soprano subtype Main articles below for roles and singers.}}
Within the soprano voice type category are five generally recognized subcategories: [[coloratura soprano]], [[soubrette]], [[lyric soprano]], [[spinto soprano]], and [[dramatic soprano]].


=== Coloratura ===
* Adele ([[Die Fledermaus]])
{{main|Coloratura soprano}}
* Aline ([[The Sorcerer]])
The coloratura soprano may be a lyric coloratura or a dramatic coloratura. The lyric coloratura soprano is a very agile light voice with a high upper extension capable of fast vocal coloratura. Light coloraturas have a range of approximately middle C (C<sub>4</sub>) to "high F" (''[[in alt]]'') (F<sub>6</sub>) with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing somewhat lower or higher,<ref name="McKinney" /> e.g. an interpolated A{{music|b}}<sub>6</sub> in the Doll Aria, "Les oiseaux dans la charmille", from ''[[The Tales of Hoffmann]]'', e.g. by [[Rachele Gilmore]] in a 2009 performance, and a written A{{music|natural}}<sub>6</sub> by [[Audrey Luna]] in 2017 in ''[[The Exterminating Angel (opera)|The Exterminating Angel]]'', both at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in New York.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/arts/music/metropolitan-opera-high-note-exterminating-angel.html "At the Met Opera, a Note So High, It's Never Been Sung Before"] by [[Zachary Woolfe]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 7 November 2017</ref>
* Beggar Woman/Lucy Barker ([[Sweeney Todd (musical)|Sweeney Todd]])
* Belle ([[Beauty And The Beast]])
* Bess ([[Porgy And Bess]])
* Bloody Mary ([[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]])
* Carlotta Giudicelli ([[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom Of The Opera]])
* Casilda ([[The Gondoliers]])
* Christine Daaé ([[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom Of The Opera]])
* Cinderella ([[Cinderella (tv)|Cinderella]])
* Cinderella ([[Into The Woods]])
* Clara ([[Porgy And Bess]])
* Clara ([[The Light In The Piazza]])
* Cosette ([[Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables]])
* Cristiane ([[The King's Rhapsody]])
* Cunegonde ([[Candide (operetta)|Candide]])
* Eileen ([[Wonderful Town]])
* Eliza ([[My Fair Lady]])
* Elsie ([[The Yeomen Of The Guard]])
* Emma ([[Jekyll & Hyde (musical)|Jekyll & Hyde]])
* Erzulie ([[Once On This Island]])
* Franca ([[The Light In The Piazza]])
* Gianetta ([[The Gondoliers]])
* Glinda ([[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]])
* Grace ([[Annie]])
* Hanna ([[Die Lustige Witwe]])
* Hodel ([[Fiddler On The Roof]])
* Hope ([[Anything Goes]])
* Ida ([[Princess Ida]])
* Jack's Mother ([[Into The Woods]])
* Jemima ([[Cats (musical)|Cats]])
* Johanna ([[Sweeney Todd (musical)|Swenney Todd]])
* Josephine ([[H.M.S. Pinafore]])
* Julie ([[Show Boat]])
* Julie Jordan ([[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]])
* Kate ([[Kiss Me, Kate]])
* Laurey ([[Oklahoma!]])
* Lily St Regis ([[Annie]])
* Linda ([[Gay's The Word]])
* Laura ([[The Woman in White (musical)|The Woman In White]])
* Mabel ([[The Pirates Of Penzance]])
* Maria ([[The Sound Of Music]])
* Margaret ([[The Light In The Piazza]])
* Maria ([[West Side Story]])
* Marian Paroo ([[The Music Man]])
* Melony ([[Pirates: A Romeo And Juliet Story]])
* Mina ([[The Enchantress]])
* Miss Gibbs ([[Our Miss Gibbs]])
* Nina ([[Song Of Norway]])
* Patience ([[Patience]])
* Peep-Bo ([[The Mikado]]) - this role could also be played by a mezzo-soprano
* Phyllis ([[Iolanthe]])
* Rapunzel ([[Into The Woods]])
* Rosa Bud ([[The Mystery of Edwin Drood (musical)|The Mystery Of Edwin Drood]])
* Rose Maybud ([[Ruddigore]])
* Rose Vibert ([[Aspects Of Love]])
* Rosaline ([[Pirates: A Romeo And Juliet Story]])
* Rosalinda ([[Die Fledermaus]])
* Saffi ([[Der Zigeunerbaron]])
* Sarah ([[The Maid Of The Mountains]])
* Sarah ([[Guys And Dolls]])
* Signora Naccarelli ([[The Light In The Piazza]])
* Sombra ([[The Arcadians]])
* Teresa ([[The Maid Of The Mountains]])
* TupTim ([[The King And I]])
* Violet ([[House Of Flowers]])
* Yum-Yum ([[The Mikado]])
* Janet Weiss ([[The Rocky Horror Show]])


