Voice types | Operavision (2024)

Puccini wrote some of the most well-known arias for soprano. You can hear 'O mio babbino caro' fromGianni Schicchiand 'Sola, perduta, abbandonata' fromManon Lescautsung byAsmik Grigorian.

Patricia Petibon is a famous coloratura soprano, and she sings the Queen of the Night's aria 'Der Hölle Rache kocht im meinen Herzen'like no other.

Mezzo-soprano(meaning ‘half-soprano’):it is the voice that stands between the soprano and the contralto. The mezzo voice is very similar in extension to that of the soprano: from the A2 below the middle C to A5 (just two notes below the soprano), but has a darker timbre. Mezzos are usually given secondary roles in the opera with a few exceptions (Bizet’s Carmen is a mezzo).

Here you can find Elina Garanca, one of the most acclaimed mezzos, performing the Habanerafrom theCarmen.

Contralto: this is the lowest female voice, ranging from F3 below the central C to F5. It is exceedingly rare, and often contralto roles are given to mezzos with dark tones. There is a saying in opera that contraltos play ʽbritches (trousers), witches and bitchesʼ, meaning that they are given masculine, evil or prostitute roles.

Natalia Stutzmann is a rare example of contralto and is also a music conductor. This is her recording the Handel aria 'L'aure che spira' fromGiulio Cesare.

Here is an extract of Handel's 'Furibondo spira il vento', from the opera Partenope, sung by acclaimed countertenor Philippe Jaroussky.

Oftentimes in current operatic productions, countertenors are called in to fill in the roles once designed for the castrato. Castrati were singers with an unbroken voice obtained by castration before the age of puberty. The castrati preserved their childlike pitch while benefiting from the more ample volume produced by an adult’s lungs. The virtuosity, range and incomparable power of their voices were very popular in Italian operas of the 17th and 18th centuries. However, castrati had a different voice range (usually higher) and a very different timbre.

Tenor: this is the second highest male voice after countertenor. The name comes from the latin verb tenere which means ʽto holdʼ as they used to be the voices sustaining the melody, and indeed they are generally the heroes of the opera. Their range covers C3–C5.

Puccini's 'Nessun dorma' (fromTurandot) and 'E lucevan le stelle" (fromTosca) are two very famous arias for tenor, here sung byMurat Karahan.

Baritone: this type of voice lies between the tenor and the bass. It is the most common type of male voice. The baritone emerged as a separate voice type from the bass-baritone in the late 18th century and is a very versatile voice, portraying heroes but, also moreoften than not, villains. Their range goes from A2 to A4.

Rossini's Figaro is a baritone. You will surely recognise the melody of'Largo al factotum' from theBarber of Seville,here sung by Pietro Spagnoli.

Bass: this is the lowest human vocal range, spanning from E2 to E4. The bass is often associated with roles of wise men, older men, and sometimes funny characters.