AboutPamela Thomas Expertise Questions on Opera performance, repertoire, vocal technique, acting for opera. I have some 20 years experience in opera in both leading roles and chorus. I have sung with New York City Opera since 1981. I have studied voice in NYC for over 20 years and have also taught technique and coached singers in acting.
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.
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.
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.