The dramatic coloratura soprano is a coloratura soprano with great flexibility in high-lying velocity passages, yet with great sustaining power comparable to that of a full spinto or dramatic soprano. Dramatic coloraturas have a range of approximately "low B" (B<sub>3</sub>) to "high F" (F<sub>6</sub>) with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing somewhat higher or lower.<ref name=Coffin />
==Famous sopranos==
[[Image:Sopran.png|thumb|300px|[[Soprano]]]]
[[Image:Altstimme.png|thumb|300px|[[Alto (voice)|Alto]]]]
[[Image:Tenor.png|thumb|300px|[[Tenor]]]]
[[Image:Bass.png|thumb|300px|[[Basso]]]]
===Classical music===
*[[Aino Ackté]]
*[[Elly Ameling]]
*[[June Anderson]]
*[[Victoria de los Angeles]]
*[[Isobel Baillie]]
*[[Josephine Barstow]]
*[[Kathleen Battle]]
*[[Hildegard Behrens]]
*[[Gabriela Beňačková]]
*[[Erna Berger]]
*[[Barbara Bonney]]
*[[Inge Borkh]]
*[[Tatiana Borodina]]
*[[Catherine Bott]]
*[[Fabiana Bravo]]
*[[June Bronhill]]
*[[Gré Brouwenstijn]]
*[[Montserrat Caballé]]
*[[Maria Callas]]
*[[Lina Cavalieri]]
*[[Patrizia Ciofi]]
*[[Ileana Cotrubaş]]
*[[Régine Crespin]]
*[[Suzanne Danco]]
*[[Barbara Daniels]]
*[[Lisa Della Casa]]
*[[Mireille Delunsch]]
*[[Helge Dernesch]]
*[[Natalie Dessay]]
*[[Daniela Dessì]]
*[[Emmy Destinn]]
*[[Cristina Deutekom]]
*[[Ghena Dimitrova]]
*[[Jane Eaglen]]
*[[Emma Eames]]
*[[Nikki Einfeld]]
*[[Agam Englard]]
*[[Anne Evans]]
*[[Marie-Cornélie Falcon]]
*[[Geraldine Farrar]]
*[[Eileen Farrell]]
*[[Kirsten Flagstad]]
*[[Renée Fleming]]
*[[Nuccia Focile]]
*[[Mirella Freni]]
*[[Barbara Frittoli]]
*[[Inessa Galante]]
*[[Amelita Galli-Curci]]
*[[Mary Garden]]
*[[Lesley Garrett]]
*[[Leyla Gencer]]
*[[Véronique Gens]]
*[[Angela Gheorghiu]]
*[[Reri Grist]]
*[[Edita Gruberová]]
*[[Elisabeth Grümmer]]
*[[Hilde Gueden]]
*[[Ingeborg Hallstein]]
*[[Heather Harper]]
*[[Barbara Hendricks]]
*[[Ruth Holton]]
*[[Rita Hunter]]
*[[Soile Isokoski]]
*[[Maria Ivogün]]
*[[Gundula Janowitz]]
*[[Florence Foster Jenkins]]
*[[Maria Jeritza]]
*[[Sumi Jo]]
*[[Gwyneth Jones (opera singer)|Gwyneth Jones]]
