Expert: David Froom - 9/7/2004

Question
hi,

I wanted to know if you some info about a singer Cecilia Bartoli, if you knew her vocal range. The media said that she has a 3 1/2 octave range. The lowest i have ever heard her sing is a G3, and the highest is a C6# in "La Seccha Rapida" one of Salieri arias. I wasnt for sure.  

Answer
Well, anyone can say they have a 3.5 octave range (remember, this comes from the media, which got it from her PR).  How much of that is really usable is another question.  I do not think you'll find her singing alto roles, though she hay have the notes in one form or another.  Most decent sopranos these days, if they are in good shape, can get the Eb or E or F that is 2.5 octaves above middle C.  Some can, on a good day, get a bit higher than that.  Most sopranos are expected to get the A below middle C, and those with a good solid low range can get an F or an E below that.  

So if CB can sing an E below middle C first thing in the morning, and, on a good day can sing a G three-octaves-and-a-m3 above that, someone could call that a 3.5 octave range.  If it is a low Eb and a high A, that's exactly 3.5.  

I expect that people like her voice not because of the range (which a surprisingly large number of people can match), but because of her tone quality, control, musicality, and dramatic abilities.

That's the long way of saying that I really don't know the answer to your question, but that I think it really contributes little to the discussion about her qualities as a singer.
David Froom