- This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type.
In music, a
contralto is a classical 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. The typical contralto range lies between the G below middle C (G3) to two Gs above middle C (G5). In the lower and upper extremes, some contralto voices can sing from the E below middle C (E3) to two Bs above middle C (B5). The contralto voice has the lowest
tessitura of the female voices and is noted for its rich and deep vocal
timbre. It should be noted that in current operatic practice, female singers with very low tessituras are often included among mezzo-sopranos, because singers in both ranges are able to cover the other, and true operatic contraltos are very rare.
The term contralto is not synonymous with the term alto which designates a specific part within choral music and is not a voice type. Technically, "alto" is only a separate category in choral music where it refers simply to the vocal range and does not consider factors like vocal tessitura, vocal timbre, vocal facility, and vocal weight. For information regarding non-classical singers see Voice classification in non-classical music.
Although both men and women may have voices in the contralto vocal 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.
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, often playing female villains such as witches or playing male figures that were originally intended to be performed by castrato singers. "A common saying among contraltos is that they're only allowed to play 'witches', 'bitches', or 'britches'."
To hear an example of a contralto (Ewa Podleś in the role of La Cieca from La Gioconda) click on this link
Contralto roles in operas
The following is a list of examples of contralto roles in the standard operatic repertoire.
- Auntie, landlady of The Boar, Peter Grimes (Britten) @
- Azucena, Il Trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi) @
- The Baroness, Vanessa (Barber)
- La Cieca, La Gioconda (Ponchielli)
- Erda, Das Rheingold, Siegfried (Wagner)
- Katisha, The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan)
- Klytemnestra, Elektra (Richard Strauss)@
- Maddalena, Rigoletto (Verdi)@
- Mama Lucia, Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)
- Malcolm, La donna del lago (Gioachino Rossini)@
- Mary, Der fliegende Holländer (Wagner)
- Olga, Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky)@
@-Indicates a role that may also be sung by a mezzo-soprano.
Famous contraltos
Classical and operatic contraltos are singers who have regularly performed unamplified classical or operatic music in concert halls and/or opera houses. Some of the most famous of all historic and contemporary contraltos include:
See also
References
Further reading
- Appelman, D. Ralph (1986). The Science of Vocal Pedagogy: Theory and Application. Indiana University Press.
- Boldrey, Richard (1994). Guide to Operatic Roles and Arias. Caldwell Publishing Company.
- Coffin, Berton (1960). Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc..
- Peckham, Anne (2005). Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer. Berklee Press Publications.
- Smith, Brenda (2005). Choral Pedagogy. Plural Publishing, Inc.
- Stark, James (2003). Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy. University of Toronto Press.