*[[Jessica Jones (opera singer)|Jessica Jones]]
*[[Sena Jurinac]]
*[[Raina Kabaivanska]]
*[[Sophie Karthäuser]]
*[[Maria Cristina Kiehr]]
*[[Emma Kirkby]]
*[[Miliza Korjus]]
*[[Erika Koth]]
*[[Juanita Lascarro]]
*[[Marjorie Lawrence]]
*[[Evelyn Lear]]
*[[Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre]]
*[[Lotte Lehmann]]
*[[Jenny Lind]]
*[[Pilar Lorengar]]
*[[Felicity Lott]]
*[[Malvina Major]]
*[[Catherine Malfitano]]
*[[Maria Malibran]]
*[[Ewa Mallas-Godlewska]]
*[[Ana María Martínez]]
*[[Eva Marton]]
*[[Valerie Masterson]]
*[[Edith Mathis]]
*[[Karita Mattila]]
*[[Sylvia McNair]]
*[[Nellie Melba]]
*[[Mady Mesplé]]
*[[Zinka Milanov]]
*[[Yvonne Minton]]
*[[Nelly Miricioiu]]
*[[Anna Moffo]]
*[[Carmen Monarcha]]
*[[Inva Mula-Tchako]]
*[[Rosanna Murphy]]
*[[Herva Nelli]]
*[[Anna Netrebko]]
*[[Mariana Nicolesco]]
*[[Birgit Nilsson]]
*[[Jessye Norman]]
*[[Magda Olivero]]
*[[Luba Orgonasova]]
*[[Hasmik Papian]]
*[[Giuditta Pasta]]
*[[Adelina Patti]]
*[[Maria Pellegrini]]
*[[Roberta Peters]]
*[[Patricia Petibon]]
*[[Sandrine Piau]]
*[[Nicola Piovani]]
*[[Lily Pons]]
*[[Rosa Ponselle]]
*[[Lucia Popp]]
*[[Isabelle Poulenard]]
*[[Leontyne Price]]
*[[Ema Pukšec]] (Ilma De Murska)
*[[Marijana Radev]]
*[[Elisabeth Rethberg]]
*[[Katia Ricciarelli]]
*[[Amanda Roocroft]]
*[[Andrea Rost]]
*[[Anneliese Rothenberger]]
*[[Leonie Rysanek]]
*[[Sylvia Sass]]
*[[Bidu Sayão]]
*[[Elisabeth Schumann]]
*[[Elisabeth Schwarzkopf]]
*[[Graziella Sciutti]]
*[[Renata Scotto]]
*[[Irmgard Seefried]]
*[[Meta Seinemeyer]]
*[[Luciana Serra]]
*[[Anja Silja]]
*[[Beverly Sills]]
*[[Elisabeth Söderström]]
*[[Teresa Stratas]]
*[[Rita Streich]]
*[[Cheryl Studer]]
*[[Joan Sutherland]]
*[[Ruth Ann Swenson]]
*[[Renata Tebaldi]]
*[[Kiri Te Kanawa]]
*[[Luisa Tetrazzini]]
*[[Maggie Teyte]]
*[[Milka Trnina]]
*[[Eva Turner]]
*[[Dawn Upshaw]]
*[[Julia Varady]]
*[[Astrid Varnay]]
*[[Maria Cristina Viguilla-Navarro]]
*[[Veronica Villarroel]]
*[[Galina Vishnevskaya]]
*[[Deborah Voigt]]
*[[Cheryl Boyd Waddell]]
*[[Meghan Wagner]]
*[[Christine Weidinger]]
*[[Ljuba Welitsch]]


