Contralto

A contralto (Italian pronunciation: [konˈtralto]) is a classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice types.^[1]

The contralto voice type is fairly rare. A contralto's range is similar to that of a mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor – typically from the F below middle C (F₃ in scientific pitch notation) to the second F above middle C (F₅), although, at the extremes, some voices can reach the D below middle C (D₃)^[2] or the second B♭ above middle C (B♭₅).^[1] The contralto voice type includes coloratura, lyric, and dramatic contraltos.

"Contralto" is primarily meaningful only in reference to classical and operatic singing, as other traditions lack a comparable system of vocal categorization. The term "contralto" is only applied to female singers; men singing in a similar range are called "countertenors".^[3] The Italian terms "contralto" and "alto" are not synonymous, "alto" technically denoting a specific vocal range in choral singing without regard to factors like tessitura, vocal timbre, vocal facility, and vocal weight.^[4] However, there exists some French choral writing (including that of Ravel and Poulenc) with a part labelled "contralto", despite the tessitura and function being that of a classical alto part. The Saracen princess Clorinde in André Campra's 1702 opera Tancrède was written for Julie d'Aubigny and is considered the earliest major role for bas-dessus or contralto voice.^[5]

The contralto has the lowest vocal range of the female voice types, with the lowest tessitura;^[3][6] it is between tenor and mezzo-soprano.

Although tenors, baritones, and basses are male singers, some women can sing as low (albeit with a slightly different timbre and texture) as their male counterparts. Some of the rare female singers who specialized in the tenor and baritone registers include film actress Zarah Leander,^[7][8] the Iranian āvāz singer Hayedeh,^[9] the child prodigy Ruby Helder (1890–1938),^[10] and Bavarian novelty singer Bally Prell.^[11][12] The Guinness World Record for lowest note by a female is D₂, by Helen Leahey.

Within the contralto voice type category are three generally recognized subcategories: coloratura contralto, an agile voice specializing in florid passages; lyric contralto, a voice lighter in timbre; and dramatic contralto, a deep, dark, and bold contralto voice.

The coloratura contralto was a favorite voice type of Rossini's. Many of his roles listed below were written with this type of voice in mind. Lyric contraltos are heavily utilized in both the French and English operatic repertoire. Many of the Gilbert and Sullivan contralto roles are best suited with a lyric contralto voice. Ma Moss in The Tender Land is a notable lyric contralto role. The dramatic contralto voice is heard in much of the German operatic repertoire. Erda in Der Ring des Nibelungen and Gaea in Daphne are both good examples of the dramatic contralto.

True operatic contraltos are rare, and the operatic literature contains few roles written specifically for them with most of those roles singing notes outside of their defined range. Contraltos sometimes are assigned feminine roles like Teodata in Flavio, Angelina in La Cenerentola, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Isabella in L'italiana in Algeri, and Olga in Eugene Onegin, but more frequently they play female villains or trouser roles. Contraltos may also be cast in roles originally written for castrati. A common saying among contraltos is that they may play only "witches, bitches, or britches."^[16]

Examples of contralto roles in the standard operatic repertoire include the following:^[16]

^* indicates a role that may also be sung by a mezzo-soprano.

• Category of contraltos
• Fach, the German system for classifying voices
• List of contraltos in non-classical music
• List of operatic contraltos
• Voice classification in non-classical music

• Coffin, Berton (1960). Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol. 1. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8108-0188-2. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
• Peckham, Anne (2005). Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer. Berklee Press. ISBN 978-0-87639-047-4.
• Smith, Brenda (2005). Choral Pedagogy. Plural Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59756-043-6.

• Media related to Contraltos at Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition of Contralto at Wiktionary