Dramatic soprano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A dramatic soprano is an operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained fuller sound. Usually (but not always) this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. Used for heroic, tragic women of opera. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6).[1]Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (over eighty pieces). These voices are substantial and very powerful and even throughout the registers. Wagnerian sopranos usually play mythic heroines.[2] Successful Wagnerian sopranos are rare and often Wagnerian roles are performed by regular dramatic sopranos as Wagnerian sopranos can be scarce.[3]
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[edit] Dramatic soprano singers
[edit] Dramatic roles[4]
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[edit] Wagnerian soprano singers
[edit] Wagnerian soprano roles[5]
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[edit] Listen and Compare
- To hear an example of a Dramatic soprano (Jessye Norman in title role of Ariadne auf Naxos) click on this link: Watch here
- To hear an example of a Wagnerian soprano (Birgit Nilsson as Isolde in Tristan und Isolde) click on this link: Watch here
[edit] References
- ^ Coffin (1960), cited below
- ^ Soprano
- ^ Coffin
- ^ Boldrey (1994),Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below
- ^ Boldrey (1994),Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias, cited below
[edit] Further reading
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.