=== Soubrette ===
===Cross-over and popular music===
{{main|Soubrette}}
In classical music and opera, a soubrette soprano refers to both a voice type and a particular type of opera role. A soubrette voice is light with a bright, sweet timbre, a tessitura in the mid-range, and with no extensive coloratura. The soubrette voice is not a weak voice, for it must carry over an orchestra without a microphone like all voices in opera. The voice, however, has a lighter vocal weight than other soprano voices with a brighter timbre. Many young singers start out as soubrettes, but, as they grow older and the voice matures more physically, they may be reclassified as another voice type, usually either a light lyric soprano, a lyric coloratura soprano, or a coloratura mezzo-soprano. Rarely does a singer remain a soubrette throughout her entire career.<ref name=Stark /> A soubrette's range extends approximately from Middle C (C<sub>4</sub>) to "high D" (D<sub>6</sub>).<ref>[http://www.dolmetsch.com/defsv2.htm Music Dictionary Vm–Vz: Voice (s.), Voices (pl.) – coloratura-soubrette or soprano lirico leggiero], [[Dolmetsch]]</ref> The tessitura of the soubrette tends to lie a bit lower than the lyric soprano and spinto soprano.<ref name=Boldrey />


=== Lyric ===
*[[Sharon den Adel]]
{{main|Lyric soprano}}
*[[Christina Aguilera]]
The lyric soprano is a warm voice with a bright, full timbre, which can be heard over a big orchestra. It generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ''[[ingénue]]s'' and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have a range from approximately middle C (C<sub>4</sub>) to "high D" (D<sub>6</sub>).<ref name=Coffin />
*[[Julie Andrews]]
*[[Jo Appleby]]
*[[Joan Baez]]
*[[Jodi Benson]]
*[[Björk]]
*[[Tamar Braxton]]
*[[Sarah Brightman]]
*[[Mariah Carey]]
*[[Eva Cassidy]]
*[[Kristin Chenoweth]]
*[[Charlotte Church]]
*[[Judy Collins]]
*[[Allison Crowe]]
*[[Rachel Dear]]
*[[Céline Dion]]
*[[Linda Eder]]
*[[Terry Ellis]]
*[[Sertab Erener]]
*[[Susanna Foster]]
*[[Nina Girado]]
*[[Delta Goodrem]]
*[[Susaye Greene]]
*[[Cissy Houston]]
*[[Floor Jansen]]
*[[Liv Kristine]]
*[[Kyla]]
*[[Amel Larrieux]]
*[[Patti LaBelle]]
*[[CoCo Lee]]
*[[Ute Lemper]]
*[[Martina McBride]]
*[[Loreena McKennitt]]
*[[Joni Mitchell]]
*[[Chante Moore]]
*[[Melba Moore]]
*[[Debelah Morgan]]
*[[Anne Nurmi]]
*[[Laura Pausini]]
*[[Sheryn Regis]]
*[[Minnie Riperton]]
*[[Linda Ronstadt]]
*[[Dawn Robinson]]
*[[Lea Salonga]]
*[[Selena]]
*[[Karen Clark Sheard]]
*[[Jake Shears]]
*[[Vonzell Solomon]]
*[[Vibeke Stene]]
*[[Jean Terrell]]
*[[Sylvie Valayre]]
*[[Regine Velasquez]]
*[[Hayley Westenra]]
*[[Deniece Williams]]
*[[Shanice Wilson]]


The lyric soprano may be a light lyric soprano or a full lyric soprano.<ref name=Boldrey /> The light lyric soprano has a bigger voice than a soubrette but still possesses a youthful quality.<ref name=Boldrey /> The full lyric soprano has a more mature sound than a light-lyric soprano and can be heard over a bigger orchestra.<ref name=Boldrey />
==See also==
* [[mezzo soprano]], [[alto (voice)|alto]], [[contralto]], [[countertenor|counter tenor]], [[tenor]], [[baritenor]], [[baritone]], [[bass-baritone]], [[basso|bass (or basso)]], [[castrato]], [[sopranista]], [[soubrette]]
* [[music]], [[opera]], [[bel canto]]


=== Spinto ===
[[Category:Vocal ranges|O]]
{{main|Spinto soprano}}
[[Category:Opera terminology|O]]
Also lirico-[[spinto]], Italian for "pushed lyric", the spinto soprano 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. Spinto sopranos have a range from approximately B (B<sub>3</sub>) to "high D" (D<sub>6</sub>).<ref name=Coffin />
[[Category:Sopranos| ]]


=== Dramatic ===
[[bg:Сопран]]
{{main|Dramatic soprano}}
[[ca:Soprano]]
A dramatic soprano (or ''soprano robusto'') has a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over a full orchestra. Usually (but not always) this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately A (A<sub>3</sub>) to "high C" (C<sub>6</sub>).<ref name=Coffin />
[[de:Sopran]]

[[el:Υψίφωνος]]
Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos, have a very big voice that can assert itself over an exceptionally large orchestra (over eighty pieces). These voices are substantial and very powerful and ideally even throughout the registers.<ref name=Boldrey />
[[es:Soprano]]

[[fr:Soprano]]
=== Other types ===
[[gd:Neach-seinn àirde]]
Two other types of soprano are the ''[[Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre|Dugazon]]'' and the ''[[Cornélie Falcon|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.<ref name=Coffin />
[[ko:소프라노]]

[[it:Soprano]]
== See also ==
[[hu:Szoprán]]
* [[:Category:Sopranos|Category of sopranos]]
[[nl:Sopraan (zangstem)]]
* ''[[Fach]]'', the German system for classifying voices
[[ja:ソプラノ]]
* [[Voice classification in non-classical music]]
[[pl:Sopran]]
* [[List of sopranos in non-classical music]]
[[pt:Soprano]]
*[[Chronological list of operatic sopranos]]
[[ru:Сопрано]]

[[simple:Soprano]]
== References ==
[[sh:Soprani]]
{{Reflist}}
[[sl:Sopran]]

[[fi:Sopraano]]
== Further reading ==
[[sv:Sopran]]
*{{cite book
[[uk:Сопрано]]
|title= Singer's Edition: Operatic Arias – Light Lyric Soprano
[[zh:女高音]]
|last= Boldrey
|first= Richard
|others= Robert Caldwell, Werner Singer, Joan Wall and Roger Pines
|year= 1992
|publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
|isbn= 978-1-877761-02-7|ref=none}}
*{{cite book
|title= Singer's Edition: Operatic Arias – Soubrette
|last= Boldrey
|first= Richard
|others= Robert Caldwell, Werner Singer, Joan Wall and Roger Pines
|year= 1992
|publisher= Caldwell Publishing Company
|isbn= 978-1-877761-03-4|ref=none}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Sopranos}}

{{Range (music)}}
{{Portal bar|Opera}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Voice types]]
[[Category:Pitch (music)]]
[[Category:Musical terminology]]
[[Category:Opera terminology]]
[[Category:Italian opera terminology]]
[[Category:Choral music]]
[[Category:Sopranos| ]]

Latest revision as of 19:09, 19 September 2024

A soprano (Italian pronunciation: [soˈpraːno]) is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880 Hz in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) = 1046 Hz or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which often encompasses the melody.[1] The soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto, and dramatic soprano.[2]

Etymology

[edit]

The word "soprano" comes from the Italian word sopra (above, over, on top of),[3] as the soprano is the highest pitch human voice, often given to the leading female roles in operas.[4] "Soprano" refers mainly to women, but it can also be applied to men; "sopranist" is the term for a male countertenor able to sing in the soprano vocal range,[5] while a castrato is the term for a castrated male singer, typical of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries,[3] and a treble is a boy soprano, whether they finished puberty or are still a child, as long as they are still able to sing in that range.[3]

The term "soprano" is also based on the Latin word superius which, like soprano, referred to the highest pitch vocal range of all human voice types.[3] The word superius was especially used in choral and other multi-part vocal music between the 13th and 16th centuries.[3]

Vocal range

[edit]
Soprano vocal range (C4–C6) notated on the treble staff and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C
{ \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } c'4 c'''4 }

The soprano has the highest vocal range of all voice types, with the highest tessitura. A soprano and a mezzo-soprano have a similar range, but their tessituras will lie in different parts of that range.[6]

The low extreme for sopranos is roughly A3 or B3 (just below middle C). Within opera, the lowest demanded note for sopranos is F3 (from Richard Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten[7]). Often low notes in higher voices will 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). However, rarely is a soprano simply unable to sing a low note in a song within a soprano role.[6] Low notes can be reached with a lowered position of the larynx.

The high extreme, at a minimum, for non-coloratura sopranos is "soprano C" (C6 two octaves above middle C), and many roles in the standard repertoire call for C6 or D6. A couple of roles have optional E6s, as well. In the coloratura repertoire, several roles call for E6 on up to F6. In rare cases, some coloratura roles go as high as G6 or G6, such as Mozart's concert aria "Popoli di Tessaglia!", or the title role of Jules Massenet's opera Esclarmonde. While not necessarily within the tessitura, a good soprano will be able to sing her top notes full-throated, with timbre and dynamic control.[8]

In opera, the tessitura, vocal weight, and timbre of voices, and the roles they sing, are commonly categorized into voice types, often called Fächer (sg. Fach, from German Fach or Stimmfach, "vocal category").[8] A singer's tessitura is where the voice has the best timbre, easy volume, and most comfort.

In choral music

[edit]

In SATB four-part mixed chorus, the soprano is the highest vocal range, above the alto, tenor, and bass. Sopranos commonly sing in the tessitura G4-A5. When the composer calls for divisi, sopranos can be separated into Soprano I (highest part) and Soprano II (lower soprano part).

In contrast to choral singing, in classical solo singing a person is classified through the identification of several vocal traits, including range, vocal timbre, vocal weight, vocal tessitura, vocal resonance, and vocal transition points (lifts or "passaggio") within the singer's voice.[citation needed]

These different traits are used to identify different sub-types within the voice. Within opera, particular roles are written with specific kinds of soprano voices in mind, causing certain roles to be associated with certain kinds of voices.[9]

Subtypes and roles in opera

[edit]

Within the soprano voice type category are five generally recognized subcategories: coloratura soprano, soubrette, lyric soprano, spinto soprano, and dramatic soprano.

