Mezzo-soprano voice range. Modern singers

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In musical terminology, the Italian word mezzo is very common, and in our language it is translated as “half, middle or middle”, that is, something that is between something and something.

Central voice - central registers

In this particular case it will be between a contr alto and a soprano. These are all female singing voices. The voice in the middle is called mezzo-soprano. The high female voice is simply called soprano, and the low one is called alto. Each of the voices is divided into lyrical (upper) and dramatic (lower). It is often difficult to distinguish a soprano from a lyric mezzo-soprano, and a dramatic soprano from an alto, there is also a coloratura mezzo-soprano. Specialists are familiar with the nuances that most often depend on singing schools. Russian vocal teachers consider the mezzo-soprano the most difficult voice to produce, but also the richest in shades of sound. Foreign schools consider the tenor to be the most difficult voice. Since the female singing voice of the mezzo-soprano is in the middle, it acquires the fullness of the sound in the middle register, its mainthe range is a small-second octave, from "la" to "la". The division by gender and range is considered the main one, although there are many systems for qualifying the voice and manner of performance. His strength, virtuosity, mobility and distinctness are taken into account. Men's voices are divided into tenors, baritones and basses.

Domestic Stars

Mezzo-soprano is characterized by softness, volume and saturation. The Russian singing school, one of the best in the world, is rich in national traditions, brilliant performers, and a huge number of unsurpassed opera parts for each voice. Russian mezzo-soprano singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought world fame to Russia. A. Nezhdanova, N. Zabela-Vrubel, U. Tsvetkova, V. Petrov-Zvantseva are the pride of Russian vocals. The 20th century is rich in the names of singers who possess precisely the mezzo-soprano. These include Irina Arkhipova and Zara Dolukhanova, Tamara Sinyavskaya and Nadezhda Obukhova, Elena Obraztsova and Lyubov Kazarnovskaya. Belonged to the mezzo-soprano and the voice of Lyudmila Zykina.

Singer bands

Unfortunately, in different sources, the voices of some singers are attributed to different ranges. Maybe it's because they can sing different parts. So, for example, Lyubov Kazarnovskaya, who has a magnificent soprano, performs the part of Carmen (this part was originally agreed for soprano, mezzo-soprano and contr alto) and is considered the best performer of this role. This happens because the range of voice that the actress possesses allows singing parts that are uncharacteristic for the voice. The voice of any ordinary person coversone and a half octaves, the singer must take at least a little more than two, and female singing voices often capture about three octaves. The world knows phenomenal voices. Yma Sumac is one of those singers. The possibilities of her voice are still being argued - fans claim that she could do five octaves, including the mezzo-soprano parts. Yma Sumac's range was incredibly wide.

World famous opera soloists

Modern Russian soloists with a specific mezzo-soprano include Elena Obraztsova and Larisa Dyadkova, who sing at the Mariinsky Theatre. In addition to domestic opera divas, the following mezzo-soprano stars are known to the world: Greek singer Agnes B altsa, kammersenger (chamber singer, special honorary title) of the Vienna State Opera; Grammy Award winner, soloist of the Zurich Opera and La Scala Italian singer Cicilia Bartoli. The Swedish mezzo-sopranos are Anna Sophie von Otter and Malena Ernman. American opera divas are very popular - Frederica von Stade, Joyce di Donato and Susan Graham. Also noteworthy are Elina Garancha from Latvia, Vesselina Kazarova from Bulgaria, Angelika Kirschlager from Austria and W altrud Mayer from Germany.

The best of the best

All of the above singers are stars of the first magnitude in the opera firmament.

There are many lists listing world stars, they are all compiled according to a certain criterion - either theater soloists, or our contemporaries, But here is a list of mezzo-soprano singers of all times and peoples:

• ElenaObraztsova - People's Artist of the USSR.
• Nadezhda Obukhova - Honored Artist of the RSFSR, People's Artist of the RSFSR.
• Simone Simons - vocalist of Epica.
• Tarja Turunen is a Finnish opera and heavy metal singer.
• Tamara Sinyavskaya - People's Artist of the USSR.

Famous parties

Always all composers wrote parts for this amazing voice - mezzo-soprano. These are such classical arias as the countess from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's opera The Queen of Spades, his own Laura in Iolanthe and Olga in Eugene Onegin. Giuseppe Verdi in several of his immortal works wrote such parts as Eboli in the opera Don Carlos, Amneris in Aida, Finena in Nabuco and Azucena in Il trovatore - Verdi loved this voice. Gaetano Donizetti, in his famous opera Lucia de Lammermoor, wrote the part of Alice for mezzo-soprano. Dalila sings in the same voice in Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saens, Cinderella in the opera of the same name and Rosina in The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini, Carmen in the opera of the same name by Georges Bizet, Clytemnestra in Richard Strauss's Elektra. Mozart in Le nozze di Figaro has the parts of Marcellina and Cherubino – mezzo-soprano. In Wagner and Massenet in Der Ring des Nibelungen and Werther, respectively, the main female parts are written for this voice. Russian famous composers - A. S. Dargomyzhsky in "The Stone Guest" Laura, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov in "The Tsar's Bride" Lyubasha, M. P. Mussorgsky in "Boris Godunov" Marina Mnishek - they all sing mezzo -soprano. Singers perform modern roles in musicals withgreat pleasure, because they very quickly bring world fame. There are parts for mezzo-soprano in "Cats", "Chicago", "The Sound of Music" and many, many others. Parts for this voice are also present in the operettas of Johann Strauss, Imre Kalman and Jacques Offenbach.

Talented youth

It should be noted young talented singers. The beautiful Nino Surguladze has an amazing mezzo-soprano and an extraordinary acting talent. Soloist of the Novaya Opera, winner of several competitions, Yulia Minibayeva, performs all the parts with brilliance on the stage of this surprisingly popular Moscow theater. Anna Sinitsina, also a soloist of the Novaya Opera, has an amazing, enveloping mezzo-soprano and superbly performs the part of Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro and Siebel's couplets from Faust.

This theater has a lot of young talented singers, and it regularly hosts concerts called "Mezzo-soprano on the stage of the New Opera". Elena Semyakova and Olga De can be attributed to talented domestic singers. Quite recently, a young American singer, Grammy nominee, owner of a beautiful mezzo-soprano Kirsten Gunlogston performed in Russia. She performed with the Omsk Symphony Orchestra at the closing of its season.

Carmen's part as a test of the singer's skills

In the end, one of the most iconic opera parts for this voice should be noted - the incomparable Carmen. The opera itself is the culmination of Georges Bizet's work. Party Carmenany opera singer dreams of performing. This role becomes the appreciation of creativity. Starting with the first performer, Celestine Galli-Marie, all subsequent performers after the opera Carmen gained world fame. Many works were dedicated to the opera itself and its heroine - she shocked poets and artists. Alexander Blok wrote the following lines: "… and blood rushes to the cheeks, and tears of happiness choke the chest before the appearance of Carmencita …" The poet was inspired by one of the most beautiful performers of the party Carmen, the star of St. Petersburg during the Blok, the idol of youth, singer Lyubov Alexandrovna Andreeva-Delmas, owner of a pure beautiful mezzo-soprano.