Coloratura soprano
As a coloratura soprano is known in Classical Music a soprano voice with coloratura ability, that is a special mobility especially in the high register.
Within the coloratura times we distinguish the following gradations by size, weight, and timbre of the voice:
- 2.1 Famous lyric coloratura sopranos
- 2.2 Known roles for lyric coloratura soprano
- 3.1 Famous dramatic coloratura sopranos
- 3.2 Known roles for dramatic coloratura soprano
Koloratursoubrette or Light coloratura soprano
A very light, delicate, very agile voice with a very high range - from a- f3 and higher - that is able to sing fast coloratura. The timbre is very clear and bright and reminiscent of the sound of a flute. The term Soprano or Soprano Léger colorature is common in France, Soprano leggero di coloratura, di agilità in Italy. In Germany, the term " Light coloratura soprano " not yet able to enforce in agencies and theaters. Compartment overlaps with soubrette and coloratura sopranos are often lyrical. Depending on the color of voice and coloratura repertoire light sopranos in Germany are therefore treated as a soubrette coloratura sopranos or lyrical.
Famous Koloratursoubretten or slight coloratura sopranos
- Arleen Auger
- Kathleen Battle
- Erna Berger
- Harolyn Blackwell
- Laura Claycomb
- Toti Dal Monte
- Natalie Dessay
- Amelita Galli- Curci
- Ingeborg Hallstein
- Sumi Jo
- Mady Mesplé
- Roberta Peters
- Patricia Petibon
- Lily Pons
- Lucia Popp
- Mado Robin
- Anneliese Rothenberger
- Erna Sack
- Rita Streich
Known roles for Koloratursoubretten and light coloratura sopranos
- Léo Delibes Lakme: Lakme
- George Frideric Handel Alcina: Morgana
- Joseph Haydn 's Orfeo ed Euridice ( Haydn ): Genio
- György Ligeti 's Le Grand Macabre: Chef of Gepopo
- Jules Massenet, Cendrillon: The Fairy Godmother
- Giacomo Meyerbeer Dinorah ou Le Pardon de Ploërmel: Dinorah
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Abduction from the Seraglio: Blonde, also soubrette
- Jacques Offenbach, Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Olympia
- Maurice Ravel, L' Enfant et les Sortilèges: The Fire / The Princess / The Nightingale
- Aribert Reimann, Melusine: Melusine
- Nikolai Rimsky -Korsakov, The Golden Cockerel: Queen of Schemacha
- Johann Strauss (Son ), Die Fledermaus: Adele, also soubrette
- Igor Stravinsky, The Nightingale: Nightingale
- Ambroise Thomas, Mignon: Philina
- Richard Wagner, Siegfried: helleborine
Frequent song repertoire: Claude Debussy, Léo Delibes, Francis Poulenc, Aribert Reimann, Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf
Lyric coloratura soprano
A light, agile voice with a high range - from a- f3 - that is capable of rapid coloratura, a little heavier on the tessitura and generally sound as a light coloratura voice. In French they are called in Italian Soprano Soprano lyrique colorature lirico di coloratura. Compartment overlaps with Koloratursoubretten, light coloratura sopranos and lyric sopranos are possible, and some roles for dramatic coloratura soprano today lyrical coloratura sung by sopranos (eg, Lucia di Lammermoor, Violetta Valéry, Cleopatra ). Therefore, lyric coloratura sopranos are used in many ways and sometimes fachfremd.
Famous lyric coloratura sopranos
- Patrizia Ciofi
- Mary Costa
- Emma Shapplin
- Violetta Villas
- Nellie Melba
- Anna Moffo
- Antonina Neschdanowa
- Lina Pagliughi
- Adelina Patti
- Olga Peretyatko
- Roberta Peters
- Renata Scotto
- Luciana Serra
- Shin Youngok
- Beverly Sills
- Erna Spoorenberg
- Ruth Ann Swenson
- Luisa Tetrazzini
- Ruth Welting
Known roles for lyric coloratura soprano
- Vincenzo Bellini, I Puritani Elvira
- Vincenzo Bellini, La sonnambula: Amina
- Gaetano Donizetti, The Elixir of Love Adina
- Gaetano Donizetti, Viva la mamma Corilla Sartinecchi
- Gaetano Donizetti Linda di Chamounix: Linda
- Gaetano Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor: Lucia, even dramatic coloratura soprano
- Gaetano Donizetti, The Daughter of the Regiment Marie
- Charles Gounod, Roméo et Juliette: Juliette
- Georg Friedrich Handel, Orlando: Dorinda
- Jacques Fromental Halévy, The Jewess: Princess Eudoxia
- Joseph Haydn, The World on the Moon: Flaminia
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Idomeneo Ilia
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, La Finta Giardiniera: Sandrina
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, La finta semplice: Rosina
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Impresario: Mme silver tone, Mme heart
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Il re pastore: Elisa
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ascanio in Alba: Silvia
- Gioacchino Rossini, The Barber of Seville: Rosina ( originally written for coloratura mezzo-soprano, but often modified in the 20th century coloratura soprano role, ie the aria Rosina is a semitone transpose upward. )
- Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto: Gilda
- Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata Violetta Valéry, even dramatic coloratura soprano
Frequent song repertoire: Claude Debussy, Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf
Dramatic coloratura soprano
A heavy, powerful voice with a high range - from a -f3, but at the same time has the ability for agile coloratura. In Italian it is called a Soprano dramatico di coloratura, in French as Soprano dramatique colorature. It has a large, viable voice with penetrating power that can make dramatic highlights, but coped well fast coloratura. Dramatic coloratura sopranos are generally less likely than lighter coloratura voices. Trade lyric coloratura sopranos and overlaps with dramatic sopranos are possible.
Famous dramatic coloratura sopranos
- June Anderson
- Maria Callas
- Cristina Deutekom
- Rebeka Bobanj
- Violetta Villas
- Diana Damrau
- Mariella Devia
- Mandy Fredrich
- Edita Gruberova
- Simone Kermes
- Lilli Lehmann
- Caterina Mancini
- Nelly Miricioiu
- Edda Moser
- Lillian Nordica
- Rosa Ponselle
- Rita Shane
- Joan Sutherland
- Josepha Weber
- Virginia Zeani
Known roles for dramatic coloratura soprano
- Alban Berg, Lulu ( opera ): Lulu
- Gaetano Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor: Lucia
- Gaetano Donizetti, Maria Stuarda: Maria Stuarda
- Gaetano Donizetti, Anna Bolena: Anna Bolena
- George Frideric Handel, Giulio Cesare: Cleopatra
- WA Mozart, The Magic Flute: Queen of the Night
- WA Mozart, The Abduction from the Seraglio: Konstanze
- W. A. Mozart, La Clemenza di Tito: Vitellia
- W. A. Mozart, Così fan tutte: Fiordiligi
- Otto Nicolai, The Merry Wives of Windsor: Mistress Ford
- Giuseppe Verdi, Nabucco: Abigail
- Giuseppe Verdi, Il Trovatore Leonora
- Giuseppe Verdi, Luisa Miller: Luisa Miller
- Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata Violetta Valéry
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann, The soldiers: Marie
Frequent song repertoire: Vincenzo Bellini, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Rihm, Max Reger, Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf, Giuseppe Verdi