Dramatic coloratura soprano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message.
This article has been tagged since February 2007.

One of the rarest voice categories, dramatic coloratura sopranos literally are a breed apart. Their singing is characterized by the ability to sing with agility while utilizing a dramatic soprano voice, with the all volume and power that entails. Given the structure of the human vocal chords, it is an anomaly that the thick vocal folds necessary to produce dramatic tones should also be capable of agility, since by their nature, that thickness should mitigate against coloratura ability. In rare singers, those two attributes come together.

– Michael Delos, Voice instructor

A flexible voice with an extended upper range, a noble lyric line, and capable of dramatic outbursts. This is a very special Fach and one which is not easily understood by Americans. The ability to sing coloratura passages is important, as it is with the Koloratursoubrette, but the voice must have the beautiful line of the Lyrischer Sopran as well as being capable of dramatic outbursts. Typical roles include Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Violetta in La Traviata and Kostanza in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. The role of the Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte is a specialty role and is not necessarily sung by all singers of this Fach. This voice is also usually asked to sing the Italian roles which include heavier music for the coloratura voice. The type of character portrayed is often a loftier figure than that presented by the Lyrischer Sopran or the Soubrette. It is possible for a singer of the Dramatischer Koloratur Fach to move into the true Lyrischer Sopran Fach later in her career if her vocal and physical size permit it.

– Bard Suverkrop