This article is about the melody. For the Coldplay song, see Coloratura (song).
Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material,[1][2] or a passage of such music. Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, and singers of these roles, are also called coloratura.[3] Its instrumental equivalent is ornamentation.
The term coloratura was first defined in several early non-Italian music dictionaries: Michael Praetorius's Syntagma musicum (1618); Sébastien de Brossard's Dictionaire de musique (1703); and Johann Gottfried Walther's Musicalisches Lexicon (1732). In these early texts "the term is dealt with briefly and always with reference to Italian usage".[4]
cadenza: "runs which are not so exactly bound to the bar, but which often extend two, three or more bars further [and] should be made only at chief closes" (Von der Singe-Kunst, oder Maniera, c. 1649)
diminution: "when an interval is altered through several shorter notes, so that, instead of one long note, a number of shorter ones rush to the next note through all kinds of progressions by step or leap" (Tractatus compositionis, c. 1657)
The term was never used in the most famous Italian texts on singing: Giulio Caccini's Le Nuove musiche (1601/2); Pier Francesco Tosi's, Opinioni de' cantori antichi e moderni (1723); Giovanni Battista Mancini's Pensieri, e riflessioni pratiche sopra il canto figurato (1774); Manuel García's Mémoire sur la voix humaine (1841), and Traité complet de l’art du chant (1840–47); nor was it used by the English authors Charles Burney (1726–1814) and Henry Fothergill Chorley (1808–1872), both of whom wrote at length about Italian singing of a period when ornamentation was essential.[4]
Modern usage
The term coloratura is most commonly applied to the elaborate and florid figuration or ornamentation in classical (late 18th century) and romantic (19th century, specifically bel canto) vocal music. However, early music of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, and in particular, baroque music extending up to about 1750, includes a substantial body of music for which coloratura technique is required by vocalists and instrumentalists alike. In the modern musicological sense the term is therefore used to refer to florid music from all periods of music history, both vocal and instrumental.[4] For example, in Germany the term coloratura (German: Koloratur) has been applied to the stereotypical and formulaic ornamentation used in 16th‑century keyboard music written by a group of German organ composers referred to as the "colorists" (German: Koloristen).[2]
Despite its derivation from Latin colorare ("to color"), the term does not apply to the practice of "coloring" the voice, i.e. altering the quality or timbre of the voice for expressive purposes (for example, the technique of voix sombrée used by Gilbert Duprez in the 1830s).[4]
Vocal ranges
The term is not restricted to describing any one range of voice. All female and male voice types may achieve mastery of coloratura technique. There are coloratura parts for all voice types in different musical genres.[3]
Nevertheless, the term coloratura, when used without further qualification, normally means soprano di coloratura. A coloratura soprano role, most famously typified by the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute,[5] has a high range and requires the singer to execute with great facility elaborate ornamentation and embellishment, including running passages, staccati, and trills. A coloratura soprano has the vocal ability to produce notes above high C (C6) and possesses a tessitura ranging from A4 to A5 or higher (unlike lower sopranos whose tessitura is G4–G5 or lower).[citation needed]
An example of a coloratura passage from a soprano role. It includes a more difficult variant (top stave) with a leap to a high D (D6). Final cadenza from the Valse in Ophélie's Mad Scene (Act IV) from the opera Hamlet (1868) by Ambroise Thomas (piano-vocal score, p. 292).
Richard Miller names two types of soprano coloratura voices (the coloratura and the dramatic coloratura)[6] as well as a mezzo-soprano coloratura voice,[7] and although he does not mention the coloratura contralto, he includes mention of specific works requiring coloratura technique for the contralto voice.[8]
Examples of coloratura music for different voice ranges include:
Miller, Richard (2000). Training soprano voices. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-513018-8.
Randel, Don Michael, ed.; Apel, Willi, ed. (1986). New Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN978-0-674-61525-0.
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This article is about the melody For the Coldplay song see Coloratura song Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs trills wide leaps or similar virtuoso like material 1 2 or a passage of such music Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part and singers of these roles are also called coloratura 3 Its instrumental equivalent is ornamentation Farinelli a soprano castrato famous for singing baroque coloratura roles Bartolomeo Nazari 1734 Coloratura is particularly found in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and 19th centuries The word coloratura UK ˌ k ɒ l e r e ˈ tj ʊer e COL e re TURE e US ˌ k ʌ l CUL Italian koloraˈtuːra means coloring in Italian and derives from the Latin word colorare to color 1 Contents 1 History 2 Modern usage 2 1 Vocal ranges 3 See also 4 Citations 5 Works citedHistory EditThe term coloratura was first defined in several early non Italian music dictionaries Michael Praetorius s Syntagma musicum 1618 Sebastien de Brossard s Dictionaire de musique 1703 and Johann Gottfried Walther s Musicalisches Lexicon 1732 In these early texts the term is dealt with briefly and always with reference to Italian usage 4 Christoph Bernhard 1628 1692 defined coloratura in two ways 4 cadenza runs which are not so exactly bound to the bar but which often extend two three or more bars further and should be made only at chief closes Von der Singe Kunst oder Maniera c 1649 diminution when an interval is altered through several shorter notes so that instead of one long note a number of shorter ones rush to the next note through all kinds of progressions by step or leap Tractatus compositionis c 1657 The term was never used in the most famous Italian texts on singing Giulio Caccini s Le Nuove musiche 1601 2 Pier Francesco Tosi s Opinioni de cantori antichi e moderni 1723 Giovanni Battista Mancini s Pensieri e riflessioni pratiche sopra il canto figurato 1774 Manuel Garcia s Memoire sur la voix humaine 1841 and Traite complet de l art du chant 1840 47 nor was it used by the English authors Charles Burney 1726 1814 and Henry Fothergill Chorley 1808 1872 both of whom wrote at length about Italian singing of a period when ornamentation was essential 4 Modern usage EditThe term coloratura is most commonly applied to the elaborate and florid figuration or ornamentation in classical late 18th century and romantic 19th century specifically bel canto vocal music However early music of the 15th 16th and 17th centuries and in particular baroque music extending up to about 1750 includes a substantial body of music for which coloratura technique is required by vocalists and instrumentalists alike In the modern musicological sense the term is therefore used to refer to florid music from all periods of music history both vocal and instrumental 4 For example in Germany the term coloratura German Koloratur has been applied to the stereotypical and formulaic ornamentation used in 16th century keyboard music written by a group of German organ composers referred to as the colorists German Koloristen 2 Despite its derivation from Latin colorare to color the term does not apply to the practice of coloring the voice i e altering the quality or timbre of the voice for expressive purposes for example the technique of voix sombree used by Gilbert Duprez in the 1830s 4 Vocal ranges Edit The term is not restricted to describing any one range of voice All female and male voice types may achieve mastery of coloratura technique There are coloratura parts for all voice types in different musical genres 3 Nevertheless the term coloratura when used without further qualification normally means soprano di coloratura A coloratura soprano role most famously typified by the Queen of the Night in Mozart s The Magic Flute 5 has a high range and requires the singer to execute with great facility elaborate ornamentation and embellishment including running passages staccati and trills A coloratura soprano has the vocal ability to produce notes above high C C6 and possesses a tessitura ranging from A4 to A5 or higher unlike lower sopranos whose tessitura is G4 G5 or lower citation needed An example of a coloratura passage from a soprano role It includes a more difficult variant top stave with a leap to a high D D6 Final cadenza from the Valse in Ophelie s Mad Scene Act IV from the opera Hamlet 1868 by Ambroise Thomas piano vocal score p 292 Richard Miller names two types of soprano coloratura voices the coloratura and the dramatic coloratura 6 as well as a mezzo soprano coloratura voice 7 and although he does not mention the coloratura contralto he includes mention of specific works requiring coloratura technique for the contralto voice 8 Examples of coloratura music for different voice ranges include Mozart s Allelujah from Exsultate jubilate may be arranged for and sung by a properly trained contralto mezzo soprano or soprano The piece was written for soprano castrato The aria Every valley shall be exalted from Handel s Messiah is an example of a coloratura piece for tenor Each singer of a major role in Rossini s operas must have a secure coloratura technique citation needed Osmin a character in Mozart s The Abduction from the Seraglio is a coloratura role for a basso Agitata da due venti Agitated by two winds a coloratura contralto aria from Antonio Vivaldi s opera Griselda See also EditBel canto Diatonic and chromatic Medieval colorationCitations Edit a b Oxford American Dictionaries a b Apel 1969 p 184 a b Steane J B Jander Owen Coloratura in Sadie 1992 1 907 a b c d e Jander Owen Harris Ellen T Coloratura in Grove Music Online www grovemusic com Retrieved 27 November 2006 Randel 1986 p 180 Miller 2000 pp 7 9 Miller 2000 pp 12 13 Miller 2000 p 13 Works cited EditApel Willi ed 1969 Harvard Dictionary of Music second edition Cambridge Massachusetts The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 37501 7 Miller Richard 2000 Training soprano voices New York Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 513018 8 Randel Don Michael ed Apel Willi ed 1986 New Harvard Dictionary of Music Cambridge Massachusetts The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 61525 0 Sadie Stanley ed 1992 The New Grove Dictionary of Opera four volumes London Macmillan ISBN 978 1 56159 228 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Coloratura amp oldid 1100208712, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
