A Quick Guide to Important Opera Terms
What is a voice type? It is a classification system that defines qualities such as vocal range used to determine which roles or songs would be a good fit for a singer.
What is a vocal range? It is all the musical notes a singerâs voice can sing spanning from their highest to lowest.
Let’s look at some examples of the various operatic voice types!
Soprano: highest female voice type – young boys may also fall into this category
Example: Musetta’s aria “Quando m’en vo” in La bohème
Mezzo-Soprano: middle range female voice type
Example: Rosina’s aria “Una voce poco fa” in The Barber of Seville
Contralto: lowest female voice type
Example: Famous contralto Marian Anderson performing “Didn’t It Rain” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”
Countertenor: highest male voice (also falls in the female range)
Example: Tolomeo’s aria “L’empio, sleale, indegno” from Julius Caesar
Tenor: the next highest male voice
Example: Rodolfo’s aria “Che gelida manina” from La bohème
Baritone: middle male voice type
Example: Figaro’s aria “Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville
Bass: lowest male voice type
Example: Colline’s aria “Vecchia zimarra, senti” from La bohème
Common Terms
Click on the term to view an example!
Aria: A solo song in an opera or operetta (all of the above examples are arias)
Coloratura: Vocal writing that shows off a singerâs agility through many fast and complicated passages.
Duet: A song performed by two musicians.
Ornaments: The embellishment of a melody, either by adding notes or by modifying rhythms.
Overture: The orchestral prelude at the beginning of the opera, sometimes introducing musical themes to be heard later in the performance.
Patter Song: A fast aria with many words, usually funny and difficult to sing.
Tempo: The speed or pace of music.
Recitative: A free-style declaration usually âsung-spokenâ as an introduction to an aria or chorus that moves the story forward.
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