Coloratura

[edit]

The coloratura soprano may be a lyric coloratura or a dramatic coloratura. The lyric coloratura soprano is a very agile light voice with a high upper extension capable of fast vocal coloratura. Light coloraturas have a range of approximately middle C (C4) to "high F" (in alt) (F6) with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing somewhat lower or higher,[5] e.g. an interpolated A6 in the Doll Aria, "Les oiseaux dans la charmille", from The Tales of Hoffmann, e.g. by Rachele Gilmore in a 2009 performance, and a written A6 by Audrey Luna in 2017 in The Exterminating Angel, both at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.[10]

The dramatic coloratura soprano is a coloratura soprano with great flexibility in high-lying velocity passages, yet with great sustaining power comparable to that of a full spinto or dramatic soprano. Dramatic coloraturas have a range of approximately "low B" (B3) to "high F" (F6) with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing somewhat higher or lower.[8]

Soubrette

[edit]

In classical music and opera, a soubrette soprano refers to both a voice type and a particular type of opera role. A soubrette voice is light with a bright, sweet timbre, a tessitura in the mid-range, and with no extensive coloratura. The soubrette voice is not a weak voice, for it must carry over an orchestra without a microphone like all voices in opera. The voice, however, has a lighter vocal weight than other soprano voices with a brighter timbre. Many young singers start out as soubrettes, but, as they grow older and the voice matures more physically, they may be reclassified as another voice type, usually either a light lyric soprano, a lyric coloratura soprano, or a coloratura mezzo-soprano. Rarely does a singer remain a soubrette throughout her entire career.[1] A soubrette's range extends approximately from Middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6).[11] The tessitura of the soubrette tends to lie a bit lower than the lyric soprano and spinto soprano.[6]

Lyric

[edit]

The lyric soprano is a warm voice with a bright, full timbre, which can be heard over a big orchestra. It generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingénues and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have a range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6).[8]

The lyric soprano may be a light lyric soprano or a full lyric soprano.[6] The light lyric soprano has a bigger voice than a soubrette but still possesses a youthful quality.[6] The full lyric soprano has a more mature sound than a light-lyric soprano and can be heard over a bigger orchestra.[6]

Spinto

[edit]

Also lirico-spinto, Italian for "pushed lyric", the spinto soprano 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. Spinto sopranos have a range from approximately B (B3) to "high D" (D6).[8]

Dramatic

[edit]

A dramatic soprano (or soprano robusto) has a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over a full orchestra. Usually (but not always) this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately A (A3) to "high C" (C6).[8]

Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos, have a very big voice that can assert itself over an exceptionally large orchestra (over eighty pieces). These voices are substantial and very powerful and ideally even throughout the registers.[6]

Other types

[edit]

Two other types of soprano 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.[8]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Stark, James (2003). Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-8614-3.
  2. ^ Aronson, Arnold Elvin; Bless, Diane M. (2009). Clinical Voice Disorders (4th ed.). New York: Thieme Medical Publishers. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-58890-662-5. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Soprano", Encyclopædia Britannica
  4. ^ "The Opera 101". Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b McKinney, James (1994). The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Genovex Music Group. ISBN 978-1-56593-940-0.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Boldrey, Richard (1994). Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Caldwell Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-877761-64-5.
  7. ^ Die Frau ohne Schatten vocal score, Dover vocal scores 2003, act 1, scene 2, 5th bar of figure 102, ISBN 0-486-43127-4
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Coffin, Berton (1960). Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8108-0188-2.
  9. ^ Appelman, D. Ralph (1986). The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-20378-6.
  10. ^ "At the Met Opera, a Note So High, It's Never Been Sung Before" by Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times, 7 November 2017
  11. ^ Music Dictionary Vm–Vz: Voice (s.), Voices (pl.) – coloratura-soubrette or soprano lirico leggiero, Dolmetsch

Further reading

[edit]
  • Boldrey, Richard (1992). Singer's Edition: Operatic Arias – Light Lyric Soprano. Robert Caldwell, Werner Singer, Joan Wall and Roger Pines. Caldwell Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-877761-02-7.
  • Boldrey, Richard (1992). Singer's Edition: Operatic Arias – Soubrette. Robert Caldwell, Werner Singer, Joan Wall and Roger Pines. Caldwell Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-877761-03-4.
[edit]
  • Media related to Sopranos at Wikimedia Commons