A dramatic soprano is a type of
operatic
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker
vocal folds in dramatic voices usually (but not always) mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained, fuller sound. Usually this voice has a lower
tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker
timbre. They are often used for
heroic, often long-
suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, may be an experience of unpleasantness or aversion, possibly associated with the perception of harm or threat of harm in an individual. Suffering is the basic element that makes up the negative valence of a ...
,
tragic women of opera. Dramatic sopranos have a
range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
from approximately low A (
A3) to "high C" (C
6).
[Coffin (1960) ] Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos, have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (of more than 80 or even 100 pieces). These voices are substantial, often denser in tone, extremely powerful and, ideally, evenly balanced throughout the
vocal registers.
Wagnerian
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
sopranos usually play mythic heroines. Successful Wagnerian sopranos are rare and often Wagnerian roles are performed by Italianate dramatic sopranos.
Dramatic roles
The following dramatic roles are for dramatic sopranos:
[Boldrey (1994) ]
Wagnerian soprano roles
The following Wagnerian soprano roles are for dramatic sopranos:
* Brünnhilde, ''
Die Walküre'', ''
Siegfried
Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace".
The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...
'', ''
Götterdämmerung'' (
Wagner)
* Elektra, ''
Elektra'' (
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
)
* Isolde, ''
Tristan und Isolde'' (Wagner)
* The Wife, ''
Die Frau ohne Schatten'' (Richard Strauss)
* Senta, ''
Der fliegende Holländer'' (Wagner)
* Kundry, ''
Parsifal'' (Wagner)
* Ortrud, ''
Lohengrin'' (Wagner)
See also
*
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills.
The term '' coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component o ...
*
Lyric soprano
*
Soubrette
*
Spinto soprano
A spinto soprano (also lirico-spinto, spinto lyric soprano, or pushed lyric) is a type of operatic soprano voice that has the limpidity and easy high notes of a lyric soprano, yet can be "pushed" on to achieve dramatic climaxes without strain. This ...
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
{{Range (music)
Voice types
Opera terminology
Dramatic Sopranos
fr:Soprano#Soprano dramatique