Contralto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Voice Type (ranges) |
Female voices
Male voices Related concepts |
In music, a contralto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice. A typical contralto will have a range from around the F below middle C to the E a tenth above middle C (i.e. F3-E5); at the bottom of their range, contraltos sound almost like tenors. Some contraltos have even larger ranges; from the C below middle C to the C two octaves above (C3-C6 if middle C is C4). It is extremely rare though for contraltos to go below a D3 or above a B6.[1] This term is not synonymous with the term alto which designates a specific part within choral music and is not a voice type.[2] For information regarding non-classical singers see Voice classification in non-classical music.
Although both men and women may have voices in the contralto range, the word is always used in the context of a female singer. Men singing in the contralto, mezzo-soprano, or soprano range are called countertenors.[3]
Contraltos are fairly rare in opera, since there is very little work that was written specifically for them. Most of the time, contralto roles are limited to maids, mothers and grandmothers, but they do occasionally get notable roles, with witches being the most common outside of the three former roles (A common saying among contraltos is that they're only allowed to play "witches, bitches, or britches").[4]
- To hear an example of a Contralto (Ewa Podleś in the role of La Cieca from La Gioconda) click on this link:
Contents |
[edit] Contralto roles in operas[5]
The following is a list of examples of contralto roles in the standard operatic repertoire. Technically, "alto" is only a separate category in choral music where it refers simply to the vocal range. In current operatic practice, female singers with very low tessituras are included among mezzo-sopranos, because singers in both ranges are able to cover the other, and true operatic contraltos are very rare.
|
|
[edit] Famous Contraltos
Classical and operatic contraltos are singers who have regularly performed unamplified classical or operatic music in concert halls and/or opera houses. This is a list of the most famous of all historic and contemporary contraltos:
[edit] See also
- Alto
- Voice classification in non-classical music
- List of contemporary and crossover contraltos
- Voice type
- Vocal weight
- Fach
- Opera
[edit] External links
- Collection of public domain scores (U of Indiana)
- Smaller collection of public domain scores (Harvard)
- Aria database
[edit] References
- ^ Boldrey, Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below
- ^ Stark (2003),Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy, cited below
- ^ Appelman, The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application
- ^ Boldrey (1994), Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below
- ^ Boldrey (1994), Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below
[edit] Further reading
Appelman, D. Ralph (1986). The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application. Indiana University Press. ISBN 13: 978-0253203786.
Boldrey, Richard (1994). Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Caldwell Publishing Company. ISBN 13: 9781877761645.
Coffin, Berton (1960). Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.. ISBN 13: 9780810801882.
Peckham, Anne (2005). Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer. Berklee Press Publications. ISBN 13: 978-0876390474.
Smith, Brenda (2005). Choral Pedagogy. Plural Publishing, Inc. ISBN 13: 978-1597560436.
Stark, James (2003). Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 13: 978-0802086143. cs:Alt de:Alt (Stimmlage) et:Alt es:Alto eo:Aldo (kantvoĉo) fr:Alto (voix) hu:Alt ms:Alto nl:Alt (zangstem) ja:アルト pl:Alt (muzyka) pt:Alto (voz) simple:Alto sl:Alt sh:Alti fi:Altto sv:Alt uk:Альт (голос) zh:女低音
