What is contralto? Definition

The singing voice is a musical instrument. As well as other types of instruments: plucked, stringed, wind, percussion - it has individual characteristics, according to which it can occupy a certain place in the classification.

For many centuries, there were many such gradations and a huge number of criteria for assessing votes. As in other areas of art, these classifications are rather arbitrary, and assessments are subjective. Yet - what is a contralto? This is a female singing voice, which has special properties.

Categorization of votes

Systems for classifying votes and their holders in the vocal art are numerous. Sometimes they are arranged according to their strength (loudness and duration of reproduction of one note), some due to its flexibility, mobility, clarity of sound, virtuosity. And for singers singing in the composition of the choir and performing solo parts, different designations of votes are used. For example, what is contralto from the point of view of choral or ensemble singing? It corresponds to voices or vocal parts, called alto.

The most common classification for the range of voice, directly depending on the gender of the singer. It first appeared in the 16th century. Since that time, the highest male voices match the lowest female voices. Access to church singing, - the most developed kind of vocal art, - had only men. Parties for high voices were performed either by boys or castrati, who in their childhood conducted an operation in order to maintain the height of their voice. Today such parties in operas are performed by singers who developed falsetto technique of singing. Such singers are called countertenors.

Female singing voices

To understand what a contralto is, it is easy, after hearing, the notes of what height sound confidently in the singer's sung vocal performance. Contralto has the lowest notes in the range, performed by a female singing voice: from a small octave fa to a second octave (salt). The height of the sound available for the contralto, measured instrumentally, gives figures from 150 to 650 Hz.

The highest in the range of women's singing voice is the soprano. The name comes from the Italian sopra - "over, over". The range of notes available for the holders of this voice is from a small octave to a third octave. Depending on other voice characteristics: timbre, register, mobility, etc., distinguish several categories adopted in opera and chamber vocal. This dramatic, lyrical, coloratura soprano and adjacent to them - lyric-dramatic, lyric-coloratura, as well as the highest and most mobile voice-a sonic-soprano-whistle. The average numerical expression for the height of such a timbre is 250-1046 Hz, the maximum for a coloratura soprano is 1400 Hz.

Mezzo-soprano (mezzo - "middle, half") - the average height of the female voice (220-880 Hz). Its operating range is from a small octave to a second octave. Allocate the same varieties as the above-described timbre, usually without intermediate steps.

What is contralto in music. Definition

Contralto is the lowest female voice song in the range of notes available for reproduction. A real contralto, which is distinguished by a particularly expressive and confident performance of notes in a low register is very rare. The full-blooded, thick and powerful sound of the notes of the small octave brings him closer to the male voices.

Long since aware of the value of such a singing heritage, understanding what contralto is in their voice, they found a correspondence among musical instruments, consonant with its velvety and sound color. It is believed that most fully this female voice corresponds to stringed bow - viola and cello.

Tessitura

The range in which the voice of the singer is able to reveal all the best qualities that is most comfortable for the vocalist is just the main content of the complex and specific characteristics of the voice, called tessitura.

Usually singers who have contralto do not have the same confidence in the whole range of sounds pertaining to this voice. The notes of the upper register often sound abruptly, especially in comparison with the lower ones. Here they merge with the mezzo-soprano, and the singer, who has such a voice characteristic, very often successfully perform contralto parts in operas.

Stars of the classic contralto

It is the special, unique, deep, powerful sound of the low sounds of the contralto band that is the main wealth of this voice. It was especially appreciated and appreciated by connoisseurs of vocal art. It was typical of the most famous singers, opera divas of the past: Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861-1936), Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953), Marian Anderson (1897-1993), Kore Antarova (1886-1959) and many others. Among today's singers, whose voice is recognized as a true contralto, Eva Podles, Lina Mkrtchan, Sarah Mingardo are most famous.

The uniqueness of such a voice has long been universally recognized. Therefore, even the classical repertoire contains not so many parties for it. And often they were written for boy characters. The most famous are Olga in Eugene Onegin, Vanya (Ivan Susanin by Glinka), Konchakovna from Borodino's Prince Igor, Angelina (Rossini's Cinderella), Ulrika (Verdi's "Masquerade"), Erda from "The Gold of the Rhine" "," Siegfried "(R. Wagner). The special emotional coloring of the contralto makes it characteristic of specific characters, often with light negative features, or strong, expressive, "Wagnerian" - sorceresses, witches, villains, etc.

Contralto non-academic repertoire

Many musicians, performers and teachers engaged in the theory of classical vocal art, strongly disagree with the situation when discussions about what contralto is in music are conducted with respect to singers who belong to the stars of the pop industry and jazz or perform rock compositions. They are sure that there is a huge fundamental difference in approaches, in the very methods of sound formation.

But there are those who treat this classification of popular voices calmly. These are real professionals who know what contralto is. Photos of women of the lowest female voice - in encyclopedias on the history of show business, they are filled with numerous glossy publications. These are truly outstanding personalities: Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Tina Turner, Cher, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Lana Del Rey, Olga Kormuhina and many others. At the same time, unusual "musicological" terms are used to characterize the contralto: sensual, hoarse, sexy and even smoky.

All of them: both performing classical music, and those who "from another opera" - inherent in the maximum use of those vocal data that they received from nature and developed by hard work.