Expert: Pamela Thomas - 11/20/2008

Question
Hi my name is nicole and im in grade 9.
At school in music we got to do a project on any instrument thats used classically.
I decided to do voice.

Ok i know what the voice types are but I have some questions about voice types...

#1 Does coloratura simply describe how one sings rather than timbre(coz a friend said that you cant get dramatic coloraturas but then Im confused because thats what Damrau is)

#2 LOL I know what this is but - Dramatic and Lyric - what are specific differences?

#3 THIS is probably my biggest most important question:

The Contralto Voice:
What defines it?
How are contraltos different from mezzo's?
Whats the usual Tessitura for a contralto?
WHy are there so few contraltos? Is it just a rare voice type or are contraltos being trained as mezzos?

Answer
Hi Nicole,

It great that you are doing your paper on voice.  Let me refer you to some good websites where you can get the info you need.

Operapedia is a good source of info - here's the site where they describe the difference voice types:  http://www.operapaedia.org/Reference.aspx?id=operaticvoices

Also Wikipedia is pretty good - but you need a second source since it's an open "pedia"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_type
That website also will give you information on voice types.

Here's another website that leads you to more research:
http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Vocal/Singers/Voice_Types/

This should give you all the information you need.  And to answer your contralto question.  Yes, they are rarer as a voice type - and many natural contraltos work to expand into the mezzo category - that's because there are not that many true contralto roles in opera.

Good luck!

Pamela