What is Soprano?
[[File:Soprano C to F.svg|thumb|Soprano C to F]] A '''soprano''' is a female singer with a high voice. Young boys who sing, and also girls, are usually called '''[[treble (singer)|trebles]]'''. The word “soprano” can also refer to the top line of choir music. This would be sung by sopranos or trebles. Soprano is also used as a name for high pitched instruments, such as a [[saxophone|soprano saxophone]]. In [[opera]] there are different kinds of soprano voices: * A dramatic soprano will sing big, dramatic roles such as Aida in [[Verdi]]'s opera ''[[Aida]]''. * A coloratura soprano will have a light voice which can bounce up to very high notes (the Queen of the Night in [[Mozart]]’s ''[[Magic Flute]]'' goes up to top F (2 {{frac|1|2}} octaves above middle C). * A soubrette is usually the maid or a young girl who flirts. * A lyric soprano role needs a beautiful smooth voice, e.g. Mimi in [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini's]] ''[[La Boheme]]''. * A heavy dramatic soprano is needed in many of [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]'s operas, e.g. Isolde in ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]'' or Brunnhilde in ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]''. * In the [[17th century|17th]] and [[18th century|18th centuries]] many of the soprano roles were written for male sopranos. Called a [[castrato]], they were men who had their [[testicle]]s removed before [[puberty]] so that their voices would remain high pitched. ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Vocal ranges]] [[Category:Sopranos| ]]