A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music female singing human voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto . The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz).
History
While mezzo-sopranos typically sing secondary roles in operas, notable exceptions include the title role in
Georges Bizet's
Carmen, Angelina (
Cinderella) in Rossini's
La Cenerentola, and Rosina in Rossini's
Barber of Seville (all of which are also sung by sopranos and contraltos). Many 19th-century French-language operas give the leading female role to mezzos, including
Béatrice et Bénédict,
La damnation de Faust,
Don Quichotte,
La favorite,
Dom Sébastien,
Charles VI,
Mignon,
Samson et Dalila,
Les Troyens, and
Werther, as well as
Carmen.
Typical roles for mezzo-sopranos include the stereotypical triad associated with contraltos of "witches, bitches, and britches": witches, nurses, and wise women, such as Azucena in Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore; villains and seductresses such as Amneris in Verdi's Aida; and "" or "trouser roles" (male characters played by female singers) such as Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Mezzo-sopranos are well represented in baroque music, early music, and baroque opera.
Vocal range
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The
vocal range of the mezzo-sopranos lies between the
soprano and the
contralto . Mezzo-sopranos generally have a heavier, darker tone than sopranos. The mezzo-soprano voice resonates in a higher range than that of a contralto. The terms
Dugazon and
Galli-Marié are sometimes used to refer to light mezzo-sopranos, after the names of famous singers. Usually men singing within the female range are called
since there is a lighter more breathy tonal (falsetto) quality difference.
In current operatic practice, female singers with very low
are often included among mezzo-sopranos, because singers in both ranges are able to cover the other, and true operatic contraltos are very rare.
Subtypes and roles in opera
Within the mezzo-soprano voice type category are three generally recognized subcategories: coloratura mezzo-soprano, lyric mezzo-soprano, and dramatic mezzo-soprano.
Coloratura
A coloratura mezzo-soprano has a warm lower register and an agile high register. The roles they sing often demand not only the use of the lower register but also leaps into the upper tessitura with highly ornamented, rapid passages. They have a range from approximately the G below middle C (G
3, 196 Hz) to the B two octaves above middle C (B
5, 988 Hz). Some coloratura mezzo-sopranos can sing up to high C (C
6, 1047 Hz) or high D (D
6, 1175 Hz), but this is very rare.
What distinguishes these voices from being called sopranos is their extension into the lower register and warmer vocal quality. Although coloratura mezzo-sopranos have impressive and at times thrilling high notes, they are most comfortable singing in the middle of their range, rather than the top.
Many of the hero roles in the operas of Handel and Monteverdi, originally sung by male castrati, can be successfully sung today by coloratura mezzo-sopranos. Rossini demanded similar qualities for his comic heroines, and Antonio Vivaldi wrote roles frequently for this voice as well. Coloratura mezzo-sopranos also often sing lyric-mezzo-soprano roles or soubrette roles.
Coloratura mezzo-soprano roles in operas ( * denotes a lead role):
Lyric
The lyric mezzo-soprano has a range from approximately the G note below middle C (G
3, 196 Hz) to the A two octaves above middle C (A
5, 880 Hz).
This voice has a very smooth, sensitive and at times lachrymose quality. Lyric mezzo-sopranos do not have the vocal agility of the coloratura mezzo-soprano or the size of the dramatic mezzo-soprano. The lyric mezzo-soprano is ideal for most
.
Lyric mezzo-soprano roles in operas ( * denotes a lead role):
Dramatic
A dramatic mezzo-soprano has a strong medium register, a warm high register and a voice that is broader and more powerful than the lyric and coloratura mezzo-sopranos. This voice has less vocal facility than the coloratura mezzo-soprano. The range of the dramatic mezzo-soprano is from approximately the F below middle C (F
3, 175 Hz) to the G two octaves above middle C (G
5, 784 Hz).
The dramatic mezzo-soprano can sing over an orchestra and chorus with ease and was often used in the 19th century opera, to portray older women, mothers, witches and evil characters. Verdi wrote many roles for this voice in the Italian repertoire and there are also a few good roles in the French Literature. The majority of these roles, however, are within the German Romantic repertoire of composers like
Richard Wagner and
Richard Strauss. Like coloratura mezzos, dramatic mezzos are also often cast in lyric mezzo-soprano roles.
Dramatic mezzo-soprano roles in operas ( * denotes a lead role):
Gilbert and Sullivan and operetta
All of Gilbert and Sullivan's
have at least one mezzo-soprano character. Notable
operetta roles are:
-
The Lady Angela, Patience (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Cousin Hebe, H.M.S. Pinafore (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Edith, The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Iolanthe, Iolanthe (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Mad Margaret, Ruddigore (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Melissa, Princess Ida (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Pitti-Sing, The Mikado (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Phoebe Meryll, The Yeomen of the Guard (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
The Lady Saphir, Patience (Gilbert and Sullivan)
-
Tessa, The Gondoliers (Gilbert and Sullivan)
See also
-
Category of mezzo-sopranos
-
Fach, the German system for classifying voices
-
Voice classification in non-classical music
-
List of mezzo-sopranos in non-classical music
Further reading
External links